As a keen imbiber of locally produced wines in the South East, I have noticed the increasing depth of flavour each year as the vines mature. Biddenden is the oldest vineyard in Kent and the vines (planted in 1969) are producing better flavour each year (I keep tasting them to check the progress). Younger vineyards are producing pleasant wines that also improve each year, but they have some catching up to do. The wines from the large producers with contract growers are produced to a formula, heavily marketed and rather disappointing to drink.
Great to read about some representation of some of the much smaller producers in England. I think the 'English Wine Scenario' is quite an unusual one - probably the fastest country to have gone from vines in the ground to PDO classification (Sussex) and yet almost all the focus is directed on mirroring a style of wine that is increasingly unsustainable (see champagne glysphosate use). The 'big' names are saying the small producers won't last despite the fact the big producers rarely seem to draw a profit...
On top of that, many established, large producers in Europe have grown slowly from small agricultural projects that slowly amass functioning vineyards as they grow where English producers start with huge land investment that they get contractors to manage/prune (fuelling further glyphosate use already mentioned)
I focused half of my university dissertation on these sorts of challenges for English wine (the other half to English cider) which I will eventually unpack into smaller, substack friendly, pieces. I'm happy to send you a copy in all its unnecessary academicness if you want
Good read, thanks for shining the spotlight on English Wine. Being slightly pedantic I think you need to adjust the text as there are c1,100 vineyards not wineries in uk. Vineyards grow the grapes, then wineries take grapes and turn into wine. Many less wineries around.
I do kinda share their sentiment there, and have done for a while. Recently heard of a vinegar maker who sells 2 versions of exactly the same product -- one, with an organic label, at full price, and one, no organic label, at half price. The differnece being that those that know and trust them still pay for organic, but not the label.
We should be calling it 'British' wine, not 'English', right?
As a keen imbiber of locally produced wines in the South East, I have noticed the increasing depth of flavour each year as the vines mature. Biddenden is the oldest vineyard in Kent and the vines (planted in 1969) are producing better flavour each year (I keep tasting them to check the progress). Younger vineyards are producing pleasant wines that also improve each year, but they have some catching up to do. The wines from the large producers with contract growers are produced to a formula, heavily marketed and rather disappointing to drink.
Interesting. I guess the cliche of wine 'improving with age' applies to vines too.
Great to read about some representation of some of the much smaller producers in England. I think the 'English Wine Scenario' is quite an unusual one - probably the fastest country to have gone from vines in the ground to PDO classification (Sussex) and yet almost all the focus is directed on mirroring a style of wine that is increasingly unsustainable (see champagne glysphosate use). The 'big' names are saying the small producers won't last despite the fact the big producers rarely seem to draw a profit...
On top of that, many established, large producers in Europe have grown slowly from small agricultural projects that slowly amass functioning vineyards as they grow where English producers start with huge land investment that they get contractors to manage/prune (fuelling further glyphosate use already mentioned)
Interesting point about champagne style + glyphosate. Am gonna have to look into that more closely…
I focused half of my university dissertation on these sorts of challenges for English wine (the other half to English cider) which I will eventually unpack into smaller, substack friendly, pieces. I'm happy to send you a copy in all its unnecessary academicness if you want
Thanks, might take you up on that soon.
Good read, thanks for shining the spotlight on English Wine. Being slightly pedantic I think you need to adjust the text as there are c1,100 vineyards not wineries in uk. Vineyards grow the grapes, then wineries take grapes and turn into wine. Many less wineries around.
You're right - I missed that in the edits. Thanks for reading too!
Interesting read, Hugh. Particularly their comments on organic certification.
I recently wrote a press release on a winery in the Scottish Borders who have produced their own bubbly - not something I thought would be possible.
I do kinda share their sentiment there, and have done for a while. Recently heard of a vinegar maker who sells 2 versions of exactly the same product -- one, with an organic label, at full price, and one, no organic label, at half price. The differnece being that those that know and trust them still pay for organic, but not the label.
We should be calling it 'British' wine, not 'English', right?