English Sparkling Wine Tasting with Special Guests Owners Charles and Ruth Simpson Friday, May 9, 2025 - 7:30 PM
"Champagne, if you are seeking the truth, is better than a lie detector. It encourages a man to be expansive, even reckless, while lie detectors are only a challenge to tell lies successfully."
Graham Greene
We drink Champagne every day here at Wine Watch! We are not opposed to other sparkling wines that are made like Champagne and today there are many places making sparkling wines using the traditional method that was created in Champagne. The closest thing to Champagne today is the sparkling wines being produced in the south of England, they have the same Kimmerigian Limestone terroir as that of Champagne and Burgundy.
I always say that climate change has been very good for some parts of wine country like Champagne and Burgundy as they had been so cold in the past that they had a hard time getting the grapes ripe enough to get the resulting wines to 13% alcohol, but it may be getting too warm as some have speculated that if the warming trend continues areas like Chablis will lose their unique character with alcohol levels that will be more comparable to the chardonnay of northern California.
The fact that they are making very good wines in Southern England is proof that the climate has changed over the last several hundred years. Roman soldiers first brought grape vines from England over 1000 years ago and at that time the weather was warmer like it is today. The English Channel was so shallow at that time that there were spots where they walked across. Over the next few hundred years the temperatures cooled down and viticulture became difficult in the south of England and although the terroir is the same as that of Champagne and Burgundy in France they did not have enough sunlight and heat to get grapes ripe enough to make a resulting wine that was over 10% without chaptalization (adding sugar to the fermenting must).
It's only in the last few decades that it has become possible to make high quality wines again in this area surrounding the city of Canterbury which is a sister city to Reims. Canterbury was also built by the Romans a few hundred years after they build Reims and also has an impressive cathedral in the center of the city.
Canterbury is only a one-hour train ride from London today as they now have a high speed rail that makes several trips a day making the 2 hour drive a lot quicker and allowing visitors from London a short trip for a daytime visit to wine country in England. We decided to spend the night to explore the nightlife as there are no cars allowed in the center of town making it a great place to walk. Many of the buildings here date back to the 1600’s and there are a lot of unique shops, restaurants, bars and exploring the cathedral is also a must while in Canterbury.
Join us as we welcome one of England’s top sparkling wine producers to South Florida on Friday May 9th. We have the owners of Simpsons English Wine Estate, Charles and Ruth Simpson at the wine bar for an evening of English sparkling wines and some remarkable still wines that you will be the first “Wine Drinking People” in the USA to experience as they are not available in the US market at this time. The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $225 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
English Sparkling Wine Tasting Featuring the Simpsons Winery
with Special Guests Owners Charles and Ruth Simpson
Friday, May 9, 2025
7:30 PM
NV Simpsons Wine Estate 'Chalklands' Classic Cuvee Vintage Sparkling, England
2018 Simpsons Wine Estate 'White Cliffs' Blanc de Blancs England
2020 Simpsons Wine Estate 'Flint Fields' Sparkling Blanc de Noirs, England
2020 Simpsons Wine Estate Canterbury Rose Sparkling England
2022 Roman Road Chardonnay England
2023 Rabbit Hole Pinot Noir England
Menu
Truffle Parmesan Shoestring Fries
Duck Trap Smoked Salmon on top of Potato Cake with Italian Sturgeon Caviar
Sauteed Hudson Valley Foie Gras Served in Bourbon Consumee with Edamame, Tomato Concasse and Cheese Tortellini
Bang Bang Chicken
Strawberry shortcake
The fee for this tasting which includes dinner is $225 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com. Please let us know when you make your reservations if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies and chefs Toni and Dani will be happy to accommodate you.
A bit about the Simpsons:
As a husband and wife team, we have been producing award-winning wines at Domaine de Sainte Rose, our stunning, southern French property, since 2002. From our 40-hectare vineyard we have created an eclectic range of wines that have won international acclaim and are sold around the world.
In 2012, attracted by the quality of the terroir and the opportunity to become part of what is one of the most dynamic wine producing regions of the world, we brought our expertise and savoir-faire back to the UK, establishing Simpsons Wine Estate with an aspiration to produce world class English wines.
We laid down roots for Simpsons' Wine Estate in 2014 amid the pristine beauty of the Elham Valley – an unspoilt seam in the North Downs of Kent where the contours of the land, the climate and the soil could scarcely be improved upon for viticulture.
Occupying glorious positions on the sunny, sheltered slopes of the picturesque village of Barham, our vineyards are protected from the whimsy of the English climate by ancient woodland and anchored in the iconic chalky soils that are so highly revered in the world of both still and sparkling wine.
Located in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the vineyards set an alluring scene, looking out over gently undulating English countryside towards the distinctive copper-green spire of the village Church.
We planted the first 10 hectares of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir on our estate in 2014. This is our Roman Road Vineyard, situated alongside the route the Romans first marched when invading England in AD 43, bringing with them the first vines. A further 20 hectares of the same three grape varieties were established on the southern slopes of the village during 2016 and 2017. This is our Railway Hill Vineyard, so called because the Canterbury to Folkestone light railway passed through this site in the late 19th and first half of the 20th Century.
Our intensely lime-rich chalk soil, forming part of the same chalk ridge that stretches from southern England to the French Champagne region and on to Burgundy, is without doubt the most desirable for the cultivation of the time-honoured trio of grapes renowned for producing the world’s finest still and sparkling wines: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.
We have seen on our wine estate in France (Domaine Sainte Rose) how the most striking results in viticulture come from farming on the limits – providing the vines with just enough of what they need to survive but never too much. The contrary forces of a chalk soil support this task perfectly: it is free draining yet able to absorb water, protecting the vines from thirst even in the driest of periods.
The English climate may be marginal for viticulture but its relative austerity – where expertly handled - is ideally suited to creating still and sparkling wines with pure varietal flavours, elegant acidity and subtly sophisticated aromas, thanks to a long, cool ripening period.
Simpsons' Wine Estate is located in one of the sunniest corners of the British Isles, and we have further safeguarded our vines against extremes in climate by selecting sloping vineyards that face almost due south, ensuring heat accumulation in the day, and excellent cold air drainage at night. The maritime influence is also crucial to the success of our vines: we are less than eight miles from the coast on three sides, which helps insulate our fruit against intense variations in temperature.
With 30 hectares of vineyards now in production and a state-of-the-art winery situated just minutes from the vines, our exclusively estate-grown still and sparkling wines are increasingly heralded, both nationally and internationally, as some of the finest of their kind.
We have a very international, quality-focused team, who have gained experience all over the world and have come from a very diverse range of work environments. This includes an Estate Manager from New Zealand and we have one Assistant Winemaker from Australia and one from South Africa.
At Simpsons' Wine Estate, no aspect of viticulture or winemaking is outsourced – a reflection of our belief in balance, detail and integrity. Our winemaking methods have been carefully chosen to promote the purest expression of the fruit and our Kentish terroir, with as little intervention as possible. As winemakers working in, what we believe to be, the most dynamic wine producing region of the world, we are unhampered by the weight of old world tradition and take a fresher approach to our craft; handpicking from both time-honed traditions and modern technology.
In September 2016, renowned wine personality Oz Clarke opened our custom-created winery, located within walking distance of our two vineyard sites and equidistant between them. The proximity of the winery to the vines is crucial to ensure minimal transportation and manipulation of the grapes during the harvest period. Extended in 2019, the winery now houses two Vaslin Bucher Inertys grape presses, specially selected in order to protect the purity of the juice and expand the potential flavour spectrum of each grape variety.
The flawless combination of savoir-faire, perfect vineyard sites, meticulous farming and impeccable winemaking has allowed us to create a range of premium still wines at Simpsons' Wine Estate.
With a strong emphasis on provenance and exuding a true sense of place, these exceptional wines are made from still wine varietal clones and are designed to challenge the perception of English still wines both nationally and internationally.
The Estate's status in this category came to the fore in the 2020 Decanter World Wine Awards, when the 2018 vintage of our flagship still wine, The Roman Road Chardonnay, was awarded a Platinum Medal and the highest accolade of “Best in Show”. This title is only bestowed upon the top 50 wines entered into what is the largest and most influential, international wine competition.
The bar is set high and we are committed to maintaining this exceptional level of still wine production, always seeking to deliver beyond expectations.
The Estate is going from strength to strength and now has the capacity to produce upwards of 250,000 bottles of English still and sparkling wine per year.
Each bottle of Simpsons’ sparkling wine is created according to the Great British Classic Method. Our base wines are expertly vinified and then bottled and sealed under crown cap, with their liqueur de tirage, (a carefully crafted combination of yeast and sugar), at which point the secondary fermentation begins, generating fine, perfectly formed bubbles.
Once the fermentation is complete, each bottle then matures for between fifteen months and three years (depending on the particular wine style), in the meticulously monitored conditions of our winery, thus achieving its peak complexity.
This time spent resting on its lees serves to soften the distinctive, racy acidity of English wine and allows the emergence and development of the highly desirable autolytic flavours. There is no place for impatience in the production of sparkling wine, thus we believe in waiting until the optimal moment to disgorge each bottle of Simpsons' sparkling wine.
They offer a range of experiences at the winery and if you would like to visit the Simpsons Winery you can contact them at: email: info@simpsonswine.com or call 01227 832200
All the Sparkling wines from the Simpsons on SALE!!
Simpsons Wine Estate 'Chalklands' Classic Cuvee Vintage Sparkling, England
Price: $49.00 Your Price: $43.12
Tasting Notes: Created from Estate grown Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier grapes, our Classic Method Classic Cuvée is the epitome of English elegance. Pale gold in color, with a delicate mousse, it has a delightfully fresh nose with notes of crisp green apple and flint. These flavors are amplified on the palate, which has linear precision and impressive structure and length.
2018 Simpsons Wine Estate 'White Cliffs' Blanc de Blancs England
Price: $71.00 Your Price: $62.48
White Cliffs Blanc de Blancs 2018 embodies English purity and style: Pale gold with a fine mousse, this wine has classic aromas of citrus and green apple, balanced with subtle, toasted brioche notes and distinctive minerality, ending in a rich, persistent finish.
Simpsons Wine Estate 'Flint Fields' Sparkling Blanc de Noirs, England
Price: $67.00 Your Price: $58.96
Tasting Notes: With a golden hue and a fine, persistent bead, this wine has luxurious, pâtisserie and citrus peel aromas. On the palate it shows precision and poise, with quince and rosehip notes, perfectly married with hints of frangipane and wonderful savoury nuances. It is bone dry and has a smooth, elegant finish.
2020 Simpsons Wine Estate Canterbury Rose Sparkling England
Price: $56.00 Your Price: $49.28
This wine is rose gold with a very fine, caressing bead. On the nose it has hints of citrus peel and rosehip with savoury patisserie nuances, illustrating both finesse and balance. On the palate there are vibrant grapefruit flavours layered with red berry fruit. The extended lees ageing has enhanced this wine’s elegant structure and its generous, lingering finish.