The best English wines to serve to your guests this Easter

Once again, the offspring have decided not to fly halfway round the world to see me, and to be fair we have met up recently, so they are entitled to enjoy the last of the snow on the mountains of the countries they are living in.

This year we have a late Easter, and the weather is being extraordinary kind, with, at the time of writing, UK temperatures higher than parts of Spain, so why would I turn on the oven to cook a roast dinner?

So, the garden furniture has been washed down, there are white wines in the fridge and a group of neighbours will be calling by, not for a big lunch, but for a plate of salad, a glass of wine and a chat. It may rain, but at least the intention is to herald springtime and lighter flavours.

Welcome Wine

It is always good to welcome guests with a glass of fizz and English sparkling wine is a perfect choice. There are now over 1000 vineyards in the UK and while many of them are small plots of just a few hectares there has been substantial investment in bigger vineyards, mainly across Kent, Hampshire and Sussex.

The Best English Sparkling Wine, Morrisons £24: Sourced from a major, excellent producer of English wine, who masquerade under the pseudonym of Rolling Green Hills for this wine, it is Morrisons themselves who use the term ‘The Best’, but at this price it comes pretty close to that description.

Aged on lees for an astonishing six years, it has garden fresh aromas followed by baked apple and brioche flavours with a toasty finish. Great value.

Louis Pommery England, Brut, Tesco £29.75: Pommery – the Champagne house of the same name - has been working with Hampshire winemakers for over a decade and now produces two sparkling wines under the label Louis Pommery England. The white version is easy to track down and it has a clean, fresh style, with hints of brioche amongst the fruit.

There is a Brut Rosé too, but this is very difficult to find. Let me know if your local wine merchant has some.

Domaine Evremond Classic Cuvée, Harrogate Wines on special offer from £55.99 to £49.99 while stocks last: This is the first wine from the Kent vineyard planted by Champagne producer Taittinger.

It was seven years ago that I stood in a soggy field with a single vine in my hand and was shown exactly where to plant it. Dozens of other journalists also planted their solitary vines and then a big tractor took over the job, planting vines over a large stretch of hillside.

Since then, a top-class winery has been built, and the vines have grown and produced grapes. The new release is made from a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, mainly from the 2020 vintage and aged for 3 years on the lees.

It really is delicious with a fresh, garden blossom aroma followed by citrus and white peach notes on the palate, a light almost saline note, and a hint of white pepper. It is surprisingly broad in flavour, yet still with the characteristic bright notes of an English wine.

And to follow

Tukituki Sauvignon Blanc 2024, Marlborough, New Zealand, Asda £7.47: A light, bright Kiwi Sauvignon with a few other grapes in the mix adding complexity. There’s Chardonnay, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Noir and Riesling, all adding shades of extra flavour that don’t really intrude on the zesty, clear citrus Sauvignon, but provide a bit more weight to pair with food. Terrific value, this is one to keep in the fridge all through springtime.

Specially Selected Argentinian Viognier 2024, Aldi £8.99: If you have found Viognier to be a bit heavy and over-floral, then try this. It has all the right notes of peach and a touch of white tree blossom, but there is zesty citrus acidity to finish.

LFE Gran Reserva Roussanne-Marsanne 2024, Colchagua Valley, Chile, Tesco £11: As well as the salads that will be a welcome change from all the weightier foods of winter, I will also have a fish pie on offer, and this wine goes perfectly with it. Based on a Rhône blend of grapes it has light floral notes, with a touch of pear and honeysuckle, backed by clear freshness.

Santa Tresa Rina Russa Frappato 2023, Terre Siciliana, Italy, Field and Fawcett £11.80: From a small family-owned organic estate in south east Sicily, this is a totally delicious spring-into -summer wine with light, cherry and strawberry flavours made from the Frappato grape. It wraps itself around salads and lightly grilled meats perfectly and if the day is warm, try putting it in the fridge for half an hour.

Finest English Rosé 2024, Kent Tesco £12.50: This comes from the Balfour winery in Kent which has consistently hit a balance of quality and price with their wines. It is a blend of Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, plus Regent which delivers good colour into the wine. There is also a splash of Reichensteiner which lifts the aromas. The result is a light fruity rosé with red berry style, a clear thread of freshness and a long finish.

The Finishing Touch

It is Easter so there should be some chocolate, but it doesn’t have to come shaped like an egg and wrapped in foil. A chocolate pud of some sort always goes down well, or perhaps just some chocolate sauce drizzled over strawberries.

Or you could put those lovely slim blocks of Lindt 70% cocoa chocolate in the fridge for an hour and snap them into pieces.

Pour a glass of port alongside such as Waitrose Blueprint Tawny Port, normally £10.25 but down by 25% in a mix six deal until April 22. At this price you can afford to pour it generously and if you can’t finish it off, put the bottle next to the hob and add a splash to sauces and gravies until it has all gone.