Watch out for English Sparkling Wine from East Anglia!

The increasing popularity of English sparkling wine has driven great success for grower-producers in Essex and Suffolk.

Dedham Vale Vineyard, in Essex, have recently planted an extra 12 acres of vines in response to growing consumer demands – and ten of these acres are for sparkling varieties Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

The region’s warm, dry weather is well-suited to growing quality grapes.  There are plans to develop a wine trail between vineyards and even talk of seeking an appellation to give the region’s wines protected status and raise their profile internationally.

Suffolk’s vineyards, like Giffords Hall are among the first to use drones with highly sensitive sensors to collect data that will help growers predict and increase yields, manage their resources effectively, sustainably manage their land and assess the suitability of new land.