One of our favorite things about boat life (aka, slow travel) is discovering all the things we don't yet know we're missing.
Which brings us to English bubbles.
We've been cruising along the coast of England for months now, happily exploring little harbors, meeting interesting people, and doing our part to support the local pub economy.
But vineyards? Wineries? Well, let's just say they were not on our radar.
That is until we got an email from Andy, one of our Curiosity Crew, who is a self-proclaimed "enthusiastic consumer". He was even so bold as to claim England has "some of the best sparkling wine you will have ever tasted".
And, being the curious (and easily persuaded) people we are, we agreed to investigate.
Turns out, Andy wasn't just blowing bubbles. England has been making some serious waves in the wine world.
The Brits have been scooping up international awards and even beating Champagne in blind tastings. In 2025, an English sparkling wine was named Champion at the International Wine Challenge, the first time in the competition's history the top prize didn't go to Champagne.
Who knew?! Certainly not us...and apparently, not many people do.
But why? What's changed? And why is England suddenly giving Champagne a run for its money?
This one time, the answer just might be at the bottom of a bottle.
It's days like these that remind us why we chose this life. Not because we have some grand list of places to see or things to accomplish, but because we love the freedom to be curious. To change plans, say yes to an unexpected invitation, and see where it leads.
And to Andy, thank you for opening our taste buds to an entirely new world. Cheers! 🥂
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