TNWG Wine Times: Ep 61: English Wine Week

It wasn't so long ago that you would mention English wine at a dinner party or amongst friends and you might have been scoffed at....'goodness, you don't drink that....oh no, I am Burgundy all the way....' Well, maybe not, but you get the idea....

The idea that you could make something as good as the more historic wine making nations and on par or even better than that which came with an extraordinary price tag, could have been seen as impossible...and yet I'm here to tell you that the quality and quantity is rising dramatically and ahead of English Wine Week - running from the 20th to 28th June, there is plenty to celebrate.

It is probably one of the most remarkable transformations in the British food and drink industry, an industry which has increasingly gone from the butt of many a joke to now world beating / blind tasting international winners.

According to WineGB (essentially the heart and soul of the UK wine industry) the UK now sits a 1,158 vineyards (that are registered) which is an increase of 4% year on year and within that number, a whopping 280 wineries producing wine from English and Welsh grapes - it is probably also the time to advertise 'The Andy and Olly Show' which is a podcast started by myself and my good friend and co-host, Oliver Shaw which focuses on many of those vineyards in more detail too. Look it up on all podcast mediums that you use today and below is a fun photo of us looking 'cool' 😃

Total area under vine has now grown to well over 4,800 hectares compared to 3,758 in 2020, and the industry is now valued at around £14 billion generating nearly half a billion pounds annually, growing at a compounding rate of 6.5% over the past 5 years.

Most importantly, it helps employ over 10,000 people in the sector - which makes a huge impact on the UK economy, albeit not helped by the fact that the UK government continues to seem fit to tax way above most global markets (probably my only jibe here but I could rant for forever on this one!).

So What Should We Look Out For?

Okay, so I am not a fan of ALL English wines - there are some that do not have the quality right now BUT the majority do and in fact are my perference on the dinner table too - a nod to my other podcast 'The Northern Wine Guy Podcast Show' which speaks to drinks professionals and asks what bottle they have on their table tonight.

English sparkling wines are on fire!! I say this not to say they taste like burnt trees or matches but because in competitions like the International Wine Challenge, they are regularly winning gold medals against global brands. The chalky soils and cool climate conditions are nearly identical to the Champagne region and thanks to global warming, are now producing incredible wines.

I've listed a few favourites, but I have already visited in excess of 80-100 UK vineyards and plan to be past the 150 mark before long too - so this list could be huge, but here is my favourites per drink thus far:

Sparkling Wines - Langhams, Artelium, Gusbourne, Calancombe Estate, Renishaw Hall, Chapel Down, Bolney Estate, Bluebell, Hundred Hills, Everflyt, Balfour, Ridgeview, Nyetimber

White Still Wines - Castlewood, Lyme Bay, Davenport, Danbury Ridge, Gusborne, Hush Heath, Denbies (orange), Sandridge Barton.

Rose Still Wines - Camel Valley, Albury, Albourne

Red Still Wines - White Castle, Lyme Bay, Danbury Ridge, New Hall, Ancre Hill.

This list is not exhaustive, I could go on - and apologies to friends in the industry that have not been mentioned - send me a bottle and I can try too :) 

What's the message here? Why are you telling me this?

Here is the thing. Conversation on English wines often gets lost - vineyards are small, independent businesses in the main and operating on exceptionally tight margins - lets not forget, they are in the farming industry! 

Alcohol duty (uh-oh sorry I am back again) has increased, rising NI contributions have

increased, changed to Inheritance Taxes have affected family farms and the rollout of Extended Producer Responsibility fees have all hit at once. Small producer relief for alcohol duty for instance, has been capped at 8.5% ABV which excludes nearly every English winemaker.

Please look to visit a vineyard this summer - it can be in English Wine Week but it can also be anytime you can, buy a bottle from the cellar door, taste the wines and see what you think, if you need tips on your trips around the UK -give me a shout too.

That being said, it isn't just a 'southern game' these days. There are some incredible vineyards in Sussex, Kent, Hampshire Surrey, Essex - and rightly so, they get more sunshine but that doesn't mean all the best wines comes from the south. 

On Saturday 27th June I am heading to the Yorkshire Heart Vineyard (podcast guests in the past) to take a look at the inspiring Yorkshire Wine and Fizz that we can find across the region. Have you got your ticket yet?

Live music, proper celebrations and tastings of the different terroirs that we have in our county all in one place.

In fact, if you are interested in wine and the wine industry in the UK then I have a great idea for you:

👉 DOWNLOAD the UK Vineyard app - it is absolutely FREE - designed for the consumer and tells you not just about the vineyards near you, but also restaurants close by, places to stay, festivals during the summer months and so much more! Get downloading TODAY!

Enjoy until next time, but feel free to comment, like, share or ask me any questions on the

UK wine scene anytime.

Best Regards

Andrew a.k.a. The Northern Wine Guy