A trio of English wines

1:26pm Saturday 26th April 2008

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I'M TOO late for St George's Day but I'm being patriotic in my wine selection this week anyway.

Once upon a time, people would laugh at the sheer mention of English wine - but things have changed. I've met some folks who still chuckle at the thought, but they almost exclusively work for the marketing departments of wine brands in continental Europe.

In the past, I've written about English sparklers but have been less impressed by the still wines I've tried, some of which I can only describe as aggressively aromatic. However, I have no such criticism of this trio of English wines available from the Wine Society. They are from the Three Choirs vineyard in Gloucestershire.

Don't expect to recognise the names of the grapes used to make these wines, they are varietals that are ideally suited to English conditions. The wines tend to be relatively lower in alcohol, which is worth bearing in mind for lunchtime drinking.

Three Choirs Stone Brook 2006 is made mainly from Schönburger, a crossing of pinot noir and muscat. It is, I suppose, uniquely English in taste. Or put another way, tasted blind I couldn't have guessed country or grape. It really works, however, and has all the character you need in a good white wine. It's dry, fresh, clean tasting and light, with a sherbet effervescence, notes of lemon, apple and plenty of minerality.

Reichensteiner, madeleine angevine and seyval blanc make up the blend in Three Choirs Midsummer Hill 2006 which is delicately perfumed, with hints of ripe mango, honey and limes. I must say the Stone Brook was more to my taste, but this one would make a good, refreshing aperitif on a sunny day.

The subtle flavours of Heart of England Bacchus 2006 were very appealing, too. Bacchus is an early ripening grape, a cross between Müller-Thurgau and a sylvaner-riesling hybrid, which takes its name from the Roman god of wine. This example has honeysuckle aromas, peach, citrus, notes of freshly cut grass and minerals.

And here's a thought, you could try these wines instead of New World sauvignon blanc or young riesling. Perhaps as an accompaniment to locally grown asparagus, which is soon going to be in season.

A share in The Wine Society costs £40; there are no annual fees and membership is open to all. It supplies more than 1,000 wines at any time, priced from £4 to £400 a bottle, by post and online at www.thewinesociety.com

• Three Choirs Stone Brook 2006, £6.50 from the Wine Society (www.thewinesociety.com) 18/20
• Three Choirs Midsummer Hill 2006, £5.25 from the Wine Society (www.thewinesociety.com) 16/20
• Heart of England Bacchus 2006, £7.95 from the Wine Society (www.thewinesociety.com) 17/20