Is There a British Champagne

Is there a British champagne? Technically, no. Champagne is only produced in France. However, the UK has some of the best sparkling wines in the world. English wine country offers the perfect day trip from London since many spectacular wines are produced just south and southeast of the capital city in Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire.

In particular, English sparkling wines have been recognized around the world for their quality, creativity and flavor. Guided tours and tastings are a great way for travelers to experience this unique wine culture. To learn more, Nicola Boarer, owner of English Wine Tasting & Tours, shares travel tips on how to go wine tasting in England.

How long have you been giving wine tours in England?

I launched English Wine Tasting & Tours in 2015, and we’ve been delivering wine tours ever since.

The Best Day Trip From London: English Wine Country

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What part of England can you find wine that is comparable to champagne?

We predominantly offer wine tours across Kent and Sussex; however, we do work with a number of vineyards in Surrey and Hampshire too. Kent and Sussex are by far the two biggest grape-growing counties in the UK and as such have more vineyards than any other counties. Altogether, there are almost 900 vineyards in the UK, all of varying sizes and offer a wide range of styles of wine.

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Which grape varieties are common in England?

The most common grapes currently grown in the UK are Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir; these are what we call the three noble grapes that are often used for sparkling wine and champagne.

How does English sparkling wine compare to champagne?

Is there a British champagne? While there are lots of similarities with English sparkling wine, English wine-makers are very keen to put their own mark on their winemaking style that is unique to the UK. Many of the wines they make are world-class, and they have won multiple awards, especially in blind taste tests over Champagne, so it’s fair to say it compares very favourably.

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Is there anything unique about the wine-making process in England?

We are a cool climate wine producer, so with that comes many challenges. The biggest one is our tendency to have a late spring frost, which can kill fresh buds. The other problem is our tendency to have a high amount of rain, which can lead to mildew. The positive of our cool climate though is that we now have the ideal growing conditions for the three noble grapes (similar to that of Champagne 10 years ago), which means we are able to produce exceptional sparkling wine.

Do you have any wine-tasting tips?

We always encourage people to try wines they wouldn’t normally try and always keep an open mind when tasting. When it comes to English wine, bear in mind that 70% of what we produce is sparkling wine, but also think crisp whites, delicate rosés and a fantastic fruit-forward palette.

What are a few of your favorite English wines?

This is a tough question as firstly there are too many great English wines to choose from. But also most English wines are vintages, so very few English wines will taste exactly the same from one year to the next.

What British foods pair well with English wines?

Fish and Chips, of course!

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Which of your wine tours would you recommend to first-time visitors?

That’s a tough choice as all our tours are great for first-time visitors. Our Small Group Private Tour works really well if you have a group of friends/family you’d like to go with. Or join one of our public tours, which means you get to meet fellow wine lovers along the way!

Is there anything about English wine tours that might surprise people?

Guests are often surprised by the quality of English wine and by how many vineyards we have in the UK. But as it happens, we always find that our guests are surprised by our knowledge of not just English wine and the wine-making process, but we include the history of English wine starting with the Roman invasion right through to 2020. Being big lovers of history, we also throw in the history of the local area, which all adds to the day and the overall experience. Guests regularly finish the tour saying they’ve learnt far more than they had expected on the day!