Naming ‘the people’s English fizz’

Naked Wines is seeking a name for its English sparkling wine, following confirmation of the blend chosen by its investors.

Winemakers Charles and Ruth Simpson talk about their work in a YouTube video.

Last August, Naked Wines launched a crowdfunding campaign for ‘the people’s English fizz.’ Investors not only provided financial backing, but were also given the opportunity to vote for the blend of grapes used.

1,200 investors raised £112,000 for the project and have selected a blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, expected to deliver ‘high notes of white peach, with a hint of toastiness.’

They now have until September this year to decide on a name. If this prompts anything like the public’s reaction to Bob and Sam Lindo’s comments made in January, choosing a name will prove rather difficult. Thankfully, the name will apply to just the wine rather than the sparkling wine category in general.

The final name will be selected via a vote in September. The wine will then be released to investors in time for Christmas 2018.

Winemakers Charles and Ruth Simpson are producing the wine from grapes harvested at their vineyard in Barham near Canterbury. Prior to winemaking in the UK, the couple have 14 years’ experience making wine in the Languedoc region in France.

Commenting on the project, the couple said, “We wanted to create a wine that our investors can shape at every stage – this is an English wine made by the British people and I hope that they will feel very proud of the wine that we have produced together.”

Eamon FitzGerald, MD of Naked Wines UK said: “Our customers have invested their hard-earned pennies into Charles and Ruth’s English fizz project, so it’s only right that they tell us what style of wine they’d like to drink in return. The rise of English wines has been astounding, so this is a fantastic opportunity for our customers to be part of winemaking history by crowdfunding and creating the newest addition to English sparkling wine.”