PRESS RELEASE – April 2008

Top Restaurants toast St George with Sussex bubbly

Brighton’s top restaurants are joining together with local award winning sparkling wine producer RidgeView and specialist wine merchant Oliver Wines for a bubbly toast to St George. On the 23^rd of April over 10 local restaurants will give their customers the opportunity to taste a sample of RidgeView sparkling wine alongside a well known grande marque Champagne. The tasting will illustrate how similar the wines are and how far English sparkling wine has come in the last decade.

The participating restaurants include a who’s who in the Brighton restaurant scene which illustrates the increasing support and confidence in English sparkling wine. So far the restaurants supporting the promotion are: Seven Dials, Sam’s of Brighton, Due South, Blanch House, Gingerpig, Gingerfox, Gingerman at Drakes, English’s, Limes Bistro of Linfield, the Hanbury Club, Alexander’s, Pelham House of Lewes and Love’s. The restaurants also see the tasting as an opportunity to show their support of quality local produce whilst reducing their carbon footprints and flying the flag for England.

English sparking wines have been gathering increasing popularity and world wide interest since the top producers began winning major international awards. There is now even talk of Champagne producers wanting to purchase land in the South East of England as the soils and weather conditions are so similar to Champagne but land prices here are less than half the price. Waitrose reports that their sales of English wine have risen an incredible 120% year-on-year. RidgeView is a family company; who have been producing sparkling wine for the past 8 years with incredible success. Accolades include winning the Trophy for the Best Sparkling Wine in the International Wine and Spirit Competition 2005, serving their wine for Her Majesty’s 80th Birthday banquet and even winning a trophy in France last year for their sparkling rosé. RidgeView Winery are offering all those who take part in the tasting the opportunity to enter into the draw for a personalised tour and tasting at RidgeView with their winemaker.

Oliver wines who will be supplying the Champagne are a specialist independent wine merchant based near Lewes in East Sussex with over 46 years experience supplying wines to private, corporate and restaurant customers. There will also be a similar tasting at Oliver Wines Warehouse on St George’s day. To take part in the promotion all you have to do is book a table on St George’s day in one of the participating restaurants or call into Oliver Wines in Lewes and then you will be given the opportunity to taste for yourself.

Electronic photos and details are available from: Mardi Roberts: RidgeView Tel: 0845 345 7292 Fax: 01444 230757 info@ridgeview.co.uk www.ridgeview.co.uk Promotional details: Oliver Wines 01273 474766 www.oliverwines.co.uk