With a summer more usually seen on the beaches of the Mediterranean than England’s green and pleasant land were these the ideal conditions this fledging industry need to make it’s mark on the world wine stage?
Us English are used to complaining about the weather but this year our winemakers have got no complaints. Simon Robinson, Chairman of Wine GB went as far as saying ‘Growing conditions across the country have been ideal and this shows in both excellent quality and high yield’
In normal years English winemakers need to try and maximise ripeness by leaving the grapes on the vine for as long as they dare before the weather threatens the autumn rains or frosts. But in 2018, with temperatures consistently over 30 degrees, the sun was baking down on the grapes meaning vineyards started harvesting weeks before they usually would, some grapes destined for sparkling were even picked in August!
With the perfect weather and an industry that can now boast some exceptional wine makers signs are looking great this year. It will certainly be a bumper harvest, and I have every confidence that it will be one of exceptional quality too.
With mainland Europe suffering terrible droughts all over their vineyards the English wine community has never had a better chance to put it’s stamp on the international wine world. However even before Brexit it was hard enough to get the French to drink anything not French, so I fear it may be sometime yet until we people can enjoy an English wine in the restaurants of Paris.
Kommentare