British Wine!

British wine is not what you might think it is. Instead of referring to a collection of regional vintages the term refers to grapes that have been fermented and imported from other countries. This is because Britain does not really have the climate to grow grapes.  British wine is almost like a concentrate that is mixed with other concentrates to create delicious alcoholic beverages that go nicely with the game, meat pies and other British foods. In India, which was colonized by England, the term wine actually means “Western Spirits.”  True British wine is said to taste more like sherry or Port than the Shirazes or Cabernets we enjoy in North America, New Zealand and Australia.

Although the United Kingdom is a major consumer of wines from nearby Germany, Austria, France, Italy and Greece, only one percent of its wine is produced in the U.K.  However in rent years global warming has changed this a bit. White grapes are being grown by the sea and in 2003, award winning sparkling chardonnays started rivaling fine French champagnes and California sparkling wines at worldwide competitions such as the Effervescent du Monde in France.  One of the vineyards that continually emerge as a champion when it comes to sparkling wine creation is the Theale vineyard.

Only specific grape vines are hardy enough to grow in England. The most common white grape varieties that thrive in the clammy climate are Ortega, Huxelrebe, Angevine and Schonburger.  Red varieties of grapes grown in Britain in clued Pino meunier, Dornfelder and Pinot Noir.

For the most part vineyards in England are located in the areas with limestone based soil south of Kent. Large vineyards in these areas include Denbies Vineyard in Surrey and Chapel Down Wines in Tenterden in Kent.  Both the Three Choirs Vineyards, located in Gloucester and the Sharpham Vineyard in Devon have one awards for their crisp white wines.

One good thing about British wines, especially the sparkling ones, is that they are quite cheap. The white wines come with a four to twelve pound price tag and the sparkling wines can be as cheap as ten pounds.  High quality champagnes from the South o f England can be as expensive as 45 pounds a bottle.

Even English Royalty is catching on to the tastier improved quality of these local wines.   Elizabeth chose a white blanc de blanc from Ridgeview Estates outside Sussex to celebrate her eightieth birthday.