British wine?

I stayed at a caravan site a week ago and found that there was a Wine Yard there and looking in at the site shop I noted that their wine was £12.00 a bottle. Bearing in mind one can get a bottle of wine for around the £6.00 is British wine really worth double that?

It is a long time since I drank a bottle of English wine but some, especially sparkling, enjoys a very high reputation. The best bubblies are made in the south of England on calcareous slopes similar to those in Champagne from a cocktail of Champagne grape varieties. With global warming the climate in these areas is probably similar to Champagne's 100 years ago. Some critics, mainly English, claim that they are at least equal in quality to similarly priced Champagnes. The best known are perhaps Nyetimber and Chapel Down. But don't expect low prices; the former's Classic Cuvée retails at c.£26 and the latter's Coeur de Cuvée at c.£100 .

I am not aware of wine grown in Wales, Scotland or N.Ireland but no doubt there is some.

Wines are certainly grown in Wales, but not commercially in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Yes, English sparkling wines can be of good quality. Arguably as good a Champagne but, as Tim points out, they are also a similar price. It is certainly true that places in the South of England share the same seam of rock as Champagne, but I was once told by an English producer that the best vineyards in England are south-facing ones that get the sun well, and that the geology is of relatively minor importance. I find that easy to believe, but have not actually seen any sort of serious analysis of the facts, and mention it mainly to suggest that despite marketing messages we should not jump to conclusions.

As to whether they are worth the money... I think that is for individual buyers to decide. I do occasionally buy English wines because I think they offer an interesting alternative and distinctive style. But for most of my consumption I would certainly go elsewhere.

BTW, you have to be a bit careful with the term "British" wine. It is used for wines made in Britain from imported grape must, and as such is cheap and low quality. I think it is mainly used for fortified wines. We used to have "British Sherry" for example - now "British Fortified Wine".

Quality wines are labelled as English or Welsh - they are in EU terms DOPs, like Chianti or Bordeaux for example. Other wines grown and made in the UK were labelled UK Table Wine - presumably now just UK Wine or Wine from the UK.

Avoid British Wine!

Confusing, but as previously stated its a legal definition.

English (and Welsh) wines are grown and made here.

Yes, English wines are more expensive than many imported wines, but one would be comparing mass production wine with small estate and often single vineyard wine from a named vineyard.

Such small limited production wines will never compete on cost grounds with the like of Gallo, Accolade & etc, and also the growing conditions in England - at the northern limits of wine growing - can't produce quantity as the lush sun lands of California's central valley, Italy, Southern France or many of the southern hemisphere wines. & English wines do not have the government tax breaks that many of the imports enjoy.

Compare price of English and Welsh wines with - for example, wines of Canada and Finger Lakes.

You ask the interesting question whether its worth paying £12 for an English wine when you can buy an imported wine for £6.

Only the buyer can decide. Some people are contented with a inexpensive wine from the supermarket, while others prefer to pay £20, £50, £100 and more for a bottle of wine.

One can buy a T-shirt from Matalan for £4, but some pay £30 or £50 for a T-shirt with a logo on it. They are both T-shirts and both do the same job, so what value is that perceived by the purchaser.

Seems that at the caravan park you could visit the vineyard which grew the grapes that were in that English wine, and perhaps talk with the owner or winemaker who could tell you all about that wine and its specific place of origin. But is that worth paying twice the amount you could get a perfectly acceptable import from a supermarket?

It's a value judgement...

By the way, I forgot to say 'welcome' to the forum, glad to have you with us, Brian.

You ask the interesting question whether its worth paying £12 for an English wine when you can buy an imported wine for £6.

Only the buyer can decide. Some people are contented with a inexpensive wine from the supermarket, while others prefer to pay £20, £50, £100 and more for a bottle of wine.

One can buy a T-shirt from Matalan for £4, but some pay £30 or £50 for a T-shirt with a logo on it. They are both T-shirts and both do the same job, so what value is that perceived by the purchaser.

Seems that at the caravan park you could visit the vineyard which grew the grapes that were in that English wine, and perhaps talk with the owner or winemaker who could tell you all about that wine and its specific place of origin. But is that worth paying twice the amount you could get a perfectly acceptable import from a supermarket?

It's a value judgement...

By the way, I forgot to say 'welcome' to the forum, glad to have you with us, Brian.

Yup, Peter...totally agree on that point. I'm often ridiculed for spending $36 on an
Idlewild Cortese when you can get a perfectly good Italian Cortese, from it's homeland, for $13.
Sometimes you have to spend more $ to get something unique. And sometimes it's even
better than that one from its homeland.
Gotta go out and get me one of those $500 Gucci T-Shirts. I'm fortunate that my sone works
for Gucci and his employee discount gets it for me for $450!!
Tom