United Kingdom
While the UK is known as one of the world’s major wine
consumers, it only produces a tiny amount of wine of its own, with Welsh and
English wine sales together accounting for only 1% of the UK’s domestic wine
market.
Perhaps the greatest problem facing the UK as a wine
producing nation is its cold climate which restricts the varieties of grapes
which can be successfully grown. However, over the last few summers, the
climate has been warmer, and this has led to a small increase in production.
Sparkling wines are now also emerging from the UK market.
In England, the chalky soils of Kent and Sussex have proven
to be an ideal location for growing the grapes which are used in the production
of sparkling wines, and the climate on the south facing slopes of southern
England are sufficiently warm. There are over 400 vineyards across England,
with the biggest being located in Surrey -
Denbies – with 1.07 kilometres squared of vines. Kent’s Chapen Down
Wines is also a large producer with the largest English winery. Wines are even
produced as far north as Yorkshire.
In Wales there has been a longer history of vine growing,
with the Romans having planted early vineyards, however it was not until the
1970s that any modern vineyards were planted here. South Wales was the focus of
Welsh wine production, and by 2015 there were 22 vineyards that produced
100,000 bottles per year. While most of these were white, there were also some
reds.
In Scotland, the climate has long been thought to be too
cold and wet to facilitate wine production, however grape vines can grow as far
north as Shetland, albeit in a polytunnel. These grapes are not used for making
wine, however, and are primarily used to make grape jelly.