Welcome to another episode of Sparks by VinoVonk! Today, we're heading to Kent, England, to explore Gusbourne—one of the pioneers putting English sparkling wine firmly on the world map.

My guest is Laura Rhys MS, Gusbourne's Global Brand Ambassador and one of only 300 Master Sommeliers in the world. Laura brings incredible expertise from her years working in Michelin-starred restaurants to her current role crafting and promoting world-class English sparkling wines.

In this conversation, we taste through four exceptional wines from Gusbourne: the Brut Reserve 2019, Rosé, Blanc de Blancs, and Blanc de Noirs from 2018. We dive deep into what makes English sparkling wine so distinctive—from terroir and winemaking philosophy to the challenges of producing wine in a cool climate.

We also discuss Gusbourne's prestige cuvée, Fifty One Degrees North, which just made history as the first English wine to enter Wine Enthusiast's Top 100, landing at #2 and becoming the world's top-rated sparkling wine.

Whether you're curious about English sparkling wine, interested in traditional method production, or love exceptional bubbles, this episode is packed with insights.

What we discuss:

• Laura's journey from Michelin-starred sommelier to Master Sommelier
• What makes English sparkling wine distinctive compared to Champagne
• Gusbourne's winemaking philosophy: quality over quantity
• Traditional method of production and extended lees aging
• Terroir: chalk soils, cool climate, and Burgundian clones
• Climate challenges and opportunities in English viticulture
• The historic Wine Enthusiast #2 ranking for Fifty One Degrees North
• Food pairing tips for different styles of sparkling wine
• Aging potential: why these wines can develop for 10-20+ years
• Sustainability practices at Gusbourne

Big thanks to Vinites (www.vinites.com) for providing the bottles for this tasting, and special shout-out to Rose at Vinites for making this happen!

About Laura Rhys, MS: Laura is Gusbourne's Global Brand Ambassador and earned her Master Sommelier qualification in 2010. She previously worked as head sommelier at La Trompette (Michelin-starred) and Hotel TerraVina, where she won UK Sommelier of the Year in 2009. At Gusbourne since 2015, Laura works closely with the winemaking team on base wine tasting and blending while championing English sparkling wine globally.

About Gusbourne: Founded in 2004, Gusbourne has 90 hectares of vineyards across Kent and Sussex, producing exclusively from their own fruit. They're the only three-time winner of IWSC English Wine Producer of the Year and have established themselves as one of England's premier sparkling wine producers.

Links:

• Gusbourne website: www.gusbourne.com
• Vinites (NL importer): www.vinites.com
• VinoVonk website: www.vinovonk.com
• Follow VinoVonk on Instagram: @vinovonk

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