rural wine

English sparkling wine to go global after record grape harvest as vineyard eyes Asian markets

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This is a really interesting article about the development of an important new and significantly growing rural sector and one to raise a glass to! It tells us

It has already been beating French Champagne in taste tests.

Now thanks to climate change and the south of England’s chalky soils, English sparkling wine is set to go global following a record grape harvest last year.

Nyetimber, the UK’s leading producer, has announced plans to expand to Asia and India this autumn.

It follows a 400 per cent rise in sales following growing demand from Europe and America for home-made fizz, with England set to become one of the world’s leading producers of wine by 2100.

Last year’s record harvest of 14 million bunches of grapes produced more than a million bottles

The winemaker who battles temperatures as low as -25C

Some people will do anything for a drink… This story tells us of a Canadian based winemaker:

Up against such challenges, you might question why Norman ever chose to plant vineyards and build a winery in Ontario. He says that despite the challenges, the combination of cool weather and the clay and limestone soil of Prince Edward County allow him to make world class wines.

“The great wines are always made on the edge, and we’re certainly on the edge,” says South African-born Norman, who prior to going into winemaking had been a sommelier (wine waiter) in Toronto.

“I’d rather be here than anywhere else in the world because the flavours we get out of these soils are unique.”