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Earl of Sandwich teams up with Furleigh to create English sparkling wine
Dorset-based wine producer Furleigh has partnered with the Mapperton Estate and the Earl of Sandwich to release an English sparkling wine called the Montagu Cuvée.
The cuvée, which is made from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, is named after the house of Montagu, of which the Earl of Sandwich is one of the titles. The fizz will now be used for celebrations and events at Mapperton House near Beaminster – part of the Mapperton estate which is home to the Earl and Countess of Sandwich.
The wine was made on the Furleigh estate in west Dorset. The winery was founded in 2009 on the site of a former dairy farm and now boasts over 22,000 vines producing around 40,000 bottles of wine a year, of which three quarters is sparkling wine and the rest still.
Ian Edwards, owner and winemaker at Furleigh, commented: “It was a pleasure to work with Mapperton to produce this unique sparkling wine. It combines all that is good about Dorset fruit-growing with the finest traditions of sparkling winemaking. We are delighted that the Montagu Cuvée will be drunk in the glorious surroundings of Mapperton House and Gardens.”
Mapperton House and Gardens, which are set in 15 acres of land, are open to the public from Sunday to Thursday.
Luke Montagu, Viscount Hinchingbrooke, who runs the Mapperton Estate, added: “Our team came up with this brilliant idea and we were very pleased when the world-renowned Furleigh Estate agreed to produce the Montagu Cuvée. My father, the Earl of Sandwich, is a better judge of wine than I am, so I let him steer the development. The result we believe is exceptional, and I’m sure our wedding couples and their guests will agree!”
Last month, Furleigh teamed up with a local ice cream producer to celebrate the launch of its new rosé. Sea Pink, a blend of 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Rondo with an ABV of 11.5%, was used by Dorset brand Baboo Gelato to create a Sea Pink Rosé Sorbet to mark the release of the wine.
Earlier this month, the English wine producer completed the construction of a new storage facility after volumes achieved last year meant that its “production capacity was struggling to cope”.