Wine Garden of England

If you enjoy Champagne, you’ve probably noticed that England is producing sparkling wine that can rival your favourite french tipple. Our burgeoning wine industry has come a long way in the last 30 years, when in the mid 90’s Nyetimber won a global sparkling wine trophy with their Kent grown fizz, yomping to victory over traditional Champagne. Now, Kent alone is home to 25% of UK wine producers, and Sussex isn’t far behind.

Why have we suddenly become the world’s most interesting wine region? Number one is climate change. At 51-52 degrees North, we are essentially outside the limits of vine cultivation, because it’s too cold and wet to ripen grapes. However, the most elegant sparkling wines come from cool parts of the world, such as Northern France, so it doesn’t take much of a change in climate for us to suddenly find ourselves in possession of the best land for planting vines. Number two is soil. Champagne is planted mainly on chalk; it’s free draining but it has an amazing capacity to retain water. Vines are like many plants, in that they hate sitting in water and they are all the better for working hard to find it. Kent and Sussex share the chalk seam with northern France. We also have other mineral rich, free draining sandy soils that vines love. Number three is people. Plumpton College near Brighton is the largest English speaking winemaker school in Europe. It attracts talent from all over the world, creating tomorrow’s winemakers right here on our doorstep. Some we will definitely lose to warmer climes, but most will stay here and be part of the dawn of a new age.

Wine producers are choosing the southeast of the UK to establish their vineyards because we have more sunshine hours and less rain than anywhere else. The good news is that many of these vineyards are open to the public, and offer incredible wine tasting and touring experiences in breathtaking scenery. An hour from London, there are plenty of vineyards that are eager to welcome you.

Chapel Down is the largest UK wine producer with an extensive range of award winning still and sparkling wines. Their Kits Coty Chardonnay is reminiscent of a Pouilly Fusé. They are based in Tenterden and offer tours and tastings alongside their fine dining restaurant, The Swan.

Squerryes Winery is the closest to London, just off junction 5 of M25. It’s the highest vineyard in Kent, and only produces the finest sparkling wines. Spend a day walking through the vines, eating in their excellent restaurant, shopping for local delicacies in their deli, and even popping in to Westerham Brewery next door.

Domaine Evremond is very interesting. This is jointly owned by the Taittinger family and a UK wine importer called Hatch Mansfield, who bring many household names including Taittinger and Villa Maria onto our shores. The land in Chilham near Canterbury was chosen, and now the first English Sparkling Wine from Taittinger has been introduced under the Domaine Evremond brand. You can visit their state of the art winery that’s built into the chalk landscape, and the wine is every bit as good as you’d expect.

Balfour Winery in Staplehurst is an easy choice. It’s open every day of the year, it has a wide variety of food and wine, they shuttle you to and from Marden Station, and the estate is beautiful. Many Londoners have discovered it as their weekend escape.

Simpsons Wine Estate is close to Canterbury - it would make an excellent addition to a weekend away in this beautiful city. It’s owned by a couple who have a very successful Chateau in the Languedoc, and they came home ten years ago to make wine here. They always intended to make fine sparkling wine, but the microclimate is so warm that they have also produced some excellent still wines, including one of England’s best Pinot Noirs.

Gusbourne is closest to the south coast near Rye, and benefits from refreshing sea breezes that keep their estate fruit healthy, allowing it to ripen perfectly. They produce some of the finest wines in the UK, and their hospitality matches this standard. Spend a day with them on an Estate Tour, which includes a perfectly paired three course lunch overlooking the vines, or the winery.

Yotes Court is home to the best view of a vineyard we’ve ever seen. It quietly sits just off the M26, and as you drive in, it will take your breath away. You’ll be happy to sit and sample their excellent still and sparkling wines, amongst friendly locals who flock here every weekend. It’s owned by a very successful racehorse owner, Susannah Ricci, and the range of wines is branded to match her jockey silks.

If you are hankering after that French holiday when you visited the rustic wineries, I have two more for you.

Biddenden Vineyard is the beating heart of the village with the same name, not far from Ashford. It’s the oldest vineyard in Kent, with vines dating back to 1969. At the time, it was an orchard farm and owner Joyce Barnes heard that vineyards were worth a punt on BBC Radio 4 Women's Hour. At the time, only German varieties would grow here, and the vineyard is now run by the family’s third generation, making the most deliciously approachable wines from these old vines. It’s relaxed, friendly and open to self guided tours around the vineyard, followed by wine tasting and local food.

Westwell is a favourite with locals and visitors from London alike. It’s run by two music veterans who believe in low intervention winemaking. The winery and tasting room seem to merge into one, and the pizza and DJ nights are worth booking a hotel for. The winery is built on the Pilgrims Way near Ashford, and their signature wine is a classic cuvée called Pelegrim - don’t leave there without a bottle; it’s truly sublime.

If you’re inspired to research your local vineyards, take a look at winegardenofengland.co.uk for more information. Once you’ve got the bug, you might like to save some money and join the Members’ Club where you can visit nine of the leading Kent vineyards for free.