For celebrations, English sparkling wine is on the rise

English sparkling wine has been gaining prestige in recent years, with some experts comparing it to Champagne in taste and quality.

Globally, the sector is still relatively small: IWSR Drinks Market Analysis reports that sparkling wine produced in the U.K. represents about 0.2% of total global sparkling wine volume. But sales are growing: U.K.-produced sparkling wine volume rose by almost 11% from 2015-2020, the report said.

“Maybe 10 years ago, there were only two or three wines which might have been known outside of the U.K. or certainly recognized by wine critics as well,” says Jonathan White, spokesman for British wine producer Gusbourne. Today, “there’s a collective of maybe 10 to 20 producers that are making really excellent wines.”

Known as the “Garden of England,” Kent has long been home to fruit-growing in the U.K., so it’s natural the area has become one of the country’s most successful wine-growing regions.

For all the similarities to French Champagne, there are also factors that give English sparkling wine a unique flavor.

“We’re quite a bit further north than Champagne. It’s cooler. And as a result, you get a higher level of acidity in the grapes, which then translates into more of a sort of mouth-watering bite of crispness and freshness in the wine,” says Anne McHale, a certified master of wine in London.