England’s winemakers are predicting a record year for English wine due to bumper crops from the summer sunshine.
The combination of mild and rain-free weather conditions early in the summer and sunshine throughout September, means that winemakers are confident that 2009 will be a successful year for English wine. The predictions follow weak harvests for both 2008 and 2007 due to wet and unpredictable summer seasons.
Southern English vineyards in particular are reporting strong harvests of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Seyval Blanc, Regent and Phoenix grapes.
Leading English Winemakers are Optimistic
The Bolney Wine Estate in Sussex has just completed its harvest. “Ripening has exceeded our expectations,” said winemaker Sam Linter. “The red wines are now coming to the end of their fermentation and we are extremely excited by the quality and depth of flavour we are seeing so far.”
And one of England’s top vineyards, Nyetimber, is currently harvesting its crops and said it is expecting a lot more grapes for this 2009 harvest.
Meanwhile vineyards in Kent, where conditions are the most likely out of all English wine producing regions to resemble those in the Champagne region of France, are also positive.
Boomtime for English Sparkling Wines
Winemakers at the county’s Chapel Down vineyard said they are stunned by some of the high quality grapes coming in. MD Frazer Thompson said on his Twitter page, “The fruit we are receiving is extraordinary! High sugars, good acids and incredible length. This is truly a wonderful year.”
And Kent’s Biddenden Vineyard said its yields are also coming in higher than normal and with very high sugars. Winemaker Julian Barnes is reportedly “over the moon”.
English sparkling wines – from a total of 116 wineries across the country - have risen in popularity in recent years as they continue to gain recognition for their quality and as more consumers seek cheaper alternatives to Champagne.
Upmarket supermarket chain Waitrose has reported sales of its English wines have risen by 51% in the last year alone, driven by increased demand for sparkling wines in general.
And at this year’s International Wine Challenge awards, English winemakers won 24 medals across all the categories, which is the country’s best performance yet at the prestigious annual awards, held in London. Camel Valley vineyard in Cornwall was the only English winery to win a gold medal at the awards for its white Bacchus 2007, though seven wines won silver awards and 16 took the bronze.
Still English wines from this year’s harvest are likely to be available by April 2010, while sparkling variants may take longer.
