England

Viticulture in England of any importance most probably dates back to the Romans, who came to the island in 43 BC. However, finds of vine pollen pre-dating this time prove that there was some viticulture in pre-Roman times. Documents mentioning wine-growing date back to 731 AD. In 1152, king Henry II. (1133-1189) married Eleonor of Aquitaine, thus acquiring ownership of the Gascogne and of large parts of western France, including the whole of Bordeaux (it fell back to France in 1453). For almost 300 years, high-quality French wine was imported on a large scale. This, too, was the heyday of rosé-coloured Clairet. However, wines, especially sweet wines from southern Europe were also popular from the middle of the 14th century, for example the „Vernage” (Vernacchia) from Italy and „Malmsey” (also called „Malvesye”) from the islands of Cyprus and Crete, which was shipped from the Greek port of Monemvasia (Peloponnes). Because of these manifold opportunities for import, viticulture in England itself practically died out for several centuries. Sherry became popluar towards the end of the 16th century, when Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596) captured 2.900 pipes (type of barrel) of this wine, which was then later imported from Spain in huge quantities. In the 17th century, Englishman Sir Kenelm Digby (1603-1665) was the first to develop glass bottles for wine, and for a long time these were produced primarily in England. After the end of the Second World War, scientist Ray Barrington Brock (1907-1999) set out to determine the grape varieties best suited to the English conditions, and in 1952 Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones planted the first vineyard in the county of Hampshire, thus reviving English viticulture. The Institute of Masters of Wine was founded in 1953, in order to raise the quality of wine and wine knowledge. 1967 saw the establishment of the „United Kingdom Vineyard Association”, which represents all interests of English viticulture. Since 1994, this association has been awarding an EU-recognised „Seal of Quality” to non-hybrid wines. However, this seal is not often awarded, as it excludes the important variety Seyval Blanc. Since 1996, regional wines (hybrids are also permitted) are made, in analogy to the French vins de pays.

In 2000, around 500 wine-growing operations with a total of around 1.000 hectares of vineyard area produced around 14.000 hectolitres of wine in southern England, Wales and on the Channel Islands (no wine is grown in Scotland or Northern Ireland). The vineyards are mostly on poor loess, sand and clay soils. The Gulf stream and the Atlantic ocean are moderating influences providing a mild climate, but the wet summers and rainy autumns are a problem as they encourage the spread of fungal diseases. There are six wine-growing regions: Weald and Downland (Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex), Wessex (Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight), Southwest and Wales (Hereford, Worcester, Südwales), Thames and Chiltern (Oxford, north of London), East Anglia (north-east of London to the north coast of Norfolk) and Mercia (Midlands, north). Primarily, light, flowery and fresh, spritzy white wines are made from Müller-Thurgau (the most widely planted variety) and numerous other modern German crossings, such as Reichensteiner and Schönburger, as well as from hybrids such as Seyval Blanc (second most widely planted variety). Chaptalising musts with sugar is common practice. Bottle-fermented sparkling wines made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are very popular. Not to be confused with genuine English wines are the so-called British wines, which are produced from imported grape must concentrate. Well-known wine producers include, for example, Barkham Manor, Breaky Bottom, Chapel Down (founded 1992, known fort he red wine „Epoch Fizz” and white wine made from the Bacchus grape), Denbies (largest wine estate), Halfpenny Green, Hidden Spring, Llanerch (in Wales), Northbroke Spring, Nyetimber, Penshurst, Pilton Manor, Sandhurst, Sharpham, Thames Valley Vineyard and Three Choirs (27 ha). Diageo, the largest spirits group in the world and major wine importer is located in London, and has shares in numerous wine estates in other countries.