Midland Press Verse 24 ‘Col Fondo’ 75cl

Verse 24 is Midland Press's 2024 col fondo, a sparkling wine made in an ancient style with a modern edge. It’s fresh and lightly cloudy, with citrus, orchard fruits, and a touch of minerality and bready complexity. The grapes come from a beautiful vineyard site surrounded by orchards and hop farms in North Herefordshire.

The juice underwent a spontaneous fermentation in old French barrels before being bottled with a small tirage (sugar and yeast) on the premises. This ancient Italian sparkling wine method in known as “col fondo” meaning “with bottom”, referring to the sediment that is left in the bottle from this secondary fermentation.

Verse is an ode to heritage grape varieties planted by the pioneers of British viticulture from as early as the 1970s. This wine is made from 100% Reichensteiner which is neutral hybrid variety from Germany characterised by its light, fragrant and smokey qualities.

The result is an unfiltered and unfined, lightly sparkling wine with notes of green apple, pear, hazelnut and baked bread. Expect a slightly cloudy appearance with refreshing fine bubbles.