Introducing the English wines mini-series

English wine is growing in popularity and is increasingly recognised as a premium wine-producing region,The most popular grapes varieties grown in English vineyards are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Bacchus, as well as Pinot Meunier, Syval Blanc and Ortega.According to WineGB, some 3,500ha of vineyards are now rooted in UK soils, with 690ha added in 2019 and the number is growing year by year.One of the two principal reasons for this astonishing turnaround has been the switch in English wine production from still to sparkling wines, The second reason for the turnaround, and for the fact that viticulture is now one of the most buoyant and fast-expanding segments of UK agriculture in general, is climate changeIf the UK now grow satisfactory Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for sparkling wine purposes, it’s because summer days increasingly cross the 29°C or 30°C thresholds because summer nights are warmer, because mean July temperatures across southern Britain now routinely approach 18°C rather than struggling to crest 15°C. Whilst vineyards are found across the whole of England, the climate of the South and South-East makes it a particularly popular region for growing vines, especially in Hampshire, Sussex and Kent.Over the next 5 weeks, we will explore the world of English wines – The pilot episode where we explore the history and evolution of English wine is with Author Stephen Skelton MW. Every episode we talk to a producer from a region in the UK, Cornwall, Hampshire, Sussex and KentBe sure the check all the other episodes!