Making wine truly local with '˜Sheffield's version of prosecco'

‘The idea was to bring the price down and create an English wine for local people’, says Matt Thompson.

The wine division manager of Kynsman has been working with Renishaw Hall to create and showcase the One 72 sparkling wine, made from grapes at a single vineyard planted at the hall in 1972, which it is hoped will become known as Sheffield’s version of prosecco.

Most English wines are made using the champagne method, which can make them expensive and less likely to be chosen for a casual tipple.

While One 72 is a serious wine, bosses hope to showcase the fun aspect of sparkling, taking formality out of what can be seen as a premium only product.

Matt said: “You’d probably pay, for an English sparkling wine, about £25 a bottle because they are made in the champagne method.

“The method we use is not that expensive, it’s more like that used for prosecco, which is more cost effective.

“The idea was to bring the price down and create an English wine for local people.

“There is nobody else doing this in the UK, in this way.

“Lots of people are drinking local beer, you can go to most pubs and get an ale which has been made around the corner.

“But the wine there will be from hundreds if not thousands of miles away - why do we do that when we don’t have to, you can get a glass of wine from your local vineyard instead.”

One 72, which is made in rose and red as well as white with just over two 125ml servings per bottle, was launched at an artisan food market at Meadowhall shopping centre.

Shoppers were impressed, and hopes are high that the initial 4,000 bottle batch will be repeated soon.

“It was great to see how the public received it”, said Matt.

“Everyone has loved the story so far - as well as the taste.

“In essence it is Sheffield’s version of Prosecco. We have even had someone coin the phrase Sheffecco.”

Read the full feature in this month’s edition of Profile magazine, the sister title of The Star.