We're delighted to joined forces with the internationally respected Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, home to the largest living plant collection on the planet. Together we've produced a small range of wines that champion little-known grape varieties, often on the verge of extinction. Both parties champion biodiversity, working with nature to create beautiful things.

In this case, a fabulous sparkling wine from forgotten Moldova. Moldova was part of the Soviet block until 1991. It's since worked hard to attract investment and modernise. But in reality, it has perfect conditions for growing healthy vines, thanks to sunshine and biting winds to see off any disease. All Cabernet grapes taken off the skins, this is a delicious, creamy fruit fizz.

The Champagne region grows three grapes, two red – Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier – and one white – Chardonnay. Blanc de Blancs is made only from Chardonnay and, as Hugh Johnson says, it therefore has “great grace and less weight than traditional Champagne”. Laithwaite’s is a tip-top example which has been expertly created for us by a superb cellar in Vertus, one of Champagne’s finest villages. This particular cuvée is 100% Premier Cru vineyard fruit and was matured for 30 months before release – double the required minimum – to ensure a luxurious, toasty biscuit character. It’s ideal for special occasions, on its own or with smoked salmon canapés.

When Belgian entrepreneurs Christopher Heirwegh and Christel Weemaes moved to Barcelona over a decade ago, they had one simple dream: to grow, harvest and bottle the best organic cava in the world! Together, with winemaker Joan Soler, they select growers whose vineyards are high in the mountains close to the winery. There the grapes capture a pure expression of Spain’s Catalunya region.

This Brut Reserva is made using the same classic method as Champagne, with the secondary fermentation in bottle, ensuring a creamy mousse and lovely toasty flavours. It's made from the region’s local grapes, Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada to provide bright lemon and peach notes with classic brioche length, all aged 15 months in bottle. A classy fizz.

The family founded the property as far back as 1637, and have now been making wine for over 40 years. Unusually these days, they make their fizz by the same method as Champagne, with the second fermentation in bottle, and turn each bottle by hand. The wine is then aged for nearly two years on lees (the spent yeasts that created the fizz during the fermentation in bottle) to ensure rich complexity and full body. It’s organic, too! With ripe apple and peach notes and complex toasty length, it makes a very fine apéritif with toasted salted almonds, jamón iberico, olives and other tapas.

The Pignoletto grape is considered the “king of the Colli Bolognese wine zone”, but few have heard of it outside of the Emilia region of northern central Italy. Our buyer, Leo, had to use his persuasive prowess to secure cases of this hidden gem from winemaker Daniele Artioli. And it’s proved to be a huge hit with our customers. It’s an easy to drink, dry frizzante, made using mainly Pignoletto (named after ‘pigna’ – the Italian for ‘cone’ – due to the shape of its bunches).

Its lively green apple notes are enhanced by citrusy Trebbiano and Muscat, which lends a grapey aroma. A gentle fizz makes it a delightful apéritif, perfect for leisurely sipping in the garden on a sunny afternoon. Serve chilled and pair with salad or seafood.