Sparkling Wine Masterclass with Dr Belinda Kemp

It’s a celebration! A chance to explore the fabulous origins and destiny of fizz with esteemed wine scientist and sparkling wine specialist Dr Belinda Kemp. English sparkling wine or local pét-nat? Traditional, tank or ancestral method? Champagne, Crémant, Cava, Prosecco or Pétillante Naturel - what, exactly, is the difference? Is it a question of place and grape varieties or mostly about method? Is the difference born in the vineyard or in the number of steps taken in the winery? Is bubble size an indicator of quality?

All these questions and many more are well within Dr Belinda Kemp’s impressive realm of expertise. She gained her PHD in New Zealand while studying Pinot Noir and spent 10 years focusing on sparkling wine production at the Cool Climate, Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) in Ontario, Canada. In 2023, she returned to the UK to lead R&D at the new NIAB-based Wine Innovation Centre in East Malling, Kent. Her current research spans the entire lifecycle of champagne-style méthode traditionnelle English sparkling wine from vineyard to bottle, via regenerative farming practices. Ultimately, she is responsible for scientifically identifying the grape growing and winemaking techniques that will guarantee the sustainable future of the burgeoning but very young English vine-growing area – quite a task!  

Except in April, she’s taking a break to visit her old friend Mandy Govey in Saint Antonin Noble Val, which gives me an opportunity to take her to Gaillac: an ancient wine region where artisanal growers have been farming regeneratively (though not necessarily scientifically) for decades - and the heartland of the oldest and hippest sparkling wine styles of them all: Pétillante Naturel or pét-nat for short, made according to the méthode ancestrale which predates champagne by 500 years; home to the Abbey Saint Michel Cooperative, a living heritage dedicated to the production of natural sparkling wines and to the French Wine and Vine Institute for Southwest France where Belinda will meet her peers.

Join us on Sunday 8th April to share our discoveries in a one-off Sparkling Wine Masterclass - to retrace the saga of sparkling wine from its accidental origins to its life science-based destiny, to unravel  the craft behind a mythic, iconic, libidinous drink that has captivated humankind since its inception in the 16th century, to taste two natural sparkling wines and one English sparkling wine shipped over especially for the occasion by Belinda and unlock a great unknown. Because, understanding the risky business behind the making of a “simple” well-balanced natural sparkling wine brings the complex and elaborate mechanics of the whole sparkling wine category into light.

So, will it be a party-friendly local pet-nat or more sophisticated bubbly from afar? Apart from being a good excuse to have some fun, this tasting will make you think twice about the fizz you pour at your next event.

Sparkling Wine Masterclass

The fabulous origins and destiny of fizz with Dr Belinda Kemp

Date

Sunday 6th April

Time

6pm-7.30pm

Price

20€ per person.

Venue

Joanne Dans Le Vin in Espinas OR La Houx Est Ou in Saint Antonin - watch this space for more info! 

Book your spot!

(only 20 places available)