Bird in Hand Sparkling Pinot Noir 2024 review – South Australian sparkling wine

Bird in Hand Sparkling Pinot Noir

South Australian sparkling wine review.

There’s more to sparkling wine than Champagne, Prosecco and Cava. Join me as I explore the Bird in Hand Sparkling 2024, a 100% Pinot Noir Sparkling wine from South Australian winery Bird in Hand.

About Bird in Hand

Bird in Hand’s journey began in 1997 when its founders, Andrew and Susie Nugent, stumbled upon a run-down dairy farm in the emerging wine region of Adelaide Hills, South Australia and saw an opportunity for something brilliant. But, whilst the farm was the perfect spot to build a vineyard, from its very beginning, Bird in Hand was never just about making wine – it was about creating something meaningful. For Andrew and Susie, this meant taking their deep passion for the land and forming a space to celebrate life, art and community (and, of course, great wine, too). And they did just that.

Since then, Bird in Hand has grown into a globally recognised winery, specialising in quality cool-climate wines from its estate – particularly Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Shiraz. Not just that, but as a hub for the local community, Bird in Hand’s estate also includes a farm-to-table restaurant, a wine tasting space and art exhibitions. Plus, the company also boasts its own foundation – The Bird in Hand Foundation, founded in 2014 – with the aim of giving back to their local community. Some of their work has included helping young creatives in Australia through arts and education programmes, as well as supporting the Adelaide Hills community through devastating bushfires in the region.

Whilst award-winning wines are at the heart of Bird in Hand, there’s so much more to this family-run estate. It’s a place where art, food and drink, and community all come together to create experiences that bring people together and celebrate the best of what Adelaide Hills has to offer.

Bird in Hand Sparkling Pinot Noir 2024 review

Whilst not actually labelled as a sparkling rosé, what immediately struck me about the Bird in Hand Sparkling Pinot Noir was its lovely pink colour. Stronger than a blush but not bright and bold, its rose hues were a fun surprise when pouring out. From the colour, I expected red fruits on the nose, and the Bird in Hand Sparkling 2024 definitely delivered that. Raspberries and strawberries were the initial notes, but there was a lovely florality to it as well.

On the palate, again, it was those red fruit flavours that came through the most – cherry, raspberry and strawberry- but I also got a little bit of strawberry laces in there! Don’t get me wrong, though, this sparkling Pinot Noir is most definitely dry. With plenty of rounded bubbles, it’s soft, light and refreshing – the perfect sparkling wine for an aperitif in the middle of Summer. Plus, you can now pick it up in your local supermarket! (TESCO, Sainsbury’s or Waitrose).

About the grape: Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir, also known as Pinot Nero, is a black grape variety most often grown in cool climates. Whilst it’s typically associated with Burgundy, in France, Pinot Noir is grown in a whole range of different countries, from Austria to Argentina. Often described as one of the hardest grape varieties to grow, due to its thin skins, which make it susceptible to rot, Pinot Noir typically has aromas and flavours of bright red fruits such as raspberry and cherry, along with mushroom earthiness and eucalyptus. You can expect beautiful red wines from Pinot Noir, but you might be interested to learn that despite being a black grape, it’s often used to make Champagne and sparkling wine as well – which is how we have the Bird in Hand Sparkling Pinot Noir, a 100% Pinot Noir sparkling wine.

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