My God, English wines are on the rise!

No need to sing anymore, as Pierre Dupont did in Ma vigne in 1845: “Good Frenchman, when I see my glass filled with its fire-coloured wine, I thank God, thinking that they have none in England”.

Well, times have changed: the United Kingdom now makes wine, and even exports 9% of its total production! According to WineGB, the national trade association for the wine sector, vineyard acreage has increased 5.5-fold between 2000 and 2024, reaching 4,841 hectares. Climate change plays a major role: “The number of days above 30°C is steadily increasing, while the interval between flowering and harvest is decreasing”, explains Nicola Bates, CEO of WineGB. Add to this the power of trends, once one farmer plants vines, others are likely to follow. In the south of England — Kent, followed by Sussex (PDO since 2022), Essex and Hampshire — loamy, nutrient-rich soils similar to those of Champagne favour Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, the main varieties destined for sparkling wine. And as Bates points out, “the reputation of English sparkling wines continues to grow thanks to international awards”.

Sparkling wines now account for nearly 70% of production volumes, overtaking still wines for the first time at the WineGB Awards this year. Other leading grape varieties are predominantly white, of Germanic origin and early-ripening: Bacchus with its pronounced aromatics, and Pinot Blanc, mainly used for still wines but sometimes sparkling; Solaris, with strong aromatic potential, and Pinot Gris, primarily for still wines; along with Reichensteiner. Also worth noting is Seyval Blanc, a French variety that in England produces dry, structured wines reminiscent of Chablis according to wine writer Oz Clarke, and which is also used for sparkling styles. As for reds, Rondo, originally from former Czechoslovakia, yields deeply coloured wines with dark fruit aromas.
 

Vineyard tours and tastings, organised either by agencies (Vine + Country Wine Tours, Elizabeth & Wine…) or directly by producers (Winbirri, Gusbourne…), are increasingly popular in England despite the entrance fee, 1.5 million visits were recorded in 2023. And among the top English wine estates, a few names stand out: Nyetimber, Rathfinny Estate (Sussex), Chapel Down (Kent), Hambledon Vineyard (Hampshire), Ryedale (Yorkshire)… and not to forget Evremond, supported by Taittinger and inaugurated in September 2024.