The preference for buying local may have seen sales of English and Welsh wine soar, but with the most affordable bottles not far off double the £6.34 UK average, could it be cheaper? I asked Sam Linter, director of WineGB – the association of English and Welsh winemakers – and managing director of Bolney Wine Estate in Sussex.
I remember reading some disturbingly cheery articles about English wine over the summer and how the rising temperatures are going to be great on that score.
Obviously, it’s not great at all for the Earth’s climate to be like this – that is a huge worry.
It’s all very “last days of Rome”, isn’t it: sipping away as the world burns, thinking, “Well, at least the wine is good now … ”
Also it’s more complicated. For example, this year spring was early, as it often is now with the climate crisis. That could be good, as it means we have a longer growing season. Vines start budding in April or May and we harvest in October. But if they start budding in March, when there’s still a risk of frost, they may not survive. Yes, hotter weather might be great for grapes, but the climate crisis also brings freak weather occurrences. And in some countries it’s been too hot for viticulture.
Yes, scientists are saying that much of France and Italy could become unsuitable for grape production by 2050. Is it just the weather that has traditionally stopped us growing more grapes in the UK?
There are various reasons. When we all started planting in the 70s, we had to space the rows of vines farther apart than you’d see in other parts of Europe. That’s because we had a damper climate, so the vines needed more airflow. Now, with the changes to climate, we can plant closer together, so more vines per hectare, more yield.
More … cheap?
In theory, yes. The industry is maturing. We’ve learned the best varieties to grow and proved we can make really good wine, which has allowed investment to come in. So soon you’ll start to see the industry expand and lower price points being offered. Hopefully we’ll have English wine in every supermarket. But it’s never going to be as cheap as Spanish or Australian wines.
I did an English wine tour a little while ago and the guide made a joke: “How do you have a little bit of money in English wine? Start with loads of money.” I know making wine takes a while and that affects cost, but I still don’t understand why it’s so expensive here.
Well, in some places in the world you can get very cheap labour. Plus land is not cheap in the UK and it’s becoming more expensive.
The rising cost of land is making property more expensive, too. Housing, wine – what will the landowners take from the millennials next! So is British wine here to stay? You mentioned planting back in the 70s – how long can a vine live?
For most commercial vineyards, you’re looking at 25 to 40 years because the longer the vine lives, the lower it crops. There’s a point when you might think: “It’s not cropping enough for what it costs to look after it” and replace it with a younger vine. But they can live for hundreds of years. At Hampton Court there is a vine that is 250 years old.
Wow. I bet that vine has got some great stories.
I bet! It would be so good to have a conversation with it, wouldn’t it?
