To mark World Champagne Day (24th October), Chapel Down has partnered with French television presenter and wine enthusiast Fred Sirieix, to challenge American perceptions about English wine.
With a mission to ‘change the way the world thinks about English sparkling wine’, we headed to the world’s largest Champagne export market - the United States - to introduce them to English sparkling wine.
Hosted by Fred Sirieix at one of New York’s best rooftop bars, Elsie, Americans were invited to enjoy a blind tasting of two ‘unknown cuvées’: one a best-selling Champagne brand; the other Chapel Down English sparkling wine.
Asked which was their preference, an astounding 67% of tasters preferred Chapel Down to Champagne, praising it as being “crisp and refreshing”, “more delicate” and “a real surprise”. Many were shocked to discover their favourite glass was not French at all, but an English sparkling wine.
Fred Sirieix said “As a proud Frenchman, I love Champagne - it’s in my DNA. But I’ve been a fan of Chapel Down for decades. I couldn’t resist putting American tastebuds to the test. To see so many choose English sparkling wine over Champagne proves how far England has come, and shows the world is ready for it.”
Liam Newton, Chapel Down’s Chief Marketing Officer, added: “The United States is the largest export market for Champagne, so where better to showcase the quality of English sparkling wine? It’s so exciting to see England develop as a wine region and to prove that our wines stand up against the very best in the world.”
To celebrate the success of the campaign, try our best-selling Chapel Down Brut for yourself at a very special price of £130 per case (save £50) for a limited time only, using code NYC at the checkout.
The success of this New York stunt showcases the outstanding quality of English sparkling wine to an international audience. By daring to challenge Champagne on its biggest stage, Chapel Down is cementing its position as the bold face of English wine globally.
This is the third campaign in three years which has seen Chapel Down conduct a blind tasting in France (Chapelle en Bas in 2023), London (What A Roux in 2024) and now New York in 2025.
Chapel Down’s award-winning sparkling wines are available in leading markets such as the United States, UAE, Norway, Germany and Canada.
