England: Flint Vineyards - Charmat Pink (Incl Sustainable Disease-Resistant Varieties, Vegan-friendly)

Read Alex's Producer Profile on Flint

Grape varieties: Rondo (31%), Pinot Noir (24%), Bacchus (13%), Cabernet Cortis (12%), Reichensteiner (10%), Dunklefelder, (5%), Pinot Blanc (5%). 11.5% alcohol.

Matthew Jukes, World Renowned Wine Writer & Critic: "A dreamy stunner, the best wine in the world made by this method".

Dr Jamie Goode, Wine Scientist, Wine Anorak.com: "So vivid, pure and juicy, with true vinosity - deeply impressive". 

Sam Caporn, Master Of Wine: "Incredible fruit purity. This is clever winemaking to get something so good from the simpler tank method". 

Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com: "A bright, Warhol-pink, punky little number wagging raspberry candy in your face. Sporty acidity, flippant fruit. It tastes as if it zipped into your mouth on roller skates with a pop of bubble gum and a cheeky grin. I'd take this anytime! Pair with eighties vinyl. 16.5 points (equivalent to 91-92 points on the 100-point scale - 'very good to excellent/highly-recommended' - one hell of a score at this price point). 

Several of these varieties are disease-resistant, meaning a great deal less vineyard applications and emissions, and therefore this wine significantly ups the dial on sustainability. 

Dry - in Brut territory - and 11.5% alcohol, without chaptalisation (the addition of sugar to increase alcohol), meaning the alcohol comes 100% from natural sugars.

Flint's tank-fermented (as opposed to bottle-fermented) sparkling wines have always impressed me - and many others in the wine world. For extra validation, see all the comments below from a master of wine, wine scientist and renowned wine critics. 

Matthew Jukes's comment - "the best wine in the world made by this method" - was exactly what I thought when I first tasted it. I have never tasted a tank-fermented wine like it, neither in terms of character nor in terms of quality in my 28 years of involvement in the wine business/production (gulp).

The method he mentions being the same as used in the production of Prosecco, most German Sekt, and in some areas of France for generic 'vin mousseux', as well as in several other wine regions worldwide. 

When I first tasted this wine the red fruit was so immediate and enticing it was like putting your nose in a large vat of crushed strawberries, raspberries and cherries. It reminded me of my grandmother’s summer pudding!

Flint themselves describe it as "super pink and like summer in a glass" which is ultimately all you need to know, although perhaps this makes it sound like a basic quaffer, which it isn’t.

It's fun and easy drinking, yes, yet it’s structured and serious enough to make a fine aperitif, and to please even a wine obsessive like me. When the bubbles resolve and it warms up a little in the glass, it has the texture and flavours reminiscent of a light red - a testament to its vinosity, and to the quality of the winemaking at Flint. 

It's a great pick-me-up drink at any time of the year, perhaps even better in the winter months to remind us of long, sunny days; but it’s also brilliantly well-made.

While energetic, tangy and mouth-watering, it is not without texture and there’s a lovely faint whisper of creaminess and nuttiness on the finish. I have witnessed it going down like a storm at a party with people asking "what is this delicious wine"! 

Such is the popularity and quality of Flint's sparkling wines, they are currently in the process of planting new sites and are soon constructing a larger winery. 

You may notice it’s missing a foil - a conscious decision as foils are incredibly wasteful things.

Food pairing:

In Flint’s own words: "matches up perfectly with light, vibrant, flavour-filled foods - so think zesty salads, seafood platters, or charcuterie boards. Ideal for picnics in any weather, late lunches, spontaneous celebrations, or laid-back evenings."

What the critics say:

Sam Caporn, Master Of Wine: "Incredible fruit purity. This is clever winemaking to get something so good from the simpler tank method". 

Matthew Jukes, World Renowned Wine Writer & Critic: "A dreamy stunner, the best wine in the world made by this method".

Dr Jamie Goode, Wine Scientist, Wine Anorak.com: "So vivid, pure and juicy, with true vinosity - deeply impressive". 

Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com: "A bright, Warhol-pink, punky little number wagging raspberry candy in your face. Sporty acidity, flippant fruit. It tastes as if it zipped into your mouth on roller skates with a pop of bubble gum and a cheeky grin. I'd take this anytime! Pair with eighties vinyl. 16.5 points (equivalent to 91-92 points on the 100-point scale - one hell of a score at this price point).