UK Wine Introduction

United Kingdom This is not a good place to grape varieties, because there is too cold and too humid. About two thousand years ago, the United Kingdom during the Roman occupation has opened up a vineyard. It is said, is the grape of the Romans by the introduction of alcohol the UK. Subsequently, the invasion of Britain's Anglo-Saxon • (Anglo-saxons) inherited this tradition, in the relatively warm weather in the southern region is widely planted grapes.

According to 11th century England Norman (Norman) monarch ordered the compilation of the population census record industry, "Domesday Book" (Domesday Book) records, Bush's office in central London building (Bush House) near Holborn (Holborn) District on There are some vineyards. At this time the vineyards are mostly seminary industry, produced mostly used for religious rituals of wine, wine quality generally not very good.

In the past few centuries, due to suitable climate in continental Europe, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain and other places have been mass produced colored wine into the UK market, the UK wine industry gradually disappeared.

Britain has always been a relatively mild climate, there is no European summer and winter, for lack of Britain's vineyard grapes to mature to the sun, not enough sugar brewed wine. For decades, grape cultivation is pasture with little more than the typical wealthy retirement career.

However, with recent climate warming, the British growth in southern sunshine, rain reduced gradually become suitable for grape growing, wineries can have the British wine grapes, grape cultivation has become increasingly growing scale and expertise of the.

In the UK Food Standards Agency (Food Standards Agency) standards at the wine (Wine Standards Branch) the number of officially registered UK vineyards in 2006 reached 365. The total area planted grapes from 793 hectares to 923 hectares (2280 acres). Over the past three years, wine grape acreage increased by nearly one-third. In 2007 the UK produced about 340 million bottles of wine. Most grapes grown in the UK is cold resistant ability of the German hybrid grape varieties such as Muller-Thurgau, Kerner, Scheurebe, Pinot Blanc, Huxelrebe, Dornfelder, Regent, Dunkelfelder and so on.

Britain grape growing areas are mainly concentrated in the southern highlands, particularly in England, Wales, good on chalk soil more suitable for brewing a good sparkling wine. UK growers timely introduction of the French champagne brewing techniques to the production of sparkling wine's prestige, more British and French wines can be comparable to wine. And even these wines a few years ago the British are reluctant to buy them.

In 2006 the "International Wine Competition-cum-spirits" (International Wine and Spirit Competition) get the best champagne in the south of England is the reputation of West Sussex (West Sussex) of Nyetimber winery produced 1998 Classic Cuvee. The result, the monopoly of French champagne production greatly embarrassed the British and therefore do not produce out of the traditional grape wines.

Currently the vast majority of UK focus on high-quality sparkling wine on the wine, in fact, if a single micro-climatic and geographical conditions on (microclimate), the United Kingdom in many places related to the production of French Champagne region is almost, but only every two fundamental England across the Straits, the local province of Champagne chalk downland with similar, which is a sparkling wine business in terms of favorable conditions for growing grapes. Therefore, the British can produce award-winning champagne, not surprising. As for their other wines still have a long way to go.

Britain also produces some of the world famous wine varieties such as: Red wine Carmenere, Merlot, Shiraz; white wine: Riesling, Muscat, Gewurztraminer.

Although the British wine industry is small but the wine trade power consumption and wine, French wine is then dependent on the British businessman known for selling to the world. In 2007 the UK wine market sales of 872 million liters of wine, equivalent to 1.16 billion bottles of 750ml wine, in addition to their wine, the British import large quantities of France, Germany, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Italy, the United States, Chile and South Africa's wines.