Over the past 15 years, Champagne’s premium swagger has been tested to the max. In key global markets – not least the UK – retail and on-trade sparkling wine lists have diversified considerably, while consumers are increasingly price sensitive amid the cost-of-living crisis. The result is a complex market evolution for Champagne: one that mixes pain with opportunity.
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Sussex winery Sugrue South Downs has announced a new group of investors including well-loved chef Angela Hartnett (pictured, centre).
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Ahead of a busy Christmas period for Booths, the north of England premium supermarket chain showcased its diverse wine offer at its annual portfolio tasting at the Guild of Fine Foods.
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Nutbourne Vineyards, the West Sussex winery, has partnered with Bancroft Wines.
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English sparkling wine producer Nyetimber says it is expecting a top-quality 2025 vintage following a warm and sunny spring, then a hot and dry June.
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A recent visit to Black Chalk vineyard and winery in Hampshire’s Test Valley highlighted that a bumper harvest could be on the way for the English wine sector.
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Importer Mentzendorff has added Hampshire winery Exton Park to its portfolio.
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Global wine consumption is on a downward spiral thanks to a perfect storm of negative influences, from economic factors and health concerns to the moderate drinking trend and changing consumption patterns across occasions. According to the IWSR’s 2024 report, What’s Driving Wine’s Structural Decline, per capita consumption of wine in the UK peaked in 2009 and has been in decline since, “except for a small temporary boost during Covid. On a per-adult basis, the UK now drinks about 14% less wine than it did in 2000.”
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Hampshire wine estate Black Chalk has announced the addition of Neil Irvine to the newly created role of sales director. The onboarding comes as the producer seeks to boost sales growth.
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A new report on English sparkling wine from Wine Lister, the fine wine consulting agency, shows that on average critics’ score the category 90.6, which compares favourably with sector-leading Champagne wines (90.8).
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Andrew Catchpole catches up with a tech-entrepreneur turned fine English winemaker at his Oxfordshire estate.
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WineGB has collaborated with the Vineyard & Winery Show to create the Golden 50 Wines List – a database of award-winning British wines that have received gold medals across 10 national and international competitions in 2024.
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England's youngest winery, Sugrue South Downs, has unveiled a new collection of single-vineyard cuvées produced in the heart of East Sussex.
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Over a sneak preview of the recently disgorged (and as yet to be released) Domaine Evremond Classic Cuvée – the joint sparkling venture in Kent between Champagne Taittinger and its UK agent-importer Hatch Mansfield – Andrew Catchpole catches up with Hatch’s Patrick McGrath MW, who explains the inspiration for this ambitious project.
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Hugh Johnson OBE, a leading figure in the world of wine writing and one of the UK's most recognised wine commentators, has invested in Sugrue South Downs, the award-winning English sparkling wine producer led by Dermot and Ana Sugrue. The exact sum of Johnson’s investment remains undisclosed.
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Madalena Moreira, oenologist at Encirc, argues there is room for everyone in the UK wine trade to benefit from the post-Brexit bottling rules, and that the changes will not negatively impact sales of quality English sparkling wine.
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Squerryes, a family-run vineyard in Westerham, has revealed plans for expansion, including the appointment of Tom Jones as its new winemaker, who will start next month.
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English winemaker Gusbourne may soon have a new owner, as Lord Ashcroft, who holds a 67% stake in the company, announced he is exploring “various strategic options” for his shareholding.
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WineGB has announced significant growth in the UK’s wine industry, with the number of vineyards reaching 1,030, a 9.2% increase from the previous year. According to the Food Standards Agency Wine Team, English and Welsh wine sales also grew by 10% from 2022.
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Last month’s English Wine Week kicked off with two high-profile but contrasting events. First, the august members’ club 67 Pall Mall held a glitzy industry lunch for producers, trade and media. Nineteen different English wines were poured
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