Is English wine drinkable?

The resounding answer to this question is yes, in the majority of cases. With over 100 vineyards throughout England and Wales, English wine is developing dramatically which is due to many factors, including climate, selective vineyard practices, modern winemaking techniques and demand.

Let’s kick off with climate. To ripen, the grape vine requires a warm growing season with some sun and a little rain. This may seem the complete opposite to the climate we have in England. However, even though summer may seem slow to start at times, we often have an extended, warm autumn, which allows the grapes to ripen slowly over a longer period.

Another factor that influences our climate is the Gulf Stream. This acts as a moderator of the climate by gently cooling the hot days and warming the cooler days.

Even with the extended ripening period and the moderating Gulf Stream, measures need to be taken within the vineyard to compensate for such a marginal climate – one of the most important measures being where to plant the vines. Sunshine hours can be extended by planting in the warmest areas and on south facing slopes, which is why the majority of English vineyards are situated in Kent and Sussex.

Canopy management is undertaken in the vineyard, which can help make the most of a given climate and weather conditions. Through adjusting the amount of leaves on the vine, this enables the sun to penetrate the bunches of grapes as well as the remaining leaves, allowing photosynthesis to occur, which produces sugars to help ripen the grapes. Slightly reducing the amount of leaves around the bunches of grapes increases aeration, which in turn aids in reducing pests and diseases that thrive in damp or humid conditions.

One of the most outstanding and surprising English wines I have sampled is the Limney Estate Diamond Fields Pinot Noir.

The most surprising part of this wine was its colour, which is an intensely deep ruby. Winemaker Will Davenport comments that the colour was achieved through selecting only the ripest grapes for the Pinot and leaving the skins in contact with the juice for 7 days. During these days the juice is pumped over the skins, which aids colour and flavour extraction. This wine is definitely worth hunting out and is available through the Vintage Roots website, and from early July will be available in store at Union Market near Fulham Broadway station.

Aside from the outstanding Pinot Noir, English Sparkling wine is essential drinking for all of us this summer. Another area that shares England’s marginal, cool climate as well as some of our soil types is…Champagne. Although many of the English sparkling wines also use the same grape varieties as Champagne, as we have no restrictions in England as to which grapes we use to make a sparkling wine, other grape varieties have been used to magnificent effect. The Champagne method or ‘methode traditionelle’ is also embraced in England which aids in the quality of the wine.

Chapel Down Rose is a prime example of a successful English sparkling wine. Light salmon in colour, this wine glides down the throat. The bubbles are delicate and soft, strawberries and a touch of green apple come through on the palate and the finish is rounded off with balanced, refreshing acidity. This wine is available in good pubs, restaurants and off licences and is great value for money at around £23.

The Limney Estate sparkling wine, which is made up of 65% Auxerrois and 35% Pinot Noir, is yet another outstanding example. The 2006 vintage has just been awarded a gold medal at the UKVA wine of the year competition. This wine has considerable depth on the palate with layers of biscuit and toast intertwined with refreshing citrus notes.

And this is just the beginning. There are swathes of beautiful English wines out there to try, along with the not so beautiful ones, of course. All I can say is give them a chance, support your local growers and producers and indulge in some amazing wines which have been grown on your doorstep.