The Culture of Wine: The UK
The United Kingdom may not seem the obvious place to end this series on the culture of wine. But an understanding of wine drinking habits in the UK provides an insight and overview to wine trends across the world.
The UK has always seen itself as separate from the rest of Europe, hence Brexit. That’s led to wars with France and Spain, as well as the internecine World Wars with Germany. But the European connection has directed styles of wine from Champagne to Bordeaux to Port and Sherry: these wines would not taste like they do if it were not for the British. British tastes have also influenced trends in Germany, and even Bulgaria in the 1980s. British wine writers and merchants were the first to promote California, now the fourth biggest producer of wine in the world. Institutions which have influenced wine education globally include the WSET and the Masters of Wine; even the Court of Master Sommeliers, which is now more focused on the US, was created in the UK.
A visit to any wine shop in the UK, whether a supermarket or an independent merchant, is a trip through the world’s wine regions. All the major wine countries are easy to find, but it’s also not that hard to stumble across a bottle of Japanese wine. The Indian-influenced food culture means that Indian wines are available in many restaurants. The strong historical connection between the UK and South Africa makes it a significant market for South African wines.
The last French territory the English lost was Bordeaux in 1453. Bordeaux was England’s vineyard, and many of the main producers have English (or Scottish and Irish) names. “Claret” is an Anglicisation of the light-bodied, pale-coloured Bordeaux style of wine called “Clairet.” Samuel Pepys, the London diarist, mentions Haut-Brion in the 1660s.
In 1587, Francis Drake, an English pirate, raided the port of Cádiz in Andalucia and stole 2m litres of local wine: the history of modern sherry was born, as he made it the patriotic duty of every Englishman to drink the wines. Around the same time, the wines of Champagne became fizzy because the English had accidentally discovered how to make wine bottles from stronger glass: champagne would not be sparkling if it weren’t for the English. Port is a fortified wine because when William of Orange became King of England he issued a ban on all French products, including wine. The English had to turn to Portugal, with whom they were on friendly terms, for wine which had to be fortified with brandy for the long journey: that’s why we have port.
English wine itself is a new development. There was possibly wine made under the Romans, and vines were planted from 1000-1400AD when Europe was going through a warm period. But the modern development of English wine only started in the 1990s. Now, world-class sparkling wine is made, a trend no one predicted. It’s mainly found in south-east England, around London, in the counties of Kent, West and East Sussex, Hampshire, and Dorset, with Essex also exciting interest. There’s also wine made in Wales, and as far north as Aberdeen in Scotland.
A key element of consumer habits is that the British are very price-conscious. The average price for a bottle of wine has finally crept above 6 pounds, and consumers are still very reluctant to spend more than 1o. For this reason, Prosecco and Pinot Grigio are extremely popular, found in every bar and restaurant.
For centuries, the UK has acted a barometer for trends in the global wine industry. To understand the business of wine, a trip to a British supermarket or wine shop provides a fundamental insight that no other country provides.
