English sparkler to toast new ship launch

English sparkling wine Wiston Estate will be the wine of choice for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh when they name the new cruise ship Britannia in Southampton, UK, on Tuesday.

Four nebuchadnezzars (the equivalent of 20 bottles) of Wiston Estate Brut NV have been commissioned for the naming ceremony of the P&O Cruises ship Britannia, one of which will be smashed on her bow to officially launch the ship, while bottles of the Brut NV and Rosé Vintage 2011 will be served during the various inaugural events.

P&O Cruises’ marketing director Christopher Edgington commented: “When it came to selecting a wine for Britannia’s naming ceremony and inaugural season, we wanted to keep in with our British positioning and select an English sparkling wine.

“The Wiston Estate Winery immediately stood out as a British brand with a proud history, very much in our own mould,” he said.

This focus on “Britishness” has also extended to the food and drink offered on-board the ship, with the menus devised by UK chefs James Martin, Marco Pierre White and Atul Kochhar, cheeses selected by Charlie Turnbull and wine selected by Olly Smith.

Rebecca Palmer, buyer for Corney & Barrow, Wiston Estate’s UK agent and distributor, said: “Wiston’s wines are delicious and fine; P&O Cruises’ decision to choose Wiston for such an important ceremony is incredibly exciting, not just in recognising Wiston’s excellence, but also in championing the potential of the entire English sparkling wine scene.”