Shropshire vineyards blossom as wine sales sparkle in the UK
Sales of English sparkling wines are bubbling across the country with Shropshire's vineyards also seeing a surge.
Britain's growing thirst for Prosecco and Cava has created an 80 per cent rise in sparkling wine sales in the last five years according to new figures released by HM Revenue and Customs.
It's a trend that the county's vineyards are seeing as well, with bosses saying production is increasing along with demand.
In Shropshire, Wroxeter Roman Vineyard, near Shrewsbury, produces a medium dry sparkling and Halfpenny Green Vineyard, near Bobbington, makes white and pink varieties.
A further vineyard is planned on the outskirts of Shrewsbury at Hencote Lane.
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Ben Hunt, winery manager at Halfpenny Green Vineyard said: "We currently produce approximately 15,000 bottles of our sparkling wine a year, in both white and rose varieties. We are increasing our production as demand grows.
"We are seeing a strong, sustained growth in demand – 15 per cent of our overall sales are from sparkling wines, which is up by five per cent on last year.
"We're a family run vineyard, with all the wine making processes taking place on site. From growing the grapes, to harvesting, to wine making, to the finished bottle. We really spend a long time and put a lot of care into each of our wines.
"We've just won a silver medal at the International Wine Challenge for our brand new Pinot Chardonnay Sparkling Wine, which is due for release nearer Christmas. This is a real testament to the increasing quality of our wines, and our ability to compete on the international scene."
"The rise we've seen in recent years shows that English wine is an incredibly strong, sought-after product, even internationally, so what ever happens with exiting the EU I believe we'll continue to see sustained growth and success."
Around 17.6 million gallons of the sparkling wines were sold in 2011/12, figures that shot to an estimated 31.6 million gallons in 2015/16, according to accountancy group UHY Hacker Young.
Sparkling Champagne-style wine now makes up 66 per cent of the UK's wine production and its is being exported to more than 13 countries.
The majority of sparkling wine is imported from established wine-producing nations such as France, Spain and Italy – but more is now being made at home. In 2015 there were 37 new wine producers and vineyards who opened in England, reflecting the growing recognition of home-grown produce.
James Simmonds, a partner at Hacker Young, said the new figures were a "great boost" for English producers who had shown their products to be a "viable alternative".
He said: "Not only is the growing success of English sparkling wine encouraging more to come to the market but more established names are now looking to expand into new stages of growth." Cava and Prosecco are two of the most popular types of affordable champagne alternatives, with many bottles sold for less than £10.
