Posts Tagged ‘English sparkling wine’
Duchess of Cornwall Plants ‘Millionth’ Vine in the UK
At the South of England Show, Ardingly, West Sussex, Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall, planted a vine to officially represent the ‘Millionth vine’ planted in the UK this year. The Duchess of Cornwall is President of the United Kingdom Vineyards Association (UKVA), the UK wine industry’s central organisation. The ceremonial planting took place…
Read MoreWhat’s happening in English Sparkling Wine?
The 2016 production figures from England and Wales released today, reveal a dip in overall volume, but a high-quality vintage. The overall production figures show that 31,116 hectolitres were produced, equivalent to 4.15m bottles. This volume is below the current ‘average’ annual production of 5m bottles. 2016 got off to a slow start but finished…
Read MoreFrost hits English Vineyards
We’ve already heard how frost has affected vineyards in Champagne. Now the frost has hit some vineyards in England, with Albury stating the frost has caused damage to 80% of buds. When frost is forecast, it’s all hands on deck with the lighting of ‘bougies’ (French for ‘candle’) and burners throughout the vineyards. These ‘bougies’…
Read MoreDavid & Goliath – Can English Sparkling Wine take on the might of Champagne?
English Sparkling Wine has experienced something of a meteoric rise over the past few years. Peter Ustinov’s phrase “I imagine hell like this: Italian punctuality, German humour and English wine” would have had little argument even in the very recent past, with English wine being the parochial and somewhat comical poor cousin of the fizz…
Read MoreThe Case for English Bubbles
I’ve always loved bubbles, but I must admit, I haven’t always been fussy. In fact, when I first moved to London eight years ago, a £5 bottle of Tesco Cava did the trick, not that there’s anything wrong with that… These days, well, my income stretches a little further and let’s just say, like a…
Read MoreTips to Impress with a Sparkling Valentine’s Meal
There’s something very romantic about a home cooked meal, enjoyed over candlelight with a glass of bubbly. Whether or not cooking is your strong point, you can always win over your date with a good bottle of sparkling wine. Here are some tips on how to impress during your meal! Set the mood Prepare before…
Read MoreExciting Times Ahead for English Sparkling Wine in 2017
The demand for English and Welsh sparkling wine is growing, with vineyards in the UK doubling over the past 10 years to 5,000 acres, including 30 new vineyards in the last two years alone. The industry now boasts sales of around 100 million pounds a year. UK wine producers have made great leaps in recent…
Read MoreVictory for English Bubbly: Chapel Down Wins Boat Race Contract
After a battle with the French, it has been announced that the official sparkling wine of the Oxford and Cambridge boat race will be English. Chapel Down, a Kent producer, won a 4-year contract with the sporting event. They will be taking over from Champagne Bollinger, who have supplied the event for the previous 4…
Read MoreExport Record for English Sparkling Wine
The UK drinks industry is celebrating a huge year for English sparkling wine exports. In 2016, English sparkling wine producers managed to secure 8 more export markets, bringing the total up to 27 countries. Sparkling wine makes up almost 70% of the UK’s wine production and is quickly becoming renowned globally thanks to its high…
Read More