Warm welcome back to British Summer Wine

BRITISH Summer Time starts tomorrow morning at 1am – and not a moment too soon. Longer days and lighter evenings will bring some welcome respite from the gloom and doom of recent months.What better way to celebrate than by supporting British wine?

Warmer summers, improved techniques and new grape varieties have seen English wine go from niche product to runaway success.Vineyards have sprouted across the south of England from the chalky slopes of Kent through Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire to the green hills of Cornwall.There are even grapes growing in the Midlands, Greater London and Yorkshire. It is not just the quantity that is increasing: the quality has skyrocketed too.You’ll pay a little more, yes, but prices are becoming more competitive and the taste and quality shine through.

Most English sparkling wines are made with Champagne grape varieties chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier using the traditional method creating bubbles in the bottle.

For still wines, the bacchus grape from Germany – where the climate is similar to the UK – has been a real winner, making wines similar to sauvignon blanc. It also produces a gooseberry-scented sparkling wine. Seyval blanc was developed in France but, being suitable for cool climates, the grape has made England its home and is usually blended into sparkling wine. Regent, rondo and dornfelder (developed in Germany) make great red here. Splash out on some stunning English wine to toast the arrival of British Summer Time.