Brits drink nearly three times as much Champagne than English sparkling wine[1] due to outdated perceptions of being higher quality and making a better impression on others[2].
With a mission to change the way the world thinks about English wine, England’s leading wine producer Chapel Down took its best-selling sparkling wine to the Champagne region of France, to conduct the ultimate sparkling wine taste test.
Under the playful guise of “Chapelle en Bas”, a literal brand translation of Chapel Down, the English wine producer invited French consumers to try its Brut alongside a best-selling branded Champagne. Le verdict? 60% of consumers preferred Chapel Down to Champagne. Ooh la la!
Chapelle en Bas was praised by locals and tourists alike – describing the wine as “fresher” and “crisper” – but there were several shocked faces and raised eyebrows after revealing this mysterious cuvée hailed from England. In fact, some couldn’t believe the vines are grown and the grapes hand-picked and harvested in the Garden of England.
Chapel Down has released a campaign video bringing to life the blind tasting to celebrate English Wine Week (17th – 24th June 2023) and position its sparkling wines as a fresher way to celebrate the moments that really matter.
Chapel Down Chief Marketing Officer, Liam Newton, said: “The French know a thing or two about sparkling wine, with their centuries of winemaking heritage, so what better place than Champagne to sample our Chapel Down Brut? We are incredibly proud of the exceptional quality of our English sparkling wine, and it was great to have this affirmed by the French themselves. A 60% result like this propels us even further in changing the way the world views English wine.”
Based in Tenterden in the heart of the Kent countryside, Chapel Down is England’s leading wine producer with an award-winning range of sparkling and still wines. In 2022, Chapel Down grew its sales of English sparkling wine by 53% to a record 790,000 bottles last year, giving it 33% of the English sparkling wine market[3].
[1] Wine Intelligence. Vinitrac® UK, Jun ’22 (n>1,010), UK sparkling wine drinkers
[2] Wine Intelligence. Vinitrac® UK, Jun ’22 (n>2,000), UK sparkling wine drinkers
[3] Nielsen off-trade, December 2022
