England

Viticulture in the UK dates back to Roman times, with a history of wine drinking likely to go back even further. The Domesday Book records 42 vineyards across England and Wales, as well as mentioning ‘Nitimbreha’ from which Sussex producer, Nyetimber, takes its name. Despite a history of viticulture going back thousands of years, the UK wine industry is still in its infancy but is growing at a rapid pace.

The traditional Champagne grapes (chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier) now make up over 70% of the UKs total area under vine. While the majority of these go towards the production of Classic Method sparkling (see below), a growing number are being used to produce outstanding still wines.