UK Vineyards on the Increase

Having already written several pieces about English Sparkling wine, I was searching through my inbox and found an interesting article on the UK wine industry
(http://www.decanter.com/news/news.php?id=284574).

Over the last four years, the area covered by UK vineyards has grown by a massive 45%. Now, there is a total of 1,106 hectares under vine, 40% of which is made up of the sparkling grape varieties. With Waitrose now entering the foray with its own 4.5 hectare site in Leckford, Hampshire, the remainder of the increase mainly comes from two producers, Chapel Down and Nyetimber. And it’s not just the area, the number of vineyards has also grown, with around 400 now recorded.

It is the traditional sparkling grape varieties that have seen the biggest increases over the years, with Pinot Noir now accounting for 19% of total hectarage, giving it a total of 250 hectares, and Chardonnay now covering 225 hectares at 17%.

Let’s hope with the UK economy in its current state, the UK wine industry can accommodate this continued growth. We have seen recently how the French wine industry, which was already struggling, is finding it hard to weather the current economic storms. However, current demand far outstrips supply of English Sparkling, which gives it a clear advantage. In my eyes, all the producers need to do is ensure the quality in their wines, or they will be facing the problems the French currently have!

Sainsbury's English Sparkling Rose

As I’ve already mentioned I decided to treat us to a bottle of English Sparkling this week, which was Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference English Sparkling Rose, produced by Chapel Down in Tenterden Kent. It’s made from Pinot Noir, Reichensteiner and Rivaner and has been made traditionally by secondary fermentation in the bottle for 18 months.

When pouring the wine I was surprised as it looked more like a white than a rose, however once the glass had started to fill up you could see a very pale salmon colour coming through. On the nose it had wonderful aromas of Strawberries, Rosehips and bready characteristics you would expect from being bottle fermented. And again these flavours came flooding through on the taste, with a delightful fine mousse that was extremely long lasting. The acidity, sweetness and flavours were all in balance with one another resulting in a wonderfully refreshing wine.

This is a wonderful example of how good English sparkling can be, and I can highly recommend it to any one, especially as an alternative to Champagne.