British Wine

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The United Kingdom has been contributing to the world of wines and spirits since the Roman era. The Romans had wine with them wherever they went forth and conquered, and stumbling upon ancient wine chalices are nothing new. There is evidence of a Roman era vineyard at Wollaston in the Nene Valley, England with deposits of vine pollen dating back to this time. This suggests there were attempts at grape-growing, though it’s not known if this succeeded.

The Romans were gone by the 4th century AD, and wine production was limited to Christian orders for sacramental purposes. The land was otherwise unstable due to nearly constant wars between factions such as the Angles, Saxons and Jutes. Most of the Christians who had planted small vineyards retreated to the islands, which weren’t suitable for grape-growing. By the 6th century, they returned to the mainland and vineyards were once again planted, but trade with other parts of Europe also increased. Higher quality wines could be obtained Read more »

Monastic viticulture picked up after the Battle of Hastings in 1066, when William the Conqueror led the Norman-French to defeat the Saxons, and France became a closer ally. French abbots came to the English countryside and consulted local orders on viticulture. Vineyards were established around Somerset, Gloucestshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire and wine-making efforts stepped up.

The climate was said to be much warmer and drier during this time, and increasingly became colder and wetter. During the 1300s, trade with France, Spain and Portugal saw the import of fine wines, especially the first Ports and Madeira into England, which were preferred by the nobility over country wines. In 1536, Henry VIII, unable to obtain papal dispensation to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, broke with the Roman Catholic Church and established himself as head of the Church of England. He dissolved all the Catholic monasteries in the countryside, seized their holdings and the new owners left the sacramental vineyards to take up whisky distillation.

In the 17th century, botanist John Tradescant planted 20,000 vines on Lord Salisbury’s estate in Herefordshire. Other vineyards began to crop up along the countryside. In the 19th century, the Welsh Marquess of Bute sent envoys to France to learn proper viticulture and attempt to plan accordingly at home at Castle Coch. Several successful vintages were cultivated, and the vineyard lasted until 1911, halting with the First World War.

Peace was once again established in the 1950s. Three horticulturalist-wine enthusiasts Ray Brock, Edward Hyams, and George Ordish each set out to plant vineyards, examine British horticulture, and write books promoting local viticulture. Taking their lead, vineyards were planted throughout England and Wales, with serious efforts set forth in the 1960s and 70s.

In England, the most successful areas for viticulture have been Cornwall, Kent and Sussex to the south. Champagne varietals such as Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay fair well in the climate and soils, producing acclaimed bottlings of sparkling wines in the Methode Traditionelle. In England, Wales, and Jersey island, German varietals and hybrid grapes such as Dornfelder, Müller-Thurgau, Seyval Blanc, Rondo, Huxelrebe, Bacchus, Ortega and Optima have all been prosperous. Because the climate conditions are so similar to certain parts of Germany and Austria, wineries have been experimenting with using equivalent cool-climate viticultural methods for wines with residual sugar and late harvest dessert wines.

But wine is not the only story here. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all count as part of the United Kingdom, and of course, their contribution is whisky (spelled here without an “e”). Usquebaugh, or Aqua vitae (“water of life”) made from fermented cereals has been produced in these lands for centuries, at least since the late 1400s. Geography, climate and terroir all have the same effect on whisky as they do wine, producing whiskies with specific characteristics. The water is of particular importance, and many distilleries pride themselves on the source and freshness of the water used to make the whisky. Coastal locations often have a slightly saline aspect to the water, while inland the water can take on the fragrance of the meadow heather flowers and other environmental nuances. Producers have also been experimenting with different barrel finishes, opting for specific wine or fortified wine characteristics, sometimes aging the whisky more than once in different barrels. More than 2,500 different whiskies are now produced throughout the United Kingdom. For more information on Scotch, whisky production, and styles (such as single malts and blended Scotches), please see Scotland’s regional page. ~Amanda Schuster

– Description from Amanda Schuster (hide)

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Popular wines made in United Kingdom under $20

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Varietals Produced in United Kingdom View all

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is widely grown in California -- at over 15,000 acres, it’s now the third most planted variety -- and...
Pinot Noir

“With so voluptuous a perfume, so sweet an edge, they make the blood run hot,” Joel Fleischman, wine columnist at Van...
Syrah

The irony here is that Syrah’s origins could give Carmen Sandiego a run for her international wallet. Syrah’s deepest...
Chardonnay

British wine writer and critic, Jancis Robinson, once noted that throughout the 80’s and 90’s in the United States, C...
Seyval Blanc

Well suited to cool climates, this popular French-American hybrid is the second most planted vine in England, behind ...

Subregions of United Kingdom

Scotland

The word whisky (here always spelled without the “e”), is a derivation of “usky,” shortened fro...
Armagh
Down

Popular Wineries in United Kingdom View all

Rosemary's Vineyard & Winery

We believe in minimal handling of the grapes so they are hand picked and hand processed by our fa...
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A private estate winery with 450 acres in the Robertson region of South Africa
Bookers Vineyard

In the heart of rural Sussex, one of Britain’s most beautiful southern counties, lies Bolney Wine...
Champion Wine, Binfield Vineyard

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Lindisfarne Fruit Wines

Lindisfarne Mead is produced exclusively on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, situated off the Nort...
Bruichladdich Distillery Company

Bruichladdich (try ‘Brook-Laddie’) is a Gaelic reference to the ‘raised beach’ upon which the dis...

People getting updates on British Wines

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United Kingdom on Snooth

May 2013

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Awful. After our local wine shop hyped this wine up we were expecting something great. Just wrong, unstructured, bitter. Down the drain. Read More

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Dalwhinnie Scotch 15 Year

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Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch 15 Years Old Solera Reserve NV

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Bulldog London Dry Gin NV

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What an incredible gin. It has a floral fragance combined with some lemon and spices. When you drink is very unctuos kind of sweet and very balanced, alcohol is not feeled until you sense the spicy finish. A well-balanced gin. Yesterday I had the oportunity to meet its creator Anshuman Vohra and what he said was "I just want to have a good cockt... Read More

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J & B Scotch Ultima 1980

Snoothrank:

Acceptable scotch for on the rocks, sweet and light peat Read More

Wine review by joebernardinoATyahoo
May 11, 2010

looking for a good selections of scottish wines

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