English Sparkling Wine PDO: Cool-Climate Renaissance

The English sparkling wine story begins in earnest in 1988, when Stuart and Sandy Moss, a Chicago-born couple, planted Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier at Nyetimber in West Sussex. They were the first in England to plant exclusively the three classic Champagne varieties, ignoring official advice to plant apples instead. Their first wine, the Blanc de Blancs 1992, was eventually released in 1996 and won the English Sparkling Wine Trophy at the 1997 IWSC. In 1995, Mike and Chris Roberts founded Ridgeview in East Sussex, building what became one of England's first underground wine cellars and cementing the model of traditional-method production from classic varieties. English and Welsh wines gained PDO and PGI status in 2007, and in July 2022 Sussex became the UK's first sub-regional PDO. In September 2025, Nyetimber's Blanc de Blancs Magnum 2016 won the IWC Daniel Thibault Trophy for Champion Sparkling Wine, making history as the first non-Champagne ever to receive the award, while Head Winemaker Cherie Spriggs was named Sparkling Winemaker of the Year for the second time, having first won in 2018.

• Nyetimber (1988): Stuart and Sandy Moss planted the first Champagne varieties in England; Blanc de Blancs 1992 released 1996 and won English Sparkling Wine Trophy at 1997 IWSC
• Ridgeview (1995): founded by Mike and Chris Roberts in East Sussex; built England's first underground cellars and pioneered all-sparkling, traditional-method production
• PDO/PGI status: English and Welsh wines recognised since 2007; Sussex became first UK sub-regional PDO in July 2022
• IWC 2025: Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs Magnum 2016 won the Daniel Thibault Trophy for Champion Sparkling Wine, the first non-Champagne to do so

The vast majority of English sparkling wine is produced in the South East, with Kent, West Sussex, Hampshire, East Sussex and Surrey the top five counties by area under vine. All PDO vineyards sit above 49.9 degrees north latitude, delivering long daylight hours during the growing season and a temperate climate with few summer days above 30 degrees Celsius. Chalk and greensand soils, shared geologically with the Champagne region, provide excellent drainage and low natural vigour. In England these varieties reach full phenolic ripeness at moderate sugar levels and with high natural acid levels; wines from this PDO are made entirely from must containing only natural acid, exhibiting stronger aromatic flavours than wines from the same varieties grown at warmer latitudes. By 2024, the total UK area under vine had expanded from 4,209 hectares to 4,841 hectares, with Kent the most planted county, accounting for almost double the area of the next most vine-dense county, West Sussex.

• Top five counties by area under vine: Kent, West Sussex, Hampshire, East Sussex and Surrey, all within the South East
• All PDO vineyards above 49.9 degrees north, maximum 220 metres elevation; temperate climate with few days above 30 degrees Celsius
• Chalk and greensand soils: free-draining, low vigour, shared geological heritage with Champagne region
• By 2024, total UK area under vine reached 4,841 hectares, a 510% growth rate since 2005

The English Sparkling Wine PDO permits exactly six grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir Précoce, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. The three classic Champagne varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) accounted for 68% of all plantings in England in 2023, with Chardonnay alone making up 32% of total vineyard area. Traditional method (secondary fermentation in bottle) is mandatory, with a minimum 9 months on lees before disgorgement, though many serious producers extend this to 30, 48 or even 60 months. English sparklings are characterised by high natural acidity, crisp citrus and green apple from Chardonnay, and an earthy mix of red berry and baked apple from the Pinots, with extended lees contact adding autolytic notes of brioche, fresh toast and honey. In 2023, 91% of all English sparkling wine was produced using the traditional method.

• Six permitted PDO varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir Précoce, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris; traditional method mandatory
• Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier = 68% of all plantings in 2023; Chardonnay alone = 32% of vineyard area
• Minimum 9 months on lees required; many producers extend to 30-60 months for autolytic complexity
• 91% of 2023 English sparkling wine produced using traditional method; 7% Charmat; 1.8% carbonation

Nyetimber, established in 1988 in West Sussex by Stuart and Sandy Moss and owned since 2006 by Dutch entrepreneur Eric Heerema, is widely regarded as the pioneer of English sparkling wine using exclusively Champagne varieties. Today it spans 425 hectares across 11 sites in Sussex, Hampshire and Kent. Head Winemaker Cherie Spriggs and winemaker Brad Greatrix oversee a portfolio including Classic Cuvée (a multi-vintage blend aged over three years on lees), Blanc de Blancs, Rosé, Tillington Single Vineyard and the prestige cuvée 1086. Ridgeview, founded in 1995 by Mike and Chris Roberts in East Sussex and now led by the second generation, has won the Decanter Best Sparkling Wine in the World trophy and the IWSC International Winemaker of the Year. Champagne Taittinger's Domaine Evremond, a partnership with UK wine agency Hatch Mansfield at Stone Stile Farm in Chilham, Kent, purchased land in 2015 and officially opened its largely underground, gravity-fed winery with chalk cellars capable of holding 1.5 million bottles on 26 September 2024, marking the first time a major Champagne house had invested in UK land to produce English sparkling wine.

• Nyetimber: founded 1988, owned by Eric Heerema since 2006; 425 hectares across 11 sites; Cherie Spriggs and Brad Greatrix winemaking team; 2025 IWC Champion Sparkling Wine
• Ridgeview: founded 1995 by Roberts family in East Sussex; second-generation led; Decanter Best Sparkling Wine in the World winner; B Corp certified
• Gusbourne: vineyards in Kent and West Sussex, traditional method from chalk and clay soils; multi-award-winning Blanc de Blancs
• Domaine Evremond: Taittinger and Hatch Mansfield partnership; land purchased 2015; opened September 2024; 1.5 million bottle capacity chalk cellar in Chilham, Kent

English and Welsh wines have held both PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status since 2007. The PDO represents the top quality tier, requiring 100% of grapes to be grown in England or Wales, no hybrid varieties for sparkling, traditional method production, and a minimum of 9 months lees aging before disgorgement. PDO sparkling is restricted to six varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir Précoce, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. PGI (Regional Wine) allows hybrid varieties, 85% minimum from the stated demarcation, and a broader range of grape varieties. In July 2022, Sussex became the UK's first post-Brexit sub-regional PDO, covering East and West Sussex, with stricter requirements including mandatory hand-harvesting, a yield cap of 12 tonnes per hectare under normal conditions, and a minimum of 15 months on lees for sparkling wines. The Sussex PDO also permits Arbanne, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Petit Meslier and Pinot Noir Précoce alongside the core three varieties.

• PDO and PGI status: recognised since 2007 for English and Welsh wines; PDO = top quality tier, 100% domestic grapes, no hybrids for sparkling
• PDO sparkling: six permitted varieties; traditional method mandatory; minimum 9 months on lees; vineyards max 220 metres elevation
• Sussex PDO (July 2022): first UK sub-regional PDO; mandates hand-harvesting, 12 t/ha yield cap, minimum 15 months on lees for sparkling
• Sussex PDO additional varieties: Arbanne, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Petit Meslier and Pinot Noir Précoce permitted alongside Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier

Wine tourism is a significant and growing part of the English sparkling wine industry. WineGB data shows that tourism income now averages 24% of total producer revenue. Many vineyards have invested in restaurants, tasting rooms, accommodation and event spaces. Ridgeview, in the South Downs National Park near Brighton, offers vineyard tours, tastings and dining at its restaurant, The Rows and Vine. Nyetimber hosts Open Day estate tours followed by tastings and three-course paired dinners in its restored medieval 1450 barn. Domaine Evremond in Chilham, Kent, opened its cellar door in spring 2025, offering guided tastings in a striking underground chalk cellar. English sparkling wine is increasingly featured on the lists of the UK's finest restaurants, bars and hotels, bolstered by critical recognition such as the 2025 IWC Champion Sparkling Wine award for Nyetimber.

• Wine tourism income: averages 24% of total producer revenue according to WineGB data
• Ridgeview: estate tours, tastings and restaurant dining at The Rows and Vine within the South Downs National Park
• Nyetimber: Open Day estate tours with tutored tastings and three-course paired dinners in a restored 1450 medieval barn
• Domaine Evremond: cellar door opened spring 2025 at Chilham, Kent, offering guided tastings in an underground chalk cellar