(Photo: by Carl Court/Getty Images) DITCHLING, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 04: Bottles of sparkling wine are stored as they undergo the fermentation process at Ridgeview Vineyard on November 4, 2015 in Ditchling, England. English wine has seen a huge increase in popularity in recent years with vineyards such as Ridgeview, which supplied the wine for the state banquet for China's President Xi Jinping, seeing ever greater demand. HMRC last year received 65 applications from new entrants wishing to start vineyards, up from 31 applications in 2012-13.
Britain continues to be the second-largest importer of Champagne in the world. However, in recent decades, warmer temperatures brought on by climate change have improved the circumstances for growing grapes in England.
English wine is no longer derided by its continental neighbors for tasting like rain because of improvements in quality. Meanwhile, growing concern about carbon emissions is encouraging many British consumers and businesses to choose domestically grown food over imports whenever possible.
The viticulture industry is now Britain's fastest-growing agricultural sector, and the UK is planting vines more swiftly than most of the world's largest wine-producing nations. These developments are generating a ton of momentum, according to US News.
According to industry group WineGB, Britain is expected to produce 22 million bottles of wine annually by 2030, a significant increase from the roughly 12 million bottles produced last year.
Two thousand years after the Romans introduced vines to Britain, English winemakers are vying for the market share of Champagne by highlighting the geological similarities between the chalky slopes of southern England and Champagne's home region in France.
Two of the most well-known Champagne houses in France, Taittinger, and Pommery, have invested in land and vineyards in England in order to avoid being left out, while Henkell Freixenet, the largest sparkling wine producer in the world, will purchase the English wine estate Bolney in 2022.
The UK received the most medals it has ever received in the Decanter World Wine Awards last year. Sales are being driven by this, according to winemakers, as well as the "buy local" movement, which promotes locally grown food as being more socially and environmentally responsible.
In England, there are currently more than 900 vineyards. Since 2000, the number of hectares has doubled, displacing grasslands, orchards, and crops.
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A Step Towards Sustainability
Awty stated that while the group is working on a project that would provide a clear image of the carbon footprint of a bottle of English wine, lower transport emissions compared to imported wine are currently succeeding in attracting customers.
Serving English wine is one way to make an "obvious statement" about sustainability as event planners consider net zero aims, according to Hamish Anderson, chief executive of Tate Enterprises, which manages the events and restaurants division for the Tate art galleries.
Anderson anticipates that by 2020, English winemakers will make about 70 percent of the sparkling wine served at Tate events, with Champagne making up the remaining 40 percent.
English fizz represents 3 percent of volumes in the UK market for sparkling wine, compared to 12 percent for Champagne. In 2021-2022, the former increased by 22 percent, while Champagne decreased by 1 percent, according to data from IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.
Both bottles frequently cost more than 20 pounds, which is more than twice the cost of Italian Prosecco, the market leader.
English sparkling wine makes up 25 percent of sales for events managed by Searcys, a British restaurant and events firm, up from nearly nothing five years ago. Martin Dibben, the company's head of champagne, predicts that it will increase to 50% in the following five years.
The largest wine producer in England, Chapel Down, reported a 21 percent increase in sales in the first half of 2023 and plans to treble its 2021 revenue by 2026. It is opening a second winery for visitors and is sponsoring horse racing and cricket matches to increase brand exposure.
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