Every year we bring together producers who are doing something genuinely worth talking about, and this year one of the most intriguing bottles on the floor is Delância, a botanical sparkling wine from Portugal's Alentejo. And here's the best bit: it started right here in Manchester.

From Manchester to the Alentejo

Delância was founded by Inès Deroche and Tom Simpson, who met as students at the University of Manchester around ten years ago. Inès is French, from a family rooted in the Champagne region, and Tom grew up in the UK. After graduating they travelled through Latin America, worked in events together and eventually settled in Lisbon, where Tom became a teacher and Inès took a corporate job.

Then Covid hit, and like a lot of us, they started asking what they really wanted from life. Unlike most of us, they actually did something about it. They quit their jobs, left the city and in early 2023 moved to the family vineyard in Baleizão, a small village near Beja, to become winemakers.

Saving a family vineyard by breaking the rules

The Alentejo is best known for big, sun-soaked reds, but small family vineyards have had a tough few years. Inès and Tom's mission was simple: save the family vineyard. That meant doing something nobody else was doing.

They started out distilling gin from the botanicals growing around the vineyard. Then a better idea took hold: what if those botanicals went straight into the wine? Infusing plants and flowers into wine is an ancient practice, and Delância set out to give it a modern twist.

Their very first critic? Inès's 80-year-old grandmother, from Champagne. When your first taster grew up surrounded by some of the most famous bubbles in the world, the bar is set high.

The name says it all. Delância comes from the Portuguese phrase a arte de delinquir com elegância, the art of elegant delinquency: respecting the traditions of winemaking while cheerfully breaking a few of its rules. As Inès puts it, in today's wine industry “not innovating is also a risk.” We couldn't agree more.

So what is botanical sparkling wine?

Each Delância starts life as a traditionally fermented wine from the Alentejo. Fresh botanicals (flowers, herbs and plants) are infused into the wine before a short second fermentation in small-batch tanks, giving fine, delicate bubbles while keeping all those aromatics intact. The result is crisp and bone dry, labelled Extra Dry, vegan and 10% ABV. Any softness on the palate comes naturally from the flowers.

It's not a spritz, either. No liqueurs, nothing to mix: just pop and pour. Inès and Tom were fed up with overly sweet fizz and sugary premixed spritzes, and wanted something with the elegance of a celebration bottle but none of the heaviness. Think of it as a dry, aromatic alternative to Champagne for everyday celebrations, as good on a Tuesday as it is on New Year's Eve.

Three to try on the day

Sparkling White with Elderflower & Green Tea. A luminous sparkling white wine with French elderflower and Gunpowder green tea. Bright citrus, soft white flowers and a whisper of tea. Basically the Hugo spritz of the wine world, with nothing to mix.

Sparkling Rosé with Pomegranate & Rosemary. A pale, vibrant sparkling rosé wine with rosemary picked from the vineyard itself and pomegranate. Herbal, juicy and made for long lunches and sunset aperitifs.

Sparkling Orange with Cardamom & Bergamot. Orange wine is white wine fermented with its grape skins, giving it the texture of a red and the freshness of a white. This sparkling orange wine spends three weeks on the skins before meeting bergamot and cardamom. Citrusy and gently spiced, and according to the founders, a perfect match for chicken tikka masala. Curry Mile regulars, take note.

Sustainable wine, vine to bottle

The vineyards behind the White and Orange are certified organic by AgriCert, and the Rosé vineyard is part of the Alentejo Wine Sustainability Programme. Inès and Tom work with minimal intervention, so the wines taste of where they come from. The bottles are made from 80% recycled glass and are among the lightest sparkling wine bottles around, and Delância is a member of 1% for the Planet, supporting the protection of the Iberian lynx. Read more about their approach to sustainable wine.

One to watch (and one to gift)

Delância only launched in spring 2025, found around 50 stockists in Portugal in its first year, and in February 2026 was named a top five finalist for Best Innovation in Wine at the Vinexposium V d'Or in Paris, the only Portuguese project on the shortlist. Inès was also shortlisted by the IWSC as an emerging talent in the wine business. Now they're launching in the UK, and they chose to start the conversation in the city where their story began. We're proud to have them.

With Christmas on the way, each bottle comes in an illustrated wine gift box, an easy win for Secret Santa or the host of your next dinner party.

Taste Delância at Manchester Wine Festival

Find Delância on the festival floor on Saturday 17 October, where Inès and Tom will be pouring all three wines and happy to talk all things Alentejo. Want the full story? Book Botanical Sparkling Wines with Delância, the last masterclass of the night at 8.15pm in Room 2. Tap the ♡ on their exhibitor card to add them to My festival so you don't miss them.

Can't make it? The founders will be back in Manchester through November and December for events and tastings. You can find Delância on Amazon UK and at delancia.com, or follow them on Instagram.

Quick questions

What is botanical sparkling wine? Wine infused with natural botanicals such as flowers, herbs and plants, then given fine bubbles. Delância makes three: a White with elderflower and green tea, a Rosé with pomegranate and rosemary, and an Orange with cardamom and bergamot.

Is Delância sweet? No. It's labelled Extra Dry and tastes crisp and bone dry. Any softness comes from the floral botanicals.

Where is it made? In Baleizão, near Beja, in Portugal's Alentejo region.

Where can I buy it in the UK? On Amazon UK, each in its own gift box: the Sparkling White, the Sparkling Rosé and the Sparkling Orange.