England: The World’s Most Important Wine Nation?

You might say to yourself how can England possibly be even an important wine nation? It’s not for the quantity or relative quality of the wine it producers. Although thanks to global warming Southern England is now beginning to earn a reputation amongst wine aficionados for its sparkling and still wine industry. Perhaps, in a few decades we will even speak in reverence about English Pinot Noir.

Despite England’s minimal wine production; England has been one of the dominant forces in the wine business for close to a thousand years. Like the rest of the former Roman Empire, England has been planted with vineyards for close to two millennia but over time England’s taste for wine became distinctly French in persuasion.

By the 15th century, England had become the major customer of France’s Bordeaux region; a relationship spurned on not only by the ever improving quality of the wines of Bordeaux but also by the marriage of King Herny II to Eleanor of Aquitaine. The love affair continues and the laurels lauded the wines of Bordeaux to this day are in large part thanks to the English taste for the Bordeaux wine style. Would Cabernet and Merlot (the grapes used to make Bordeaux reds) be so popular around the world if not for the interest England has bestowed on them for centuries?

Of course; as we all know from our history classes that England and France periodically went to war against each other. During these times of extreme unrest, when drinking French was unpatriotic albeit secretly desired, England’s attention veered to new lands to satisfy their thirst for great wine. Both Portugal and later South Africa are nations that can both credit their success, of their wine industries to England’s insatiable taste for great wine. Some might even say, that Port is more a English wine than Portuguese.

But, can a country be a powerful wine nation without creating a wine style? In addition to being responsible for Port, some might even argue that Champagne – the world’s most famous celebratory drink – is actually an English invention. Dom Perignon may have seen the stars when he tasted Champagne but it was the English that made it the luminary of celebratory occasions around the world. In early 17th century, the still white wine of France’s northern Champagne region was of mild interest in England until British bar owners discovered that when placed in a bottle and allowed to warm, a magical secondary fermentation was created in the bottle. The sparkling wine style was created. Let the celebration begin!

You see, England may not be a large wine producer but its importance as wine nation is undeniable.