The boast of Bodmin

Forget pasties, Cornwall's new signature product.

Time was when you packed your bags and sauntered down to Cornwall in about 10 hours, if you were lucky. Now NW England to Penzance can be done much quicker, even if the drive is a little less interesting as dual carriageway follows motorway. Stops are necessary but where? This May we decided our last stop en route should be the Camel Valley vineyard near Bodmin.

Finding it was not that easy, we were assisted by a friendly gentleman who seemed to be mowing the road in the valley bottom. He pointed back the way we came "art be back thaat aways" he said,. Actually he gave us detailed directions in totally comprehensible english but you get my drift, it's in the country, down winding lanes.

We entered the tasting room/shop which has a pleasant verandah overlooking the vines and the valley. The views are lovely and calming. We tasted the full range available, of course, and were particularly struck by the elegant non vintage Brut. The purchase boxed we headed for the fleshpots of Penzance and the Penwith peninsula. Although I've not always been that impressed by the food in the wilds of far west Cornwall I would recommend the Porthminster Cafe on the beach near St Ives railway station where I had some lovely Helford river oysters.

Camel Valley have been receiving rave reviews from all and sundry of late, winning a number of national and international awards. Comparisons are made with Champagne though my first taste didn't suggest that there is any great similarity except they are both white and bubbly. I thought this was a benchmark for an English style of sparkling wine.

Anyway, 3 months on I dusted off the remaining bottle of sparkling Brut Non Vintage to enable me to retaste and write the review. What other reason could I have?

Camel Valley Brut retails at £19.95 and is made from Seyval, Reichensteiner and Huxelrebe grapes. It is made in the traditional champagne method

On the nose it is restrained with gentle aromas that remind you of walking through Cornish hedgerows. The pale straw liquid explodes with a volatile mousse in the glass but doesn't prickle on the tongue like some sparklers, not a bad thing as sometimes I find that masks the flavour. The wine is elegant and long with a lovely apple flavour against a background of white peach. The Seyval dominates on the palete and ensures that the apple and peach flavours have a background minerality rather than becoming unctious.

This is a splendid sparkler and well worth seeking out, the best I have tasted from an English vineyard.