ENGLISH WINE’S PERFECT SUMMER

BLAZING sunshine throughout the summer has led to a bumper year for the UK’s wine producers.

The harvest at the Chapel Down winery in Kent was about 60pc bigger than last year’s after the hottest British summer on record.

Mark Harvey, managing director of the wines business at Chapel Down, said: ‘The conditions have been, frankly, perfect. To have a harvest of the scale that we’re having this year is just the best.’

English wine accounts for about 2pc of all the wine bought in Britain. Imports of champagne into Britain have fallen to a 17-year-low, partly due to the fall in the pound against the euro, making imports expensive – and boosting UK competitors.

Harvey said: ‘Champagne prices have crept up because of the weakness of the pound. Does that make it a more attractive place to be selling English sparkling wine? Undoubtedly.’