Raising the Glass: English Wine - A Region of Innovation
English Wine Week runs from the 21st - 29th June. It’s a celebration of the innovation and excellency of English Wine. In this blog, we discuss the strides the region has taken, becoming a major player on the world wine stage.
The view from the top of Artelium’s East Sussex Vineyard, in Streat.
Over the past two decades, English wine has quietly transformed from a niche curiosity into one of the most exciting stories in the global wine industry. With a combination of climate shifts, technological advancements, and daring ambition, English winemakers are turning heads and winning awards—proving that innovation is not only alive and well in the UK but thriving in the vineyards.
English Wine Week is a celebration of this small but mighty region, its award-winning wines and beautiful, verdant English Vineyards.
A Break from Tradition
Unlike the entrenched traditions of old-world regions, such as France and Italy, England has a shorter wine-making history. Although the origins of traditional method sparkling wine have been linked to physician Christopher Merrit in 17th century London (you can read more about that on our page for our 1662 wine collaboration with Astrum), the weight of tradition is not as stern or entrenched as our old-world neighbours. This has encouraged playfulness and innovation in many English producers, without fear of ‘rocking the boat.’ Experimentation and pushing the boundaries has yielded creative wines such as wild ferments, orange wines and oaked rosés.
To explore our wide range of interesting and innovate English wines, visit our Sussex vineyard for complimentary wine tastings throughout English Wine Week.
Artefact #6 our barrel aged saignée rosé
The Sparkling Revolution
The sparkling wine scene is where English producers have made a bold mark. Thanks to the chalky soils of southern England—geologically similar to those in Champagne—along with a warming climate, English sparkling wines now rival some of the best from France. Our Blancs de Blancs 2018 and Curators Cuvee 2018 are two traditional method English wines which have garnered international acclaim, winning gold at the Decanter International Wine Awards in 2024.
Our award-winning Blanc de Blanc 2018 is included in our special English Wine Week sparkling case, available with complementary delivery for the whole of June.
Artefact #9 ‘Cabaret Noir’
Climate-Driven Creativity
As the climate warms, England's growing season has extended, making it possible to ripen a broader range of grape varieties. This shift is encouraging production of still wines—particularly Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier. Producers are fine-tuning styles and exploring new expressions of these grapes, pushing the boundaries of what English wine can be.
There’s also a growing emphasis on resilience. At Artelium, we have planted 17000 disease-resistant grape varieties, called PiWi’s (a German abbreviation for "Pilzwiderstandsfähig", which translates to "fungus resistant”). These include Divicot and the evocatively named Cabaret Noir, which produced our hugely successful Artefact #9 wine. Being disease resistant means a reduced use of pesticides, along with producing wines rich in colour and tannins, once unthought of in the colder and wetter English climate.
The Road Ahead
As English wine continues its ascent, innovation will remain its lifeblood. Whether through climate-conscious developments, bold new blends, and creative experiments the industry is embracing change with open arms. With every vintage, English wine proves it's not just catching up to the old world—it’s forging a bold new one.
So next time you pop open a bottle of English wine, know that you're not just tasting the fruits of a vineyard—you're sipping the spirit of innovation.
