English sparklers scoop award as Ronay says 'it's Champagne'
November 6, 2007
By Maggie Rosen
The RidgeView Merret range of English sparkling wines has been awarded the top prize at Egon Ronay's British Academy of Gastronomes awards – the first time an English wine has been so recognised.
Awarded annually, the Grand Prix of Gastronomy honours a UK-based person, venture or product that has 'done the most for gastronomy' that year.
'The Academy requested samples, and we sent them but we weren't really sure what it was all about,' said Mardi Roberts, RidgeView's sales and marketing manager.
'A couple of weeks later, Egon Ronay called us himself to tell us we'd won.'
The trophy was presented last night to Michael Roberts by Ronay, 92, at London's Dorchester Hotel. He said the sparkling wine deserved to be called Champagne.
'We decided to give the award to RidgeView because we felt they have produced not only a high quality sparkling wine, but an excellent Champagne,' Ronay told decanter.com. 'The fact that they cannot call it Champagne is an absurdity and I take great issue with this silly rule.'
Previous winners include cookery writer Jane Grigson, restaurateurs Albert and Michel Roux, and HRH Prince Charles for reviving mutton.
RidgeView, in the Sussex Downs, was founded in 1994 and produces sparkling wines that have won a plethora of national and international accolades, consistently gaining medal at all previous Decanter World Wine Awards.
The British Academy of Gastronomes was launched in 1983 to encourage the improvement of the standard of food and beverages in the UK and Ireland.
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Mr Egon Ronay should just comment about food instead of saying absurdities himself. The fact Champagne are called Champagne it's for the same reason Bordeaux are called Bordeaux. They come from geographically well specified and unique places. The best are wines of unrivalled quality and prestige and they always lead the way of oenology best achievements. Champagne region are unique in the world and makes a unique wine which is only imitated all over the place but the imitations never come even close to the real thing. It's bad enough English sparkling wine producers charging absurd amounts of money in the backing of cheap imitations of Champagne methods and now Mr Egon Ronay is even suggesting English bubbly to be called Champagne. It's laughable. For the good of English Wine I hope is not serious and concentrates on judging food only.
Marco Correia, Crawley, UK
I can assure Mr. Ronay that winegrowers in the UK have no wish to call their sparkling wines Champagne and why he thinks it an “absurdity” that we cannot is beyond me. Is he that out of touch with wine labelling regulations? English sparkling wines are rapidly becoming recognised for the fine products they are and the fact that we use the same varieties as in Champagne and follow the same production methods as they do is no accident. Champagne is the nearest overseas winegrowing region to the UK and as climate change brings our weather conditions more in line with those traditionally found in Champagne, it is natural that we should be able to produce similar – and sometimes even better – wines than the Champenois.
Stephen Skelton MW, Chairman of the United Kingdom Vineyards Association 1999-2003, UK
Why does good news about the excellent quality of English wines, especially the spakling wines, always bring out comments such as those from Mr. Correia? This head-in-the-sand attitude that all Champagne is better than any other sparkling wine has been shown to be nonsense too many times. Those continuing to insist on their validity show themselves to be bigoted, or ignorant, or stupid or possibly all three. When will people learn to drink the contents, not the label?
Smon Alper, The Lord Nelson, Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, UK
It is a shame that Champagne produces not only some of the best sparkling wine in the world, but also some of the worse. They are great marketers, but with changing climates and improving oenological knowledge in England, Champagne may get a run for its money.
Simon Woodhead, Brighton, UK
Talking of “absurd amounts of money” is this the same Mr. Marco Correia who is charging £360 for a bottle of rosé Champagne? If this is not an absurd amount, I would like to know what is!
Stephen Skelton MW
Our family have an annual pilgrimage to cornwall for holiday. I always visit camel valley and purchase a bottle or two. This year i spoke to Bob Lindo winemaker/owner of camal valley vineyard, he produces an absoulutley fantastic sparkler they refer to it as cornwall brut. This typifies what Stephen Skelton says Cornwall Brut has won many awards beating many a champagne house. We have no desire in this country to call our sparklers champage in many cases English sparklers are far superior. I congratulate our English wine makers and give them support were i can.
Brent Huntington a Bridge operator from East Yorkshire, UK
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Mr Egon Ronay should just comment about food instead of saying absurdities himself. The fact Champagne are called Champagne it's for the same reason Bordeaux are called Bordeaux. They come from geographically well specified and unique places. The best are wines of unrivalled quality and prestige and they always lead the way of oenology best achievements. Champagne region are unique in the world and makes a unique wine which is only imitated all over the place but the imitations never come even close to the real thing. It's bad enough English sparkling wine producers charging absurd amounts of money in the backing of cheap imitations of Champagne methods and now Mr Egon Ronay is even suggesting English bubbly to be called Champagne. It's laughable. For the good of English Wine I hope is not serious and concentrates on judging food only.
