Vineyard Owners from Sussex Expected to Win Protected Status

Vineyard owners from Sussex are expected to win protected status for its sparkling wine like Champagne. So in the future we could be ordering a glass of Sussex.

Wine producers from Sussex including Rathfinny, Ridgeview and Bolney Estate applied to the EU for a protected designation of origin status (PDO) that will allow them to label their bottles ‘Sussex Wine’.

The status means a product has to be made in a certain area to a certain standard.

The bid for protected designation of origin (PDO) status is expected to be approved by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) before the decision is agreed by the European Commission.

Around 70 wine makers in Sussex make around a quarter of England’s wine.

It is thought that once Sussex is given a protected status other English counties may soon follow.

There is however a mixed reaction within the industry as to whether this is a good idea or not.