English Wine Steps onto Global Stage
Chapel Down's Baccchus and Sparkling Wines Making a Splash
Dec 30, 2008
Whether due to climate change or simply that wine drinkers are becoming more adventurous in their choices, many new wine-producing regions are offering serious competition to those more well-established. England is one such country whose appearance on the wine stage is developing rapidly, and quality concerns that used to plague the winemakers are being eradicated by some of the front-runners of this budding industry.
The English Vineyard
While vines have been grown in England at various times throughout history, it was after the end of the Second World War that plantings increased and wineries began to appear. The soil has similar characteristics to that of France, although due to the high latitude and often dreary weather, English grapes have a hard time reaching optimum ripeness. The grapes grown in the vineyards of England are not, however, “English grapes”, as most have their origins in Germany. The most widely planted varieties are all white: Seyval Blanc, Reichensteiner, Müller-Thurgau and Bacchus. Red varietals are also grown to a lesser degree and include Pinot Noir and Dornfelder.
Consumers interested in trying an English wine must be careful not to be confused by a label stating “British wine” as they are not one in the same. An English wine can only be so named if the grapes have been grown and harvested and the wine fermented in England; while a British wine doesn’t have grapes from England, but instead is the outcome of imported grape concentrate that has been made into wine in a factory-like setting.
Sparkling Wines that Sizzle
The jury is still out on many of the English still wines, although there are several that are gaining recognition by the wine glitterati such as Chapel Down’s Bacchus. However, it is England’s sparkling wines that are making the biggest splash. The high acidity common to many of the varietals grown here lends itself very well to sparkling wines. The grape varieties used in France to make Champagne are also grown in England: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, and the same traditional method is used as the winemaking process. It is often difficult to tell the difference between a sparkling wine made in England and Champagne, such is the level of quality available today. Nyetimber is fast becoming the benchmark for English sparkling wine.
There are approximately 98 wineries in England and many of them are the perfect destination for a day trip to the countryside and have tours, gift shops and restaurants. Some of the most well known are Denbies (the country’s largest winery) located in Surrey, Chapel Down and Hush Heath Estate, both located in Kent.
