Top stores stocking wine from Shropshire border vineyard

Bottles of wine from Halfpenny Green Vineyards, near the Shropshire border, are being stocked by high-end stores Marks & Spencer and Waitrose.

The news is being celebrated as part of a week-long toast to English wine at the centre at Bobbington, which ends on Sunday. The 30-acre vineyard and craft centre, founded in 1983, is celebrating English Wine Week for the first time.

On Saturday about 2,000 people converged at the venue for tastings of Halfpenny Green wine as well as food, such as cheese, olives and pâté, from 15 local producers.

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Figures reveal that sales of English wine have been rising rapidly for several years, and show no signs of slowing down.

Last year Marks & Spencer began stocking the vineyards' Long Acre 2014 white and have now put in an order for their Mercia 2014, another white, and the Halfpenny Green Sparkling Rose.

Waitrose has also started selling the vineyards' Tom Hill 2014 after announcing it was increasing its stock of English wine by 25 per cent.

Sales of English and British wine at Waitrose have increased by 80 per cent year-on-year, making it the retailer's fastest growing drinks range.

Ben Godbehere, Halfpenny Green's sales and marketing assistant, said: "We're elated. It's a huge compliment for our wines, especially from Marks & Spencer who already stocked one of our wines and came back for two more.

"English wine is predominantly produced in the south because of the slightly sunnier climate and its proximity to London, particularly for export purposes. So it's great for us as a Midlands producer to be making a name on the national scene."

Vineyards in the central and northern regions have been benefitting from higher temperatures and sunshine in recent years, which leads to high sugars and alcohol levels. Last year Halfpenny Green Vineyards released a full-bodied red wine, Rondo, which at 15 percent alcohol content is one of the highest ever produced in the UK.

The wine business was established by Martin Vickers, an arable farmer who had the insight to plant half an acre of his land with vines. Today it is owned by his grandson Clive Vickers and his wife Lisa, and includes a tea room, restaurant, farm shop, arts and crafts outlets and three fishing lakes.

In March, after a meeting between Defra officials and wine industry representatives, Environment Secretary Liz Truss announced plans to expand Britain's wine industry, with an agreement to double wine production in Britain by 2020.

For the rest of the week, Halfpenny Green is offering tours and wine tastings daily to promote its own and other English wine.