UK Wine Industry, Famous Wineries and Popular Brands

"Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used - Shakespeare"

Food and wine is often cast as a rather mysterious and unique division of science, but it really is not as mysterious as it seems to be. Wine in the UK can be dated back to Roman times. There were numbers of vineyards in England by the time of the Norman Conquest, most of them attached to monasteries and great houses. The areas of concentration were the coastal areas of the southeast, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

The first commercial vineyard in modern times was established at Hambledon in Hampshire in 1951 but significant development in the UK wine industry has been in not much more than the last 30 years.

Climate for wine agriculture The Wine Industry is based on the farming of grapes. According to the geographical conditions, the UK is not suitable for commercial grape production, being too far north. Most of the successful vineyards in the UK are southern England and Wales where, in some parts of southern England, the subsoil is chalk or limestone and has similar geology to that of the Champagne region in France.

The main grape varieties planted in the UK are Reichensteiner, Bacchus, and Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Muller Thurgau and Sylva Blanc; very few of which are names that the average British wine drinker would be familiar with.

British Wine: English and Welsh wine must be produced from fresh grapes grown in the UK, whereas British wine is a form of 'made wine' which can be manufactured in the UK and Ireland from imported grapes, grape juice, grape must or a combination of these. Although 'made wine' products can be called 'wine' they must be prefixed with a term such as British, Mead, Fruit, Tonic etc. These products are not governed by the EU Wine Regime.

With all difficulties of climate and latitude, there are more than 250 commercial vineyards in the UK ranging in size from a few square metres run by small-scale hobbyists to large wineries run by commercially astute wine producers.

Best English Wines:

1. Nyetimber: widely regarded as one of the best English wineries.
2. Curious Grape: Brand name of the UK's largest (and probably best) producer, New Wave Wines
3. Three Choirs: Sizeable operation in the Midlands making some well priced and tasty wines.
4. Davenport: The UK's leading organic producer, making fresh, bright, full-flavoured whites.
5. Denbies: In Surrey's North Downs, this is the largest producer with some interesting wines.

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Fine Wines Are Beyond Comparison

"We will serve no wine before its time". Orson Welles for Paul Masson winery

Let's come up with a definition of fine wine. It is definitely not drug store wine. The cost is actually not the most important thing. The flavors must blend together, there must be a bouquet, and it must be memorable. Bad wine is worse than no wine at all.

Based on balance, length of time lingering on the tongue, complexity, and tepidity.

Balance is the combined presentation of its characteristics: fruit, acidity, neutrality and the existence of some tannin. Because some winemakers are anxious to serve the new wine, these tannins indicate the immaturity of the wine and may be a factor in a wine's over-freshness. A new wine should be fully brewed, definitely young, but also mature; not old and wooden from spending a year's time in the barrel.

Length of time is another important factor in judging fine wines. It should linger on your tongue, maintaining a presence in your mouth for awhile after serving. It should be something that isn't so quick to flee from your palate.

The fruit chosen for wine is most always grapes. If not it is noted on the bottle - pomegranate wine, elderberry wine, etc. It should not be too sweet or too bitter. Acidity is also necessary, but must be controlled. The sugar of the fruit is eaten by the yeast. This conversion causes fermentation but it shouldn't be so strong as to upset the person's biological disposition.

Neutrality is important too. In everything exists also nothingness? This nothingness is needed to balance out the strong personalities of fruit, acidity and so on which are overpowering in their own right.

Some wine categories have been proposed by wine connoisseur Clive Parker. They are: Very Good, Fine, Very Fine, and Grand Vin. In reality, very few wines will reach the Grand Vin level. Wine making is not an exact science, of course, but it has some parameters which can be taken into consideration. We have come to believe that the 90 plus category is the minimal level for fine wines.

The art of wine making began in Georgia as early as 6000 B.C. and in the Balkans in the 4500 B.C. time frame. The Greek god Dionysius and Roman god Baccheus were the ancient heralded gods of wine. This was a nutritious drink often mixed with water after a large meal to aid in the digestive process and finish off the meal. Of course, wine may also be enjoyed without the water. It was in these days that the philosopher Pliny the Elder so eloquently stated, "In wine there is truth".

In today's wine market, there are many wonderful wines to choose from. Some may be from France, Mendocino California or the Mediterranean. A fine wine may be most readily identified by its label, though vintages may drastically vary. Let your senses be your guide in choosing a suitable beverage for that special meal, regardless of the label, price or environment you find yourself in.

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