🗺️ British wine
The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
British wine is wine made in the United Kingdom, mainly in England and Wales. In recent decades it has been gaining fame quickly, especially the sparkling wine.
Vineyards lie in southern England: in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and other counties. The climate is cool, but in warm years grapes ripen well. English sparkling wine is made by the traditional method, as in Champagne, from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Soils are chalky in places, as in the Champagne region. In Wales, Solaris, Seyval Blanc, Pinot Noir and Phoenix are also grown.
The history of viticulture in Britain is long: grapes were grown here by the Romans and in the Middle Ages. The old word "claret" is what the English call red Bordeaux, which was imported from France for centuries. In the past, greenhouse varieties such as Muscat Hamburg were grown too. British wines receive protected names under the national geographical indication schemes. The country is part of the wines of Europe geographically but is developing its own way, with a focus on sparkling and fresh whites.
How it connects to Wine
🗺️ British wine → kind of → 🗺️ Wines of Europe → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🗺️ Wines of Europe
- Native grapes
- 🍇 Muscat Hamburg, 🍇 Ingram's Muscat, 🍇 Ferdinand de Lesseps
- Wines made here
- 🍷 Claret, 🍷 English sparkling wine
Frequently asked questions
Where is wine made in Britain?
Mainly in southern England and in Wales.
Which wine is especially well known?
English sparkling wine made by the traditional method.
What is claret?
The old English name for red Bordeaux.
What to read next
- 🍇 Muscat Hamburg — A black muscat grape bred in Great Britain from Trollinger and Muscat of Alexandria; used both as a table grape and for wine.
- 🍷 Claret — The British name for red wine from Bordeaux.
- 🍇 Ingram's Muscat — A red wine grape bred in Great Britain.
- 🍇 Ferdinand de Lesseps — A British hybrid for wine and the table with a pineapple aroma; DNA markers show Isabella as a parent, and it has 11 synonyms.
Similar
🗺️ Maltese wine · 🗺️ Lithuanian wine · 🗺️ Estonian wine · 🗺️ Latvian wine · 🗺️ Irish wine · 🗺️ Liechtenstein wine
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.