Sparkling Summer Fruit Jellies with Ridgeview Bloomsbury

The last few years has seen a surge in popularity for English sparkling wine, much to the debate of many critics, and remains to be a popular choice to rival Champagne. Admittedly, given the price of most English sparkling wines, it's not your 'Friday-night-in-with-the-girls' fizzy, but it does hold a special place for celebrations and when you want to impress.

With the tagline 'Life is for celebrating', English sparkling wine producer Ridgeview is a family company, with a dedication to making the highest quality sparkling wine, using the same grape varieties, and the traditional method used for Champagne production. They've been awarded numerous awards and accolades so there's no mistaking why they've made a name for themselves in the wine world.

Their signature blend is the Ridgeview Bloomsbury, which is a Chardonnay dominant blend supported by the fullness of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Crisp and fresh with citrus fruit aromas and a little toastiness and honey on the palate, it's well-balanced and displays perfect fine bubbles that burst on the tongue. Ridgeview suggest it would be a good match for oily fish such as salmon and smoked trout, but would be hard to beat with a refreshing sorbet.

As it's English Wine Week, I thought I would try something typically British, and make a summer fruit pudding, but having spotted a recipe for Champagne Summer Fruit Jellies, I knew I'd found my dish. These decadent adult jellies, which I've made with Ridgeview Bloomsbury, are light, refreshing, and even count towards your five-a-day! What better way to enjoy British summer fruit and English sparkling wine? With an accompaniment of more bubbles of course!



Sparkling Summer Fruit Jellies with Ridgeview Bloomsbury recipe


To make 6 individual jellies you'll need:

Couple of handfuls of blueberries
Couple of handfuls of raspberries
4 leaves of gelatine
400ml Ridgeview Bloomsbury
2 tablespoons caster sugar
Lemon zest to garnish


How to:


1. To individual moulds add a few blueberries and a few raspberries (until the mould is about half full) then place in the fridge.
2. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water until they have softened. Remove, squeezing off any excess water and put into a larger bowl.
3. Cover the gelatine with 150ml hot water (not boiling), add the caster sugar and stir to dissolve.
4. When the gelatine water has cooled to room temperature, add the Ridgeview Bloomsbury and stir well to combine.
5. Pour the liquid over the berries in the chilled moulds and return to the fridge to set. This should take a few hours.
6. When set, pop the bottom of the mould in some warm water to loosen, then turn out onto a plate.
7. Garnish with a few curls of lemon zest and serve with a glass of Ridgeview Bloomsbury.