WITH over 5 million bottles of English wine being produced each year, spread over 5,000 acres of English country side, the future of English wine looks sparkling.

Last year Sussex wine producers Ridgeview had their biggest sales year ever with exports up 100 per cent.

Sussex is certainly enjoying its Champagne moment. The county's sparkling wine moved a step closer to gaining protected status in November when approval was given from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The EU could complete the process this year so that our wine is given protected designated origin (PDO) status.

Last year Ridgeview added Canada and the Caribbean to their portfolio and are now shipping to 13 countries around the globe.

As a testament to the desirability of our region, Champagne houses such as Tattinger and Pommery have invested in production of English sparkling wine.

Alex Preston, restaurant Manager and Sommelier at Brighton Restaurant Isaac At, in Gloucester Street, said: “Being based in Brighton, we’re lucky enough to have the two of the most well know producers in England, Ridgeview and Nyetimber vineyards on our doorstep.

"More and more of our customers are showing an interest in and love for local sparkling wines, which is great to see. I wouldn’t be surprised if we start to hear people asking for a glass of ‘Sussex’ instead of ‘champagne’ in a few years’ time.”

Matt Ainscough, manager of Brighton independent wine and beer shop, Seven Cellars, in Dyke Road, said: “English Sparkling wine spearheads our sales, but all English wines sales are consistently brilliant. We’ve been open just over a year and it’s definitely been a growth area for us. We sell a wide range of local wines that often surprises people, including Ditchling’s Court Garden, Wiston Estate near Findon, Nutbourne near Pulborough and Albourne Estate. We’re all Plumpton graduates so we also have the full range of Plumpton Estate wines too. There’s still an element of eager curiosity about local wines and a genuine interest for local produce as they want to support local businesses. It’s great to be able to showcase such a strong range of local wines. We have customers that regularly buy a bottle of local sparkling and many buy a bottle as a gift for friends that aren’t from the area to showcase what we’re lucky enough to have on our doorstep.”

Alex at Isaac At said consumers have become more interested in learning about wines, especially when it comes to local produce.

He said: “The barrier between sommelier and the consumer is dropping, as people are learning more about wines and they are more interested in exploring and educating themselves about what they’re drinking and what else is on offer. We’ve seen a lot more customers dine with us that have been studying wines, even since our re-launch in September last year.”

Isaac At even offers a Sussex Wine Flight menu that pairs five English wines with their tasting menu, giving customers the opportunity to explore local wines and get to know more about the history and quality of wine they have in their region.

Alex added: “It’s great to be able to introduce people to English wines, particularly when they are so local. "Customers have come in and had the pairing, then come back and chosen a bottle of their favourite, introducing their friends to some of the best English wines. It’s all about showing them another side to Sussex, along with the locally sourced ingredients in each of the dishes on our tasting menu. It’s almost the secret world of Sussex.”

There’s a genuine interest in the history of each wine

Forbes reported that 51 per cent of millennial women - defined as born between 1982 and 1994 - said that they would prefer sustainably bottled, or organic wines, showing the increasing importance of being able to offer English wines that are thoughtfully produced too. Couple that with being local to the area of production and there isn’t more they could know about the wine they are drinking.

The changing British climate is expected to make Britain a bigger wine producer and exporter.

Ridgeview, near Ditchling, reported that their 2016 vintage will be one to watch out for on its release, with the quality of grapes coming in to the winery from early October being extremely high.

A spokesman said: “Yield is relatively low this vintage due to a cold, frosty April and May (shared with our neighbours in Champagne and the Loire) followed by a wet and windy June and July. A slightly smaller than average berry size has intensified the flavours. The ripening period from August through to harvest was warm and dry, leading to exceptionally high quality grapes. So, it’s a story of great quality but relatively low quantity in 2016. We’re excited about it.”

The only restaurant to offer an all English wine list in Brighton, Isaac At can clearly see this is the future. To help educate their customers further, next year the restaurant will be introducing new wine menus that will share a map of where each English wine is from.

Alex Preston adds: “Not only will we have the map showing where the wine was produced, but we’re also going into detail about each of the wine makings. We’ll be sharing more on the history of each vineyard, even down to the type of soil. We really want to be able to help customers discover English wines, so where better to start than when they are sat comfortably in the restaurant.”

With fans of Ridgeview including the Queen, Sussex sparkling wine has been served at many Royal Banquets. Being served to President Obama and the Chinese State President, English wines are building a reputation internationally.

A Ridgeview spokesman added: “In 2017 we will expect a growth in sales of English sparkling wine across all areas including restaurants, independent resellers, supermarket, export, direct from the winery’s and most importantly tourism. At Ridgeview we are now welcoming tourists from around the world and our proximity to Brighton, London and Gatwick positions us in an ideal location. In restaurants across the UK consumers will now expect to see an English sparkling wine on any credible wine list and Isaac At are way ahead of the game with an exclusive English wine list.”