It was England vs France at Lock 84’s Balfour Wine Dinner last week

Is English wine nasty?

Fifty years ago it was; very. Nearly as nasty as Australian. Then Nyetimber Sparkling came along in the late eighties and changed all that.

The world had started to heat up, and that chalk escarpment in Kent, stretching across the Channel into northern France’s Champagne region, had started to produce wine from similar vines in good old Blighty. And they were rather good.

This writer, at a blind tasting in 1996 at Christie’s in London, scored a Nyetimber higher than a non-vintage Moët champagne. Although we can’t call any sparkling wine from outside the French region of Champagne, ‘champagne’, a few English growers today are consistently standing up to their cousins across the Channel, and ever more, regularly beating them.

At Lock 84’s wine dinner last Thursday, showcasing wines from Balfour Winery in Kent, the first coupe served was their Leslie’s Brut NV. It was very, very good. I am not just being polite. The natural tendency towards sharp apples in young non-vintage champagnes was softened by notes of digestive biscuits. (The French would say ‘brioche’ here, but if we can’t use ‘champagne’, they can go and fuck off with their ‘brioche’. We’ll have McVitie’s from Levy, thanks).

Whilst all the wines shown were a marvel of English farming ingenuity, this was my stand-out from the evening. It’s around £30 to £35 in the shops and good value at that. Tip: buy two. Drink one now to warm up the palate, then stick the other under the sink for a year and revisit. It will put a smile on your face.

The wines were paired with a good-looking six-course menu, served in a cool, air-conditioned restaurant beside one of Manchester’s historic locks on the Rochdale canal. The first course was a belter: heritage tomatoes with whipped Lancashire cheese, toasted sourdough, elderflower and basil.

It was served with Balfour’s Nanette’s Rosé. Similar to a bottle from one of the Vignobles de Ramatuelle vineyards on the St Tropez peninsula. Very light blush, very bloody dangerous on Pampelonne beach. (Don’t drink three bottles at lunch at Club 55 and have a ‘quick’ nap by the sea. You won’t be able to wear clothes for a fortnight.)

This dinner was great, and really good value. At £55 including the wine, I have to thank the very personable Myles Archibald (you’d never know he was a wine salesman) from Balfour Winery and my pals Tan and Peter at The Reach at Piccadilly’s restaurant Lock 84 for the invite – loved it. And Chef Chris and the team, front and back.

To my lot, keep an eye out for these regular wine dinners – bloody good fun.

Main image: Harvest time at Balfour Vineyard in Kent. Credit: Balfour Winery