English Bacchus wine – what is it and why should you be drinking it?

If you think English wine is all about fizz, you’d be very wrong.

 While still wine production continues to be a minority in this country, (31%), Bacchus wine may well hold the potential for this to change. The UK’s third most-planted variety after Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Bacchus has been thrust into the spotlight in recent years following several high-profile awards.

 From Flint in Norfolk to Chapel Down in Kent, and Hidden Spring in Sussex to Litmus in Surrey, English winemakers are increasingly adopting the Bacchus grape to make vibrant and award-winning still wines. The upmarket London department store Fortnum and Mason even chose Bacchus recently for its first own-label English still white wine.  

 Considered the ‘signature grape’ of English still wine, Bacchus is often referred to as the country’s answer to Sauvignon Blanc thanks to its distinctive elderflower and grassy, herbaceous characteristics.

 “This is about the closest England can come to the herbal pungency of Sauvignon Blanc,” Oz Clarke and Margaret Rand write about the Bacchus grape variety in their comprehensive guide to grapes and wines from 2015.

HISTORY of BACCHUS GRAPE

The name Bacchus is taken from the Roman name for the Greek god of wine, winemaking and excess, Dionysus. But, while its name may have been pulled from the history books, it is still very young in terms of wine grape ancestry.

 Created by viticulturalist Peter Morio at the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding in Pfalz, Germany, in 1933, Bacchus is a combination of Silvaner x Riesling crossed with Müller-Thurgau.

 Bacchus wasn’t released for general cultivation until almost 40 years later, in 1972, and was brought to the UK the following year. Since then it has become the third most-planted grape variety here – with more than 200 hectares devoted to it.

 A relatively early ripener in the growing season, in its original Germanic homeland Bacchus was generally known for its high sugar potential and low acidity levels, often lacking in structure and balance. It was therefore often used in blends with Muller-Thurgau and, typically, produced something ordinary and unexciting. As a result, plantings have decreased dramatically in the last 15 years.

 However, in England the cooler climate and shorter growing season mean the grapes are picked while the acidity levels are still preserved, helping to lift acidity and express a different side of the grape with fresh and aromatic characters akin to the style of Sauvignon Blanc.

 For some time, English wines produced from the Bacchus grape were often considered a little too aromatic – it was a bit of a style over substance scenario – but the warmer summers we have been experiencing over the past few years, particularly the unprecedented vintage of 2018, have changed all that and now the grape is responsible for some of England’s best still white wines. 

 On the rolling chalk hills of Sussex and Hampshire and in the rich clay, granite and limestone soils of the West Country in particular, English Bacchus has thrived and creates truly characterful still white wine styles. 

AWARD-WINNING ENGLISH WINE

 Even before the stellar summer of 2018, English Bacchus was achieving fame for its outstanding quality. At the 2017 Decanter World Wine Awards, a 2015 Bacchus from Winbirri Vineyards, near to Surlingham in East Anglia, won the coveted Platinum Best in Show medal for best value white wine made from a single grape variety. The judges described it as ‘a perfect aperitif wine’.

 Since then Bacchus wine produced by England’s vineyards and wineries has continued to win plaudits both at home and further afield. At this year’s Independent English Wine Awards six of the nine Gold awards given to still wines from England went to varieties of Bacchus, while at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards, a number of English Bacchus wines pitted against some of the world’s most coveted wines were awarded Silver and Bronze awards, These included Albourne Estate Bacchus 2018 and Chapel Down Kit’s Coty Bacchus 2017.

WHAT TO PAIR BACCHUS WITH

The Sauvignon Blanc of Marlborough might well be suitable for quaffing during a sunny afternoon or balmy summer’s evening but English Bacchus is rather more complex and deserving of your time and attention.

While Bacchus makes for a lovely aperitif, its grapefruit freshness, broad tropical fruit notes and grassy undertones make it a perfect wine pairing for seafood dishes, such as scallops and sea bream, as well as spring vegetable dishes like grilled asparagus, peas and broad beans – a risotto primavera for example.

The complex range of flavours and citrus nature make this a type of wine that is also suitable for lightly spicy food, particularly Thai fish curries or lemongrass-based dishes, as well as herby chicken dishes. It is a wine that you can drink all year round.

So next time you reach for that Sancerre or trusted Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, consider picking up an English Bacchus wine instead. Here are four of our favourites: 

KINGSCOTE BACCHUS 2017

More akin to a Pouilly Fumé or Sancerre than a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, this is a beautifully ripe, mouthwatering example of English Bacchus with a rich and refreshing floral/citrus taste and distinct grassy and nettle nose.

HIDDEN SPRING BACCHUS FUMÉ

Winner of a Gold medal at the WineGB awards, this wine has a beautiful aromatic character delivering lime, green apple and honeysuckle whilst the palate offers more jasmine and some tropical fruit notes. In addition, the palate is dry, fresh and also rounded and textured. There is a fine harmony of oak spice and creaminess through lees work.

FLINT BACCHUS 2018

A fabulous example of a Bacchus wine from the up and coming Flint vineyard, run by Ben and Hannah Witchell. There’s a typical Bacchus freshness and vibrant acidity but the layered aromatics given by Flint’s forward-thinking wine-making techniques are what make this wine distinctive.

LITMUS ORANGE BACCHUS

This is a slightly different twist on the traditional English Bacchus in that skins of the grape, which are usually removed when making white wine, are left while the wine ferments, resulting in a wine pale gold in colour. With aromas of hazelnut and fennel and a dried white peppery palate, this pairs very well with cheese.

Watch our Master of Wine Clive Barlow’s Litmus Orange Bacchus 2019 Tasting.