Small wine scene grows in quality and size

BY DEBORAH WALTON AND PETER MORICE

Now for something completely different – we bring you news from the English and Welsh Wine of the Year Competition. The winners were announced in June and led us to wonder what's happening on the British winemaking scene.

We'll start with this year's competition which saw more medals awarded than any previous year, pointing to the quality of wines now being produced in Britain. There were a record number of entries from England and Wales as a result of a larger harvest that incorporated new wines and participation by new vineyards.

The wine of the year was the Grosvenor Blanc de Blancs 2001 from Ridgeview Wine Estate; this wine also scooped the trophy for best sparkling wine. Sparkling is the great success story in Britain thanks to soils similar to those of the Champagne region.

The official awards ceremony for the competition takes place this month in the House of Lords and will be hosted by the president of the United Kingdom Vineyards Association, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. How English is that?

The British wine industry is growing in size and there is some speculation that climate change will broaden the industry base to include varieties that would not otherwise have flourished there a few decades back.

Take chardonnay as an example – primarily grown in Britain to make sparkling wine, it is harvested at a lower brix (sugar level) than that required for still wine. This could change if the climate warms up in the coming years.

England and Wales are part of the EU and the wine industry is overseen, controlled and regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food but also, and more significantly, by the European Commission. One of the EU's strictures has been to specify what varieties should, can or cannot be grown commercially in Britain.

As white varieties are the most planted in Britain we'll look at the official EU recommendations: huxelrebe, madeleine angevine, muller thurgau (Rivaner), reichensteiner, schonberger and seyval blanc.

There are a further 12 authorised and 18 provisionally authorised varieties. The six recommended varieties and Bacchus account for over 70 per cent of UK vineyard plantings.

Currently there are 381 vineyards in Britain but at present they are boutique producers – the average size is 3.19 hectares and the fruit is processed by 109 wineries which would also be of small capacity. Nevertheless, the wine industry has a foothold in what may be seen an unlikely part of the world.

Cape Campbell Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 09

Aroma: Very soft, some light citrus, floral and sweet currant notes.

Taste: An approachable, easy-drinking sauvignon; fat and moreish with a generous lick of sweetness to make you ask for more. Citrusy and crisp with some lovely blackcurrant and herbal/grassy flavours that are persistent through the finish and aftertaste. A delightful wine perfect with Bluff oysters or grilled fish and salad

Price: $18.95 – good buying.

Halo Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 08

Aroma: Light peaches and cream, a tight aroma that's slightly dusty and not giving a great deal away.

Taste: Soft, fruity – some melon, creaming soda and ginger; the subtle oak is complementary and there are some fresh herbal notes back of palate. The finish is refreshing drying with some lingering peachiness. A light chardonnay suited to lunches and pre-dinner drinks.

Price: $25.90.

Lobster Reef Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 09

Aroma: Very grassy and fresh with lime, some sweat and sweet tropical notes and just a dash of dustiness.

Taste: Tingly acids and some grassy, citrusy flavours make for a refreshing wine that's easy to drink. Medium-bodied and displaying a pleasant lick of sweet pineapple, it wraps up with a light lime finish.

Price: Well priced at around $16.

Mount Dottrel Central Otago Saignee Rose 09

This rose is made from pinot noir. The saignee process involves some of the red wine being bled off after a short period of contact with the grape skins. Because the colour of red wine is derived from the pigment in the skins the colour of the juice will be pink.

Aroma: Summer berryfruit – raspberries and strawberries, some vanilla creaminess, floral and quite perfumed.

Taste: Tingly acids and ripe berry fruit combine with some creaminess and a hint of spicy warmth. Some crispness lingers on the dry finish. A lovely wine that is surprisingly flexible – we matched it with a range of foods and found it to be a great dinner partner.

Price: Good buying at $23.

Riverby Estate Single Vineyard Dry Riesling 08

Aroma: Lime and mineral aromas are enriched by some ripe tropical notes.

Taste: Brisk acidity combines with lemon and mineral flavours; there's some gentle sweetness mid-palate while gentle stone fruit and kero flavours flesh things out. Quite a generous wine in varietal terms and the finish is as dry as a bone.

Price: $20 and highly recommended.

- The Marlborough Express