In 2007 a Theale Vineyard Sparkling Chardonnay 2003 was in the top ten of the Effervescents du Monde (sparkling wines of the world). The English wine industry is getting better all the time.
Here’s some recent coverage:
- “Taking on the French! Planting starts at England’s biggest vineyard (and it’s going to produce a MILLION bottles of bubbly a year)” Daily Mail, March 26th 2012
- “English wine pioneers rush to start UK vineyards“, The Guardian, October 26th 2015
- “English wine sales jump by 177%: Changing weather partly responsible for increase in grape cultivation“, Daily Mail, April 30th 2015
- “English bubbly booms as UK vineyards toast production record“, The Guardian, May 11th 2015
- “Fancy a glass of Yorkshire’s finest? Wine, that is…” The Telegraph, May 13th 2015
Whether English wine wins awards or not isn’t really the point. I’m an anti-wine snob:
- We believe that expensive wine tastes better than cheaper wine but only if we know that it’s more expensive. And if we don’t know the price, cheaper ones taste better (see this video).
- Even professional wine tasters will often fail a Triangle Test.
Be a productive drunk!