A glass of English Sparkling...

Portraits of sussex Vineyards at their busiest time of year - the Harvest. All hoping to create a vintage that will make something great out of an amazing 2020, the weather at least... 

English sparkling wines have exploded in popularity over the last decade — scooping up awards, beating off competition from France, and fast becoming the pour du jour for garden parties, fashion shows and weddings galore (pre-lockdown days of course). Rumour has it, English fizz had corks popping at both Royal weddings.

It’s no surprise, as our climate and grape growing conditions near-mirror those of the famous fizz region of Champagne, right down to the same chalk soils that burrow beneath the Channel. Wine makers are increasingly cropping up in the south of England to produce flinty, mineral wines alongside the South Downs National Park in  Sussex.

The champagne houses know it — Taittinger and Bollinger are among the many names to have put some investment into English soil. Sales are booming, and with English wine predicted to be a mega £1 billion industry by 2040, it’s safe to say that British bubbles have hit the big time.

Images from Artelium Vineyard, Poynings Grange Farm vineyard and Plumpton College Winery.  Detailed captions available on request.