History - English Wine Producers

Whether or not vines were grown and wine made in Britain before the arrival of the Romans is open to debate as there are no reliable records pointing one way or the other. Wine amphorae, dating from before the Roman conquest, have been discovered on sites in southern England, which could indicate that wine drinking was prevalent. This was probably adopted by the Belgae, who had established themselves in the east and south of Britain prior to the Roman invasion, and who had a liking for wine. The native Celts seem to have preferred beer and mead, which used local indigenous ingredients. Archaeological discoveries from that time include a 4' high Roman amphora and a silver wine cup, both recovered from the British tombs of Belgic Chieftains of the 1st Century BC. Strong trading links with France and Italy allowed wine to be imported relatively easily and it would therefore seem unlikely that there was any need to establish vineyards in this country.

Roman Britain

It is generally agreed that the Romans introduced the vine to Britain. It has also been inferred that the climate in Britain at that time was warmer. At the end of the first century AD, however, the writer Tacitus declared that our climate was “objectionable”, and not at all suitable for growing vines, which could suggest that someone had at least tried to establish vines, even if they had been unsuccessful.

The Romans liked their wine - whether home grown or imported. After invading Britain in AD 43, wine drinking became more commonplace and whenever Roman villas, houses and garrisons have been excavated, there is nearly always archaeological evidence of wine amphorae and drinking cups, and occasionally grape pips and stems of bunches of grapes.

Recent archaeological investigations in Northamptonshire have uncovered evidence to suggest that vineyards were established on a commercial scale during the Roman occupation. Initial surveys at a 35-hectare Romano-British site at Wollaston in the Nene Valley (near Wellingborough), has revealed deposits of grape vine pollen dating from this time

By the time the Romans began to leave at the end of the fourth century, Christianity became more widespread and wine drinking, playing as it did an important part in Christian ceremonies, was more accepted. Whether this was of local or imported wine, it is hard to say. If there were vineyards, then they were undoubtedly attached to religious institutions such as monasteries.

The Dark Ages followed the Romans. Invasions by the Jutes, the Angles and the Saxons destroyed much of the limited civilisation that the Romans had established during their 300 years of occupation. These warring tribes neither had the time nor the inclination to settle down and set up vineyards, and whatever vineyards there had been undoubtedly became neglected. The early Christians, fleeing from these tribal disturbances, retreated to the corners of these islands, in many cases settling in areas that were unsuitable for vineyards.

With the spread of Christianity in the sixth century to the south and east of the county, old skills were revived and there is some evidence that vineyards were established. However, trade with mainland Europe also increased, including that in wine, which is well documented, and vinegrowing in this country would therefore have been limited.

The Viking invasion in the late eighth century destroyed many monasteries and with that once again vinegrowing and winemaking skills were lost.

King Alfred, who defeated the Danes in the late ninth century, helped re-establish the Christian religion, and in doing so, undoubtedly encouraged the revival of viticulture. By the 10th century, vineyards did exist and wine was made. Documentary evidence from that time indicates that there were vineyards attached to monasteries, particularly in the West country and Central south regions.

The Normans

1066 marked the start of an era of viticultural activity that would not be matched until the current revival which began some 900 years later. With William the Conqueror came French Abbots and their monks who were experienced in winegrowing, along with soldiers and courtiers for whom wine was a daily requirement.

Interestingly enough only twelve of the Domesday vineyards were attached to monasteries. Most belonged to nobles and were undoubtedly cultivated to provide them with wine for their dining tables and altars.

There were two main areas of monastic viticulture: the coastal areas of the South East, and the area covering Somerset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Many sources point out that the climate improved for a period of 300 years starting from about the time of the Norman invasion and citing this as a reason why so many vineyards were planted.

The wines made at this time were probably all consumed during the cooler weather of the winter and spring following the harvest and in any event, well before the weather warmed up which would have caused the wine to oxidize, spoil and turn to vinegar. Imported wines, of which there appeared to be no shortage, also suffered from the same problems - at least home produced wine did not have to travel far and probably suffered less than imported wines from oxidation, thus partially explaining its apparent popularity.

The Middle Ages to 20th Century

This long 600 year period marks change and gradual decline in English viticulture. Why it did not really become a viable alternative to other crops, as it did in other countries where monastic viticulture was common, is open to debate, but commercial and practical considerations have to be important.

Before the Black Death arrived, the religious orders had prospered, reliant upon a pliable and available workforce. However, finding their manpower depleted by the plague, they took to leasing their land, rather than working it themselves and their new tenants, dependent upon short-term cash crops to pay the rent, did not want to grow vines, which then, as now, can only be grown on a long-term basis. The Black Death itself, which lasted from 1348 until the 1370s, not only cut the population dramatically, but forced changes in agriculture which had far-reaching social and demographic effects.

Although the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536 is often cited as being the single event that destroyed winegrowing and winemaking in England, it would appear that by this time, many monasteries had given up. The new landowners who had been handed these religious assets, proved reluctant to indulge in viticulture.

It is also said that the British climate underwent some change at this time, becoming generally wetter, with cooler summers and milder winters, leading to less ripe grapes and more fungal diseases, both of which would have been disincentives to profitable winemaking.

Wine had been coming into the country from Bordeaux since Henry II (1154–89) became King of England. Transport conditions and speeds improved and the importation of wine (and other goods) became cheaper. Also, as techniques of preserving wine for long journeys improved, imported wines arrived in better condition. Home produced wines faced, as they do today, considerable competition from imported wines.

From the mid-1300s, Great Britain became renowned for its expertise in selecting, importing, bottling and cellaring wine and much of the finest wine came into ports like London, Bristol and Leith. Wines such as Claret, Port, Madeira, Sherry, Hock and Mosel were, if not invented, then refined, nurtured and made more famous by their association with Britain.

With these disadvantages, it is perhaps not surprising that commercial viticulture suffered and vineyard owners, unless they were prepared to support their efforts out of funds from other sources, found more profitable uses for their land. However, despite these problems, vineyards were planted and wines were made.

There are records of some vineyards in the 17th century. The great botanist John Tradescant planted 20,000 vines on his employer Lord Salisbury’s estate in Hertfordshire and the vineyards became well-renowned. In 1666, John Rose, Gardener to Charles II at His Royal Garden in St. James’s, wrote a treatise on the cultivation of vines in this country called “The English Vineyard Vindicated”, in which he discussed the question of site selection, vine varieties, pruning and training and care of the vines up to the harvest.

One of the most famous vineyards of this era was that at Painshill Place, Cobham, Surrey, which was planted by the Hon Charles Hamilton in 1740, who was clearly ahead of his time. The property still has a producing vineyard to this day. Painshill’s vineyard however died out at the end of the 1800s and although there were others, the story was much the same. After the initial enthusiasm of the owners (mainly gentlemen of property and considerable income), the uncertainty of the climate and the variability of the crops in terms of both quality and quantity took their toll and the vineyards were abandoned. Tastes and fashions in wines also changed. Sweet, heavy, fortified wines from Australia and South Africa were popular at that time and home-grown wines could never match these.

The last great experiment into commercial viticulture - that is before the start of the modern revival - was that of Lord Bute at Castel Coch (which is its Welsh name - it is more usually called Castle Coch). The third Marquess of Bute was a wealthy landowner and industrialist, who had the wherewithal to indulge his visions and fantasies. In 1873 he sent his head gardener, Mr. Andrew Pettigrew, to France to see how vines should be grown. Following his visit, vines were ordered and in 1875 three acres were planted at the castle. Over the next 35 years, the original site was expanded and a further two sites were planted and in the end totalled over 11 acres.

The Marquess died in 1900 and was succeeded by his 19 year old son, who was equally as enthusiastic. Pettigrew was himself succeeded by his own son (also called Andrew) who continued his father's work.

1911 appears to have been the last successful vintage and the vineyard was grubbed up, just after the First World War, in 1920. It was not until the 1950’s when new vineyards were planted and the modern commercial wine industry was born.

The Revival

The revival had to wait for the arrival of pioneers who wanted to disprove the theory that wine could not be made from grapes grown outside in our climate. A combination of new varieties, more suitable growing techniques, better disease control and an acceptance by the public of the style of wines that those varieties produced, were the key elements in that revival.

There are 3 individuals who, in their own ways, brought about the start of the revival which lead to the planting, in 1951, of the first commercial vineyard of modern times at Hambledon in Hampshire. They were Ray Barrington Brock, Edward Hyams and George Ordish.

Ray Barrington Brock must be considered as one of the founding fathers - if not the founding father - of the revival in wine production in the British Isles. Brock established a research station at Oxted in Surrey, where he trialled some 600 different table and wine grape varieties over the 25 years of the station’s life. Through obtaining grapevines and vine cuttings from universities and viticultural research stations in the major winegrowing countries of Europe (including Hungary) as well as Russia and various parts of the United States, he built up a collection of grape varieties that were to become the backbone of the early English and Welsh wine industry: He introduced both Müller-Thurgau (then called Riesling Sylvaner) and Seyve Villard 5/276 (Seyval blanc) to the UK.

Brock also built a winery in which he experimented with methods of winemaking to suit those grape varieties that were growing well. To improve his winemaking skills, Brock made contact with various institutions and organizations. This included sourcing the right yeast cultures to suit the winemaking practices being employed. There was no doubt that his enterprise created a lot of good will and people were intrigued to see how English and Welsh viticulture would develop.

Brock also published books on the subject and sold vines from the nursery bed he created at Oxted. Many of the earliest vineyards to be planted (Beaulieu, Horam Manor, Elmham Park, Felsted and Yearlstone) obtained vines from him.

Ray Brock’s work on vines must be seen as really quite remarkable. That he should decide to establish a private research station to study a crop that did not have a natural home in our climate is quite a feat in itself; that he should do so with such effort, energy and diligence for little or no personal gain, apart from the satisfaction of seeing it done properly, is another matter. In retrospect the site he chose could have been better - nearer to sea level and less exposed - and undoubtedly this would have resulted in riper grapes and better wine. He always countered this by saying that he felt comfortable in recommending a variety that had performed well at Oxted, knowing that it would therefore ripen in almost any site in the south of the country. The legacy of the Oxted Viticultural Research Station is to be seen in today’s English and Welsh wine industry. He lived to see an industry that was slowly gaining recognition. He died in February 1999, aged 91.

Edward Hyams, who first appears in the Oxted story at the harvest in 1949, shares with Brock the honour of being one of the fathers of the viticultural revival. Through his extensive writing and speaking he did much to publicise the subject and make the public aware that the revival was under way.

In 1946, Hyams was de-mobbed from the Royal Navy and he and his wife returned to Kent. They planted some vines for table and wine, and contacted likely sources for suitable varieties, including some of the same institutions and nurseries that Brock was in touch with, and ended up with some of the same varieties, which were planted in 1947 and 1948.

Hyams collaborated with Brock, and also went searching for old varieties already growing in Britain and through an appeal in one of his many articles, discovered a vine growing on a cottage wall at Wrotham in Kent. In appearance it resembled Pinot Meunier and was therefore named Wrotham Pinot. Cuttings were taken and propagated at Oxted. When compared to supplies of Pinot Meunier from France, Brock recorded that Wrotham Pinot had a higher natural sugar content and ripened two weeks earlier.

Hyams greatest contribution to the advancement of viticulture was undoubtedly the massive amount of publicity he created through his writing and broadcasting. His first book was published in 1949, called ‘The Grape Vine in England’, with a forward by Vita Sackville-West. This book marked a milestone in the early years of the revival. It was, and remains to this day, a scholarly work on the subject and contains chapters on the history of the grapevine in England, the work of Brock at Oxted and the cultivation of the vine and winemaking.

In 1953 Hyams edited ‘Vineyards in England’ - a masterly work of 20 chapters, many written by different specialists, covering every conceivable aspect of grape production in the British Isles. The book stands today as one of the most important for anyone contemplating growing vines in England or Wales and despite being over 45 years old, much of it, apart from the choice of varieties, remains relevant.

One of his last articles before his death in 1977 cited that “there is no doubt that English vineyards in the right places can produce fine white wines, and that such wine should be the object of English viticulture”. By then of course the revival - for which he was in no small part responsible for instigating - was well under way.

George Ordish was by training an entomologist and economist, working on horticultural problems in Europe, Latin America and Africa and took a keen interest in the pests and diseases - those that caused the greatest damage both environmentally and economically and about which he also wrote in detail.

One of his first jobs was as an entomologist working in the Champagne region. On returning to his native Kent he was struck by the similarity in the climates and by the differences in the landscape. After local research revealed that England had a history of viticulture, he resolved to see whether he could get grapes to flourish and ripen and, in 1938, planted a few suitable vines in his garden near Maidstone.

Ordish proved to be an accomplished winemaker and he soon saw that good wines could be made from English grown, outdoor fruit. His trial vineyard had proved that grapes would ripen in our climate and these trials prompted his first book on the subject, ‘Wine Growing in England’ which appeared in 1953. This book, which came out in the same year as Hyams’s second book on the subject, drew on many of the same sources. Ordish had also been in contact with Ray Brock and had visited Oxted on more than one occasion.

One notable inclusion in Ordish’s book is the chapter where he sets out the costs and returns from an acre of grapes. The book was yet another medium of publicity for the revival of winegrowing in Great Britain and helped spread the word. It certainly helped add to the number of people in the country who looked on outdoor grapegrowing as a possibility. Ordish went on to write two further books concerning viticulture. He died in 1990.

Between them, Ray Brock, Edward Hyams and George Ordish had questioned why it was that outdoor viticulture in the British Isles had all but died out and had, to acertain extent, shown how it might be revived. Although they had not discovered all the answers, they had, through a combination of practical demonstration, scientific research and publicity, generated sufficient enthusiasm for those with the inclination to, to start planting vineyards. The first modern vineyard, Hambledon in Hampshire, planted in 1951, was the tangible evidence that the revival was underway.

The Modern Industry 1951 onwards

The planting of the vineyard in 1951 at Hambledon in Hampshire by Major-General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones GCVO, CMG, CBE, MC DL marked a turning point in the history of winegrowing in Great Britain. This was the first vineyard to be planted specifically to produce wine for sale since Castle Coch in 1875. Seyval Blanc was planted on a one acre site, following a visit by Salisbury-Jones to Oxted, which grew well and produced their first crop in 1954. The wine caused much publicity and Salisbury-Jones was besieged by the press and media interest. The name ‘Hambledon’ soon became synonymous with English Wine. The vineyard has just been revived and replanted (this time with the three traditional Champagne varieties), so in time the name will soon be recognised again.

The expansion of vineyards after the planting of Hambledon was painfully slow. The Merrydown Wine Company at Horam in East Sussex, owned by Jack Ward, planted 2 acres in 1955, and became the second commercial vineyard of the revival. Müller-Thurgau was planted, amongst other varieties. In later years, Ward became instrumental in introducing varieties such as Reichensteiner, Huxelrebe and Schönburger to the UK. He was very much a driving force in the industry and was the English Vineyards Association’s (now UK Vineyards Association) first Chairman.

The third vineyard to be planted was in 1957 by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert and Mrs. Margaret Gore-Browne at Beaulieu, in Hampshire, which by 1960 expanded to almost 5 acres. The highest accolade to be awarded in the UK’s annual national competition is named ’The Gore-Browne Trophy and awarded for ‘Wine of the Year’.

Winemaking in those early days was, from all accounts, a fairly hit and miss affair. Both Salisbury-Jones and Gore-Browne built their own wineries and enlisted the help from Anton Massel, a young German who had come across to work for the Seitz Filter company and eventually opened his own laboratory. Massel introduced a number of modern winemaking practices, and better equipment.

The real expansion of vineyards in England and Wales started in the early to mid-1960s. Vineyards spread across the country, with new sites, training and pruning systems and above all, grape varieties introduced. The development of the industry had begun.

The real expansion of the vineyard area and the establishment of both sizeable vineyards and wineries started in earnest in the late 1960s and early 1970s. One of the features of English and Welsh viticulture is the diversity of backgrounds of those who plant vineyards. In other countries where new vineyards are being planted, one would expect to see existing landowners - most usually those with land in the vicinity of established vineyards - planting up, together with a smaller number of entrants with no experience of growing at all, but with serious funds, usually made in a completely unrelated industry. In the UK, those planting vineyards come from a much wide cross-section of the community.

Vineyards Established After 1976

The years between 1976 and 1995 saw a large number of vineyards planted, including some very sizeable ones.

Plantings in recent years have not been quite so frenzied and the rate of new plantings has certainly declined. Several factors are responsible. A rumoured vine planting ban in 1990/91 persuaded many growers that if they were going to plant it had better be soon and between 1992 and 1994 an abnormally large number of vines were planted. This sudden surge of planting resulted in larger national yields, with the 1996 being the largest on record.

Of course, not all vineyards planted since 1951 in England and Wales have survived. Some vineyards have disappeared through natural causes such as retirement, divorce and death. Vineyards which for whatever reason could not produce sufficient quality and/or quantity of wine to make the enterprise viable have been grubbed out, leaving those capable of producing commercially acceptable wines.

In the last couple of years more hectares have been planted – some 150 - which will be reflected in future statistics, and which shows a new growth in the modern industry, and, importantly, some serious, professional investment.

The nature of the wine business in the UK varies. Some vineyards have bypassed the challenge to produce their own wines and concentrate on growing grapes to sell on to other, mainly larger concerns. Some owners have leased their vineyards to other wine producers, thus reducing the overall number of players in the market

The UK wine industry is now modernizing and producing wines that are competitive in both style and price. One growth area is tourism: vineyards are opening their doors to visitors, introducing appropriate facilities, allowing visitors to see how wine is grown and made, and buy direct. This year VisitBritain has introduced a ‘Taste England’ campaign, encouraging the tourist trade and visitors to explore England’s regional food and drink. There has also been increasing collaboration with regional food, which has been experiencing a resurgence of interest and promotion, largely due to the work undertaken by Food from Britain and the regional food groups.

Official figures on vineyard planting and volumes produced have only been in existence since 1989, prior to which submission of data to then The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) was entirely voluntary. Since 1989, however the information is collected annually Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and reflects the trends in the industry. The full data is available – press here.

The high point of planting was reached in 1993 when 1,065 ha (2,631 acres) was reached. Since then, the total area has declined with the latest (2003) figures showing 773 ha (1932.5 acres). In all cases, these figures refer to planted, not productive areas. The decline in non-productive hectares and the overall number of individual vineyards since 1989 is a sign of the growing maturity of the UK winegrowing industry.

The last 20 years has seen a marked change in wine styles and types sold in the UK. In the late 1960s and 1970s, when English wines started to appear on the market, the biggest selling wines in the UK were Liebfraumilches and other German and Germanic styles. Whilst there is no doubt that price played a great part, their popularity was also down to their easy, unpretentious style. In many respects the better English wines at the time were similar - light and fruity, with a little residual sugar and not too heavy in alcohol - and they met with the approval of many consumers. In the 1980s, the tastes of UK wine drinkers started to change to a preference in drier styles. Wines from Australia started making a big impact on consumers and gradually the liking for German style wines reduced. English and Welsh wines have reflected these changes in the market, and today very few growers bottle in tall German-style Hock and Mosel bottles, preferring to use the Burgundy and Bordeaux (in green or clear) bottles. Many growers also refrain from using the Germanic sounding varietal names such as Müller-Thurgau, Reichensteiner, Huxelrebe etc. and will now give their wines more descriptive names (Surrey Gold, Stanlake Park). Those using varieties such as Bacchus, Ortega and Pinot noir, which appear to be more acceptable to consumers, continue to do so.

The production of bottle-fermented sparkling wines is one of the major growth areas in UK wineries. In the mid-80s vineyards such as Carr Taylor and Lamberhurst proved that our native grape varieties could be used for producing good examples of this type of wine. More recently, vineyards such as Nyetimber and RidgeView Wine Estate, both in West Sussex, have been planted solely with Champagne varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) for the production of classic bottle-fermented sparkling wines. The quality of the wines and their success in recent years in both national and international competitions and tastings has proven that a world-class product can be produced in the UK, and sell at a premium price. Other styles of sparkling wines, produced either from a blend of traditional and non-traditional varieties, are achieving a sound success – Camel Valley Cornwall Brut and Chapel Down Brut are good examples of these styles.

Some 15% of all wine produced is sparkling, with this figure expecting to rise over the next years, as the popularity of this style continues to increase.

Winemakers in the UK have been making oak aged wines since the mid 1980s, using not only oak barrels, the traditional, but costly method of imparting oak flavour to wine, but also by using oak staves and oak chips in the fermentation and storage tanks. An increasingly popular style nowadays is rosé, which the UK produces well, from the red grape varieties grown in the UK. In the 2004 English & Welsh Wine of the Year Competition the rosé category proved to be the most popular of all the classes. The amount of red wine produced in the UK is small (an average 10% of total production), and there is a demand for them. There is a much greater understanding of which varieties perform well in the UK (Rondo, Dornfelder and Pinot Noir are the current favourites) and how to extract colour. Oak is also used quite widely in the maturation of red wines. Many English red wines accompany light meats and game extremely well. The production of late harvest/dessert wines - of which again there are an increasing number - is another remarkable aspect of the UK wine industry. Varieties such as Huxelrebe, Ortega and Optima are susceptible to the classic pourriture noble (as found in Sauternes or in German vineyards), given the right weather conditions. The relatively high levels of natural acidity balance superbly with the intense sweetness, and provide an ideal accompaniment to cheese.

Attributed to Stephen Skelton MW, author of ‘The Vines and Wines of Great Britain and Ireland’, the most recently published and comprehensive book on UK vineyards, published in 2001 ISBN 0-571-20045-1.

Another comprehensive and useful guide is “A Tradition of English Wine” by Hugh Barty King, published in 1977 ISBN 0 902280 47 3

All these vineyards were planted in excess of 20 acres. In addition, existing vineyards such as those at Adgestone, Carr Taylor, Chilford Hall, Lamberhurst, New Hall and Three Choirs all increased in size as the market for their wines expanded.

The Marketing Association of the English Wine Industry

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Pre Roman Britain

Roman Britain

The Normans

The Middle Ages to 20th Century

The Revival

The Modern Industry 1951 onwards

Vineyards Established After 1976