Danebury, an all English Afair

Danebury, an all English Afair

English wines continue to get better and this example from Hampshire proves that. Only made in exceptional vintages, this award winning wine is packed with fruit.  Starting life in 1988, this small family estate has just under three hectares of vines to its name.

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The vines are grown on chalk and flint stone soils which gives the wine its distinctive mineral flavour. Located just outside Stockbridge, Danebury Vineyards was once the paddocks of a famous 19th Century racehorse training yard. You are perhaps more familiar with the Iron Age fort that was discovered here in the 1970s.

The Rise of English Wines

Until recently, English wines have never really caught the British imagination. This is changing. The rise in popularity of English sparkling wines to compete with likes of Champagne continues. We must have something right as there are plenty of French produces looking to buy British vineyards.

On the whole the UK consumer knows what they like to buy and sales focus around the main grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, Shriaz etc or key regions such as Rioja, Marlborough, Chablis and alike.

Unfortunately our climate is not hot enough for the international grapes so producers have to work with grapes such as Madeleine Angevine, Schonburger, Auxerrois, Rulander and Riesling to name but a few. These grapes are suited to our climate, i.e. they are late budding and really ripening which helps them to avoid frost.

On reflection, I feel that this is a good thing, it means that we are not in a race to replicate other wines from around the world, we make wines that reflect the British terroir.

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