English wine production is bigger than ever before. Scientists can debate climate change and some politicians can deny it's happening, but it's a fact that England's vineyards produced 50% more wine last year. The vines are budding earlier each year, and this year Denbies Wine Estate, the biggest single estate vineyard in Britain, reported the first bud on April 14th, the earliest ever recorded. The vines normally only bud at the end of April.
Denbies, near Dorking in Surrey, grows 15 different varieties of vine, including pinot noir, pinot gris, chardonnay and bacchus. It is the French varieties which prefer the warmer French climate that are bearing more and better fruit.
Denbies was first planted in 1986, with 18 different varieties of vine to see which grew best in the south of England climate. Today there are 265 acres, with plans to increase to over 300 acres by 2012. Not only is England producing more wine, sales of English wines are on the increase too. It can only be good news. One drawback to English wine is its price, which is expensive due to limited production. More wine could see a reduction in price, which should bring another boost in sales. Denbies are already able to sell some of their wines for as little as £4.99 and £5.99 a bottle.
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VINE AND DINE
With more production each year, more help is needed at harvest time. Lovers of English wine can join in at Denbies, who are repeating the Vine and Dine grape-picking experience which they started in 2006. Thanks to the favorable climate conditions, 2007 looks like being a bumper harvest. Denbies normally produces 300,000 litres of grape juice per year, and 450,000 bottles of wine, spread across its range of 12 different English wines.
In October 2007 visitors can enjoy a day at the vineyard, when they will be given tuition on grape-picking, watch the grapes being pressed, enjoy a traditional rustic lunch for vineyard workers (including lots of wine, of course) and round the day off with a wine tasting in the Denbies Wine Estate cellars. More details are available on the Denbies website which you can visit by clicking here.
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AWARD-WINNING ENGLISH WINE
Visitors helping with the wine harvest will also get a glimpse into the secrets that lie behind the making of award-winning English wine. In the 2007 International Wine Challenge the Denbies Greenfields Cuvée won a Gold Medal, showing that English sparkling wine is up there with the best of them. The same label won a Silver Medal at the 2006 International Wine Challenge, and another Gold Medal at the International Wine and Spirit Competition. Several other Denbies wines won medals at the 2007 International Wine Challenge, including for its 2005 Sparkling Rosée Cuvée.
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To read more about quality English sparkling wine, read my blog by clicking here.
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Mike Gerrard - Mike is an award-winning travel writer who has worked for National Geographic, the London Times, and many other clients. ...
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