Grape Expectations For Wine Growers In The UK

Vineyard owners in England and Wales are hoping to capitalise on a growing demand for home produced wines.

Back in 1990, the UK produced 1.9 million bottles of wine, according to figures from the Food Standards Agency.

Ten years later that number hadn't risen at all, but over the next decade the industry began to expand.

Over four million bottles were produced in 2010 and it's predicted that number could double by 2020.

There are now around 500 vineyards in England and Wales, producing wines which are improving in quality, and gaining international recognition.

Speaking at a launch event for English Wine Week, the Head Winemaker at Ridgeview wine estate, Simon Roberts, told Sky News why he thinks English and Welsh wines are getting more popular.

"I really do think it's the quality," he said. "We're winning international awards... For the percentage of wines we produce, we're the most-awarded wine producing country in the world.

"Which... considering we make five million bottles - set to increase to 10 million bottles in the next five years - is a huge statement."

Colin Bennett, of wine maker Gwinllan Conwy, has just produced his first vintage from his vineyard in North Wales.

One of just 17 wineries in the country, he hopes to expand his current output of 1,000 bottles per year, to 10,000 by 2021.

Like most producers in Wales and England, he takes exception to wines labelled as "British wine" which use imported grape juice or concentrates.

English and Welsh wines are from grapes grown here and, as such, have their own distinct flavours.

Mr Bennett said: "We make beautiful delicate fragrant wines, they're exceptional.

"They're not like a French wine or an Italian wine, and they work with the food of this valley. We have great seafood here, wonderful lamb, and our wines are styled to go with the great food of the area."

Like Sussex's Ridgeview, wine from Kent maker Chapel Down is now being served at functions in Downing Street in order to promote English wines.

Josh Donaghay-Spire (Stuttgart: SIZ.SG - news) , Chapel Down's Winemaker, said: "English wine is becoming more and more popular and I think that is due to a number of factors all coming together.

"Advances in a vineyard, better viticulture techniques, better varieties and sites. We're starting to learn.

"There's better handling of the fruit in the winery, there's better technology and more experienced staff. And then there's the consumer perception. People are much more interested in local wine, and local sourcing."

It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) seems the only thing that can stop the rise of English and Welsh wines is, unsurprisingly, the British weather.

Vines don't react well to the untimely frosts, heavy rain, cold snaps and extreme weather events which have become more frequent in the UK.

In 2012, heavy spring rains and a waterlogged summer caused serious problems for the wineries, some of which scrapped that year's vintage altogether.

But the growers remain seemingly undeterred, with 200 new vineyards starting up in the last five years (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) .