English

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• All vineyards sit above 49.9°N — at the climatic limit for viticulture — delivering long daylight hours across the growing season.
• The temperate climate rarely exceeds 30°C in summer, while a high diurnal temperature range is a defining feature.
• Moderate growing temperatures allow classic sparkling varieties to reach full phenolic ripeness at low sugar levels and high natural acidity.
• The extreme northerly latitude and long growing season drive the development of pronounced aromatic flavours across a broad range of varieties.
• English wine production is concentrated in the drier, warmer southern counties — Essex, Sussex and Kent — where maximum altitude is capped at 220 m. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• All English vineyards sit above 49.9 °N, creating long growing-season daylight hours key to aromatic development.
• English sparkling wines undergo secondary fermentation in bottle, adding autolytic flavours to the grape-driven aromatics.

• Still wines: 'clean, with enhanced aromatics and refreshing acidity'; sparkling: 'autolytic flavours that come from the secondary fermentation in the bottle'
• Sparkling grapes reach 'full phenolic ripeness at moderate sugar levels and with high acid levels', giving stronger varietal aromatics than warmer-latitude equivalents

• Above 49.9°N, long cool growing seasons drive high natural acidity and strong grape aromatics in both still and sparkling styles.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Sources

• Official trade body site — WineGB