Guest Author - Karyn Johnson

England is famous for its wide varieties of beers and ales, but did you know that English wines are also very good? Yes, it's true. And believe it or not, in some places, English wine sales are surpassing French. There is an increasing demand for English wines, and the vineyards are expanding to meet this need.

But before you look for English wines, you need to be aware of label confusion. Wine labels must specifically say "English" on them. These are the wines in which the grapes have been grown, and the wine produced in England. But "British" wines can be made from imported grapes (arriving in juice form), and only fermented and bottled in Britain. They are generally very poor in quality.

Ninety percent of English wine production is white wines. Of these, six are EU (European Union) recommended varieties, twelve are authorized, and eighteen are provisionally authorized. The six that are EU authorized are: Muller-Thurgau (Rivaner), Reichensteiner, Huxelrebe, Sayval Blanc, Schonburger, and Madeline Angevine 7672. Red wines are not as common because the English climate is not well-suited to those types of grapes. What English vineyards are able to produce, however, is good quality. In recent years, sparkling wines have even been produced, some of which have surpassed French champagne in blind taste tests.

In England and Wales, there are approximately four hundred vineyards. Most of them are in the south, since that climate is better suited to grape growing. The majority of them are very small - five acres or less - but there are a few with twenty-five to fifty acres. Global warming is having a positive effect on the vineyards, allowing for a wider variety of grapes to be grown, and giving hope that vineyards can spread northward.

If you would like to sample some of England's great wines, you can go to the annual English Wine Festival. It's a good opportunity to check out what the participating vintners are doing, and there is good food and entertainment provided. This year, it will be located at the English Wine Centre, Alfriston, East Sussex on September 2 & 3. Barring that, many English grocery stores carry English wines, but mass-produced ones, while still good, may be lower quality. To ensure the best English wine experience, you should buy directly from the vintner.

For more information about English wines and where to find vineyards, visit The English Wine website. For more information about the English Wine Festival, visit the English Wine Centre's website.