English Wines

Wine production and, in particular, sparkling wine production in England is not as recent a phenomenon as you might think. The first recorded production of bottle-fermented sparkling wines, made from UK grown grapes, is generally credited to Raymond Barrington Brock at his Oxted Viticultural Research Station back in the 1950’s.

The Romans introduced the vine to Britain after AD 43 but this welcome addition to the English social fabric, such as it was, fizzled out through the Middle Ages until well into the 18^th Century when talk of vine growing and wine production reemerged in documents of the time.

The revival came in the 1960’s and 1970’s when Britain was in the grip of Leibfraumilch’s and the like but ultimately found expression through the development of great sparkling wines.

Wine making in the UK has never been as visible as it is today; there are over 400 vineyards producing some 2 million bottles of wine a year.

The wines made today are no longer the poor quality, unripe and wincingly acidic examples that used to be passed off as ’artisanal’. White wines are now made with typical floral notes with ripe fruit and a characteristic crispy acidity. Grape varieties are now given ‘local’ names such as Phoenix, Madeleine Angevine and Huxelrebe, shrugging off their original Germanic names.

Even so, until recent times English wines were difficult to buy. Retailers were reluctant to stock the wines and there were just a couple of specialist merchants that would carry a small selection. With the improvements in quality, retailer attention has perked up a bit and, with the internet, direct sales from the vineyards is now booming.

Today English wine is synonymous with English Sparkling wine. Is English sparkling wine the new Champagne, people are asking? Certainly champagne producers from across the channel are very interested in the possibilities; for example the South Downs has the same terroir as that of Champagne- chalky soils and a similar micro-climate- indeed if the forecasters of the effects of global warming are to be believed then the English wine making climate will be able to ripen fruit with ease!

Try these sparkling recommendations and enjoy the journey of discovery;

Nyetimber Classic Cuvee (West Sussex), a blend of 62% Chardonnay, 19% Pinot Noir and 19% Pinot Meunier

Classic cuvee is aged for 3 years in bottle creating a wine with structure and complexity. Peaches and apricots often feature on the nose, in ripe years. The finish is crisp and clean as only bubbles should be!

Camel Valley ‘Cornwall’ Brut, these are serious bubbles- full of ripe fruit with as much complexity as any fine champagne.

Chapel Down, a 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Summery English fruit flavours. Lively fruit with hints of melon and biscuits.

Three Choirs Vineyard Classic Cuvee, a blend of 80% Seyval Blanc and 20% Pinot Noir

The Three Choirs vineyard also produces good whites such as Bacchus, a dry, aromatic white wine with aromas of fresh asparagus, elderflower, nettles and herbs. Their Coleridge Hill is a tasty blend of the aforementioned and brilliantly named Pheonix, Madeleine Angevine and Huxelrebe grape varieties.

Closer to the Cotswolds is Hendred Vineyards which has 9 acres of land under vine and produces Seyval Blanc, Madeleine Angevine and Pinot Noir; both still and sparkling wines.