Sales of English and Welsh wines are predicted to hit £100 million in 2015

Sparkling wine now makes up 66% of total wine production in the UK and is competing on the world stage shipping to more than 13 countries.

Ridgeview wines based on the South Downs in Sussex has had its best year yet for overseas sales of its sparkling wine. It now exports to 12 countries making up 15% of its sales, rising from just 2% in 2010. It aims to double the size of its production from 250,000 to 500,000 bottles in the next five years.

In the last 16 years English sparkling wines have won 14 international sparkling wine trophies – no other country has achieved this.

An English sparkling wine has been selected by P&O Cruises to launch their latest cruise ship, Britannia. Wiston Estate is producing Nebuchadnezzas (a 20-bottle bottle) for the launch.

English sparkling wine gained royal reputation when a bottle of Ridgeview’s best Bloomsbury 2011 was served to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during their recent tour of New York.

The acres of vines planted across England and Wales more than doubling in the last decade. Total acres of vineyards now stands at more than 4,500, up from 1,879 in 2004, with 470 vineyards now open for business.