The Meteoric Growth of English Wine

Over the last few years many English wines have suddenly burst onto the scene. These aren’t purely low-quality table wines but instead genuine quality products made with expertise and innovation. Moreover, this trend is no longer confined to sparkling wines; both still whites and reds are also rapidly on the rise in terms of production scale and quality. So what has led to this recent wave of quality English wines?

You may be forgiven for thinking that English wine is a relatively recent phenomenon, however you would be mistaken. In fact, vines have been grown in England since Roman times. The Doomsday book refers to over 42 vineyards in Southern England at the end of the 11th Century but many vineyards fell into disrepair and were eventually converted into other uses. A small revival in the 20th Century led to vines being replanted, but it wasn’t until towards the end of the century that the warming climate allowed for English wine to reach its full potential. Now, there are now more than 500 vineyards in England and Wales producing still and sparkling wines.

It was estimated in 2021 that the area under vine in this country is approximately 3,800 hectares. Though this is a far cry from the 800,000 hectares in France or the 1 million hectares in Spain, there has been rapid planting in recent years. For example, experts in the industry estimated that 1 million vines were planted in 2017, and that 1.7 million were planted in 2018. This is significant growth in an industry that has already seen a considerable period of expansion over the last two decades. The arrival of two major Champagne Houses - Taittinger in Kent and Pommery in Hampshire -demonstrate the strong potential for further expansion as new entrants from abroad enter the market in the coming years.

In terms of what the country actually produces, English sparkling wine is probably the most recognised style. Due to the soil type of many southern vineyards being similar in composition to that of Champagne, they’re able to craft sparkling wines that rival the best Champagne houses. This doesn’t come without its challenges though. The unpredictable English weather plays havoc on yields meaning there can be a large variance in grape ripeness from year to year. Recently though, English sparkling wines have secured ever increasing global recognition, winning some of the most prestigious awards and trophies in international competitions. For example, English wines have performed surprising strongly winning awards in: The Decanter World Wine Awards; The International Wine Challenge; The Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships; The International Wine & Spirit Competition and many more.

However this growth is not purely down to sparkling wine because still wines are also gaining a reputation for their high quality. In fact, 2018 was a milestone year due to the amazing sunny weather experienced. The extraordinary ripeness and bumper harvest meant English wine could reach a much larger audience than before. This in turn also increased awareness of wine tourism (enotourism) connecting consumers with wine producers like never before in England.

This in the end is all down to global warming and climate change taking place. A recent study suggests that wine production could boom in Britain as the climate crisis transforms conditions to those similar in famous vineyard regions such as France's Champagne and Burgundy, and Baden in Germany. Wine varieties such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay will begin to reliably grow in a far greater area of England and Wales as the country heats up, the paper published in peer-reviewed OENO One predicts. The warm and dry conditions in the bumper 2018 year "have already become and are projected to become more common", said co-author and University of East Anglia (UEA) Professor Steve Dorling. He projects that those vintage conditions will repeat themselves in at least 60% of the years between 2021 and 2040.

The 2018 and 2022 heatwaves were made 30 times more likely by the climate crisis, with average temperatures of Britain's growing season warming by 1C. On the plus side this means that winemakers will be able to grow a broader range of varieties in future years, including Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Semillon. However this change in conditions is also expected to worsen heavy downpours and flooding and push up sea levels, putting thousands of homes at risk. The vacillation between periods of intense rain and lengthy drought has also being a severe challenge for winemakers and farmers alike. These weather conditions make planning difficult and make each vintage incredibly unique, with some much better than others.

At Weavers we are proud to display some of the very best English wine on offer, including whites, reds and sparkling. These include Sharpham, Renishaw Hall, Nyetimber, Danebury and Lyme Bay.