A recent LinkedIn group discussion centered on English wine. Some are surprised that wine is made in England. The new wine renaissance began in England in the 1960’s and continues today. During the 60’s many grapes planted were German varieties. Today, there is a change to French varieties. We visited four wineries in England and a vineyard in Wales. Our first winery visit was Ridgeview Estate. Grapes planted include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. It’s not surprising that owner and winemaker, Mike Roberts, makes several excellent sparkling wines. He mentioned that, “the English like their fizz.” Our next stop was Breaky Bottom Vineyards. One needs to practice perseverance in finding this winery and maneuvering the 30-minute driveway to the bottom. Once there you will be rewarded with a stunning view. We tasted two more sparkling wines, one made of Seyval. A Visit to Carr Taylor Vineyards and Winery afforded an opportunity to taste several wines made from different German varietal grapes grown on the property. We completed our visits at Wickham Vineyards where more German varieties were planted. Wickham makes the official wine for the House of Commons. The lone vineyard in Wales we visited was Parva Farms. They grow the grapes and take them to a winery to make wine. The wine is then sold at a small tasting room at the vineyard, or if they are closed, you can purchase the wine at the post office.

If you would like to read articles about these wineries and vineyard, go to United Kingdom section of Winery Reviews.