FOOD&DRINK EXTRA E Toasting St George

NGLISH wine producers must be feeling saintly. The industry is flourishing and there are now more than 500 vineyards and 135 wineries in the UK – and the tasting experience has become critically acclaimed.

Thanks to significant investment in the past decade, England has gained worldwide recognition for the quality of its bubbles, boasting around 130 different sparkling wine labels.

Indeed, English fizz has won 14 international trophies during the past 16 years, and beaten some top champagnes in blind tastings.

But there’s still more to come – with ‘still’ being the operative word, as England’s white and red wines are gaining recognition too.

Often made from lesser-known grape varieties suited to the UK’s cool climate, they tend to be naturally high in acidity with low sugar levels, and typically slightly lower in alcohol than New World wines.

And while still whites only account for around 24% of all English wine produced, and reds a modest 10%, tipplers have never had more choice, with around five-million bottles produced every year overall.

To cheer on the flag of St George, we’ve delved deep into the heart of the British countryside and headed to the south-east of England where the majority of wine producers tend to their vines... English wine production is flourishing and is set to double in the next five years. selects some top drops to mark the patron saint’s day on April 23 ONE of the largest English estates, Denbies has deftly blended ortega, reichensteiner, muller-thurgau, and bacchus (Germanic grapes) to create this dry, fresh white, left, that’s delicately fragrant, with aromas of green apple, flinty stone fruits and a light spritz on the finish. “England’s wines get better and better as the vineyards mature and winemaking improves,” says Richard Bampfield, Lidl’s Master of Wine consultant. ENGLAND’S leading wine producer offers a sizeable range of awardwinning sparkling and still wines.

This ripe style of bacchus (similar to a sauvignon blanc) has aromas of elderflower and fresh-cut grass, leading to light tropical fruit and mouth-watering green apple flavours, with perfectly balanced acidity on the zesty finish. WIDELY grown in Alsace, where it can make crisp, dry whites with fragrant, appley notes, this pinot blanc, pictured right, speaks with a British accent, offering hints of blossom with a palate of melon, grapefruit and citrus flavours, and refreshing limey acidity on the finish. A SPECIALITY in the Denbies line-up, the Select range is only made in the best years, and 2016 was cited as a high quality vintage. Otherwise known as pinot grigio, the calling cards of this wine, above, are its rich aromas of honeyed stone fruits, florals and tiny touch of musk. Complex, with a hint of vanilla from oak ageing, the ripe fruits come together with a rich, spicy character and fine acidity. RED wines aren’t England’s strongest suit, but if you’re not keen on over-ripe, fruity bombs then this savoury red from the award-winning Bolney Estate has the edge. Made from the deeply coloured rondo and dornfelder (Germanic) grapes, the blackberryscented fruit has peppery, spicy hints with soft, supple tannins. THIS ruby red, right, with sweet and sour black cherry, cranberry and raspberry fruit, has a touch of earth and spice, lively acidity and a smooth, silky finish. Pinot noir is difficult to grow, so this showcases just how far England’s wine country has come.