Origins of Wine in the United Kingdom

• Origins: In the United Kingdom, viticulture dates back to Roman times. Vines were planted particularly in the south of England, probably to supply local Roman settlements and garrisons with wine.
• Flourishing period: Following the Norman Conquest, viticulture regained importance. The Domesday Book of 1086 recorded dozens of vineyards, often associated with monasteries and ecclesiastical institutions. As elsewhere in Europe, the production of altar wine played an important role.
• Decline: From the late Middle Ages onwards, British viticulture declined sharply. Competition from French wines, particularly those from Bordeaux, grew steadily, while a cooler climate and, later, the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII weakened the sector further.
• Revival: After the Second World War, modern British viticulture began to take shape once again. An important starting point was the planting of vineyards at Hambledon in Hampshire during the 1950s. From the 1980s and 1990s onwards, the production of sparkling wine grew particularly strongly in southern England, helped by the chalk-rich soils and cool climate, which are well suited to grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.