Fancy a Chateau Clacton? Essex wine’s on way up

VINEYARD owners in Essex have announced they want their wine to be officially recognised.

Eleven producers are consulting lawyers in a bid to trademark their ‘Crouch Valley’ wine.

The next step would be applying for Protected Geographical Status under EU law, which would put them in the same bracket as champagne. New Hall Vineyards, one of the UK’s oldest producers is among those applying for recognition.

It offers a White Pinot 2015 that costs £9.50, and its Bacchus, pictured, clinched the Silver International Sommelier Award in 2015 and 2016

Operations manager Lucy Winward said: ‘Essex has always been renowned for producing high- quality fruit ... Sommeliers and distributers have been actively buying our wines for many years.’

The region’s vineyards operate on the fertile Dengie peninsula, near Chelmsford, producing 400 tonnes of fruit every year. The area is among the driest in the country.