A real-deal cider from a barking eccentric

2011 Gospel Green, Traditional Method Cyder, Haslemere, Surrey (about £8.49, General Wine Company of Liphook, 01428-727744; and of Petersfield, 01730-235923; Middle Farm Shop of Firle, 01323-811411; Quaff of Brighton, 01273-553353; Taurus Wines of Guildford, 01483-548484; Haslemere Cellar, 01428-656052; South Downs Cellars of Hurstpierpoint, 01273-833830).

When I started out in the wine trade at the Barnes Wine Shop, back in 1987, I very much enjoyed drinking a sparkling cider made by a charming chap called James Lane. It was better value than both cava and prosecco and I frankly preferred it, too. James used to drop off a few cases every week. Fast forward 26 years to the General Wine Company's wine festival in Petersfield, a few weekends ago, where I was pouring my 100 Best Australian Wines, and who should I see across the room?James hasn't changed one iota in the last two and a half decades he is still barkingly eccentric and his cider tastes amazing.

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Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year (www.matthewjukes.com).

Matthew Jukes has been the MoneyWeek wine correspondent since 2006.

He has worked in the UK wine business for well over three decades and during this time has written 14 wine books. His four highly-acclaimed, annual wine reports – the Burgundy En Primeur Report, the Bordeaux En Primeur Report, the Piemonte Report and the 100 Best Australian Wines – are published on his website.

Matthew is a winner of the International Wine and Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year Trophy. His thoughts, recommendations and tastings notes are followed very closely by the wine world at large.