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Guy Woodward: English wine is facing a dilemma

to complement a five-course menu of British produce served at immaculately dressed tables laden with Zaltos.

The winemakers and owners in attendance, including Mark Driver of Rathfinny, Kirsty Goring of Wiston, Ridgeview’s Simon Roberts and Nyetimber’s Brad Greatrix, were each invited to say a few words about the trajectory of English wine. Most presented an upbeat picture, in keeping with the event’s celebratory vibe. The wines were split into past, present and future – from the 1996 Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs en magnum to the 2023 “Trouble Every Day” Pinot Noir from Blackbook, whose American owner Sergio Verrillo heralded England as “the most exciting emerging wine region in the world”.

• Read more: Caution advised on over-hyping the English wine ‘boom’

A rather more cautious tone was in evidence the following day, at a panel discussion in a functional upstairs room at Defined Wines’ tasting of its clients’ wines. “Boom or Bust? Where will English wine be in 10 years’ time?” was a bold topic for a business hoping to attract more clients to the sector. It was also

a provocative one, given the relentless talk of bumper crops, rising exports and countless awards.

Yet it certainly struck a chord with some. Consultant Justin Howard-Sneyd MW talked of the “danger of over-production” along with “warning signs of people investing too quickly”. Telegraph critic Victoria Moore, meanwhile, suggested that English wine’s sheen might be starting to fade, with her editors cancelling this year’s double-page spread due to low readership engagement.

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Still vs fizz

So have producers got a bit carried away? Vineyard hectarage more than tripled between 2010 and 2023, and plantings are projected to rise another 85% by 2032, which could mean an output of 40 million bottles. Annual sales of English wine, by contrast, have yet to hit 10 million. And with the likely charge of the charmat brigade, are we in danger of a race to the bottom? Charlie Holland, former CEO of Gusbourne and now heading up Jackson Family Wines’ entrance to the market, feels that, “With all this planting, there will be a natural downward pressure on price.”

Equally, there must be a limit to the number of new entrants into a market touting £30+ English fizz during a cost-of-living crisis, while being squeezed by Champagne at the top-end and Prosecco at the bottom. Especially when they face a three-year wait for plantings to come to fruition, and a further three years’ before sparkling wines hit the shelves.

There seems to be a widespread acceptance that there will inevitably be some consolidation. It also seems clear that the path to a sustainable future lies in still wines. Every member of the panel felt the current production ratio of 2/3 for sparkling and 1/3 for still would be closer to 50:50 in 10 years’ time, with Defined CEO Henry Sugden – very much at the sharp end of new entrants’ thinking – suggesting the two will flip. “We need diversity in order to grow the category,” said Holland, whose initial focus will be on producing “world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir still wines”. Not only is the business model for still wines more favourable in terms of cash flow, but more importantly, there is increasing belief that their quality can ultimately match that of sparkling.

The shadow of charmat risks bringing a Wild West feel to the sparkling scene, with consumers asked to differentiate between an ‘English sparkling wine’ and a ‘sparkling wine from England’ when the two are vastly different in quality – and price. They will face an even more confusing array of still wines, incorporating the classic Champagne trio; Bacchus; other, more niche varieties; rosé; orange wines; sweet wines and more. So here’s a thought…

Why not make a premium still wine category – an appellation, if you like – limited to the variety that performs best in England – Chardonnay? Time and again I hear people say English wine needs a clear identity. In fizz, this is traditional-method sparkling, which consumers equate to Champagne. Why not benchmark our top still wines to white Burgundy, another aspirational style with premium positioning, thereby lifting the whole category? I’m sure WineGB would never do it, for fear of alienating those members still wedded to Huxelrebe and Seyval Blanc, but I’d love to see it.

Back at 67, there was little by way of pessimism. The closing ‘future’ course was dedicated entirely to still wine, notably via two outstanding, contrasting Chardonnays from Danbury Ridge and Gutter & Stars. As Nick Brewer of Oastbrook said: “It’s so exciting… Still wine is at the forefront of this wonderful frontier and we don’t have a rule book.” He’s right – but in future, maybe they should…

• Champagne
• English wine
• english sparkling