So what is a Frizzante wine?  Technically it is a ‘semi-sparkling’ wine typically found in Italy and it differs from our range of ‘Traditional Method’ English sparkling wines in several key ways.

Firstly, it is produced via the ‘charmat method’ whereby the secondary fermentation occurs in tank as opposed to the ‘traditional’ or ‘champagne method’ when this occurs in bottle.

Secondly, we add less sugar for the secondary fermentation which delivers the ‘lighter fizz’ and at just 2 bar pressure allows us to bottle under screw cap and in a standard wine bottle.  A ‘traditional method’ sparkling wine will be around 6 – 7 bar pressure and therefore must be bottled in heavier weight glass and under cork and a cage.

Thirdly, we don’t age the wine in contact with the yeast lees (which is a critical step in the production and ‘autolytic’ character of our traditional bottle fermented sparkling wine).  Frizzante instead champions the freshness and fruit aromas of the base wine.  In this instance our aromatic Bacchus provides the perfect base to work with.

On tasting, this lightly sparkling style fills the mouth with a gentle creamy effervescence that beautifully compliments the elegance and crisp freshness of the wine.

We’ll shortly be entering the time of year when those of you visiting Brighton may witness one of the greatest wildlife spectacles in the world, a murmaratoin of starlings performing their aerial acrobatics over what remains of Brighton’s West Pier.   We chose this image for our Frizzante label not only because it is beautiful and an iconic local image but also because both are under threat.  Starling numbers have declined by over 80% in the UK over the last 50 years and who knows how much longer the West Pier will survive.    Murmurations take place at dusk and early evening in the winter months when our domestic starling numbers are boosted by migrant birds from Scandinavia.   Studies suggest that starlings congregate in these remarkable ‘murmurations’ to deter possible predators, which are confused by the swirling masses. Starlings have extremely fast reaction times and can make changes in their flight direction in a split second.

The decline in numbers is thought to be linked to modern intensive farming practices resulting in habitat loss and highlights again the need for us all to think how we can operate in a more environmentally sustainable manner.

We will be donating 20p from every bottle sold to the RSPB to help them in their work to save threatened bird species.