Jane MacQuitty: Wine Correspondent
Win luxury hampers plus Waitrose vouchers & guidebooks
Anybody with some spare cash to invest in a vineyard in this green and pleasant land needs to know that England and Wales will always have a marginal grape-growing climate.
Late hail and heavy rain - as we saw this week - together with frost are always likely to dash harvest hopes.
The truth is that, despite talk of global warming, Britain's vineyards will always be at the mercy of the climate.
The good news is that properly trained winemakers, many from abroad, are working in England. Enamel-stripping, acidic, sulphured and oxidised wines are a thing of the past.
England has produced the odd good red from hardy crossbreeds and rafts of easy-drinking whites from grapes such as bacchus and ortega, plus good méthode champenoise sparkling wine.
Chapel Down shareholders will be relieved to know that a few of these have come from Tenterden, although they are expensive for what they are.
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I would adore more English wine! Lets have it! Cheers!
Chris, London, England
Why, indeed ?! There is already too much wine on the market. It would be much better if efforts were made to improve quality in those countries that are propitious for wine-making... and less chemicals, please !
trismegistos, Paris, France
Although the vast majority of the world's wines are distilled from grapes, there is also the small percentage of "fruit wines"- I've I tried some damson based wines from Wales as well as some wines which were distilled from rhubarb, elderflowers and parsnips in England, and they were all quite good-
Scott Benowitz, Rye, New York , U.S.A.
Don't vint, distill!
As a Kentuckian and proud advocate of local whiskies, I say cultivate the "corns" and make do with what you're blessed with...barrel it, pour in drams and toast your respective climate.
Bruce, Kentucky, USA
And where is the delight in being able to make wine in your own country about anyway? This thing of wanting to be more "Continental Cafe Culture Chic" on the one hand and yet stoutly British through and through. I know people who make wine locally here. It's no more romantic than potatoes, honestly.
Chris Beach, Asturias, Spain
Growing grapes in England is not the problem. Neither is growing cannabis.
Government interference via tax,duty and the law, is.
michael murphy, brightlingsea, england
That's what I miss about Britain ... the irrepressible, blind optimism :-)
Lee, Burgundy, France
Hadrian grew grapes for wine on Hadrian's wall.
We might be able to do the same again if the global warming nerds are right, I say, Bring it on.
Jim, Bicknoller,
Your correspondent "WPO of Warsaw" asks one should attempt winemaking in England. George Orwell provided the answer sixty years ago when he wrote that we were by default simply a cold wet island where people lived on a diet of herrings and potatoes. Plant more vines, I say.
John Stobart, Oakham, Rutland, UK
May a person ask why ?
wpo, warsaw, ny