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The wines of New wave wines/Curious Grape, England New Wave Wines, Tenterden Vineyard, Small Hythe, Tenterden,
Kent TN30 7NG England’s finest? From this tasting, it seems to be the
case. With wine, size matters: it’s usually a bad thing as far as
quality is concerned. However, in the UK, the largest producer happens
to be one of the best. New Wave Wines was formed in 2000 from the
merger between Lamberhurst, Tenterden and Carr Taylor vineyards, and
they’ve since pushed the UK wine industry forwards. The key to their success has been making good quality wines
at affordable price points. It’s all very well making good wine, but
unless it’s priced right no major outlet will list it, and therefore
no one will buy it. Curious Grape have priced their wines so that they
are stocked in supermarkets and high street shops, by means of their
economy of scale. They own some of their own vineyards, but the majority of
their grapes are brought from up to 23 growers, though they have 2–3
major suppliers. Grapes come from Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, Essex,
Suffolk and Norfolk. According to Owen Elias, who poured these wines, they pay
more for better grapes, depending on the variety, the sugar levels,
the acidity and the level of rot. Lots of grapes are used, but
Elias’ favourites include Bacchus, Huxelrebe, Pinot Blanc and Pinot
Noir. Recent vintages have given the UK wine industry a boost. 2002
was a very successful vintage, with high sugars, high acidity and
yields down. 2003 is the warmest in recorded history, and the
suggestion is that this will be a classic vintage, although I’ve yet
to try any of the wines. So the key question: are these wines very good for English
wines, or are they very good full stop? I suspect if you tasted them
blind (and I once came across one in a blind tasting - the 2000 Pinot
Blanc - marking it down
as a decent Loire white), you’d find them quite convincing. They are
of at least solid commercial quality and priced just right. But I
wouldn’t say that any blew me away. Maybe next year? Curious Grape Huxelrebe 2002 Curious Grape Seyval Blanc 2002 Curious Grape Bacchus 2002 Curious Grape Schönburger 2001 Curious Grape Ortega 2001 Curious Grape Bacchus Reserve 2001 Curious Grape English Rosé 2002 Chapel Down NV Brut Chapel Down Pinot Reserve 1999 Chapel Down Pinot Reserve Brut 2000 Curious Grape Pinot Noir 2000 Curious Grape Epoch 1 2002 Curious Grape Rondo Reserve 2000 Curious Grape Nectar 2002 see also: UKVA award winning wines, 2003; English wines:raising the standard; tasting notes of English wines |