If you're not sure where to start, we've rounded up tips from the wine experts on finding the best English wines, including which types to try and why you need to check the label carefully when choosing your next bottle.
You can also see which wines came out top in our independent taste test, in which we put supermarket bottles to the test and uncovered the standout choices worth trying.
In January 2023, we asked a panel of four wine experts to blind-taste 27 English wines, including own-label offerings and branded options from the likes of Chapel Down, Harvey Nichols and Nyetimber.
Tips for living wellWhat to know about English wine
From whether regions and vintages matter, to why it costs more (and what to avoid), we've got the lowdown on navigating the world of English wine.
1. Start with sparkling
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If you’re trying English wine for the first time, fizz is a great starting point.
The UK has similar chalky soils to those found in the Champagne region and the cooler climate helps the grapes keep their zingy acidity, which makes it well suited to quality fizz production.
While there are also some good English non-sparkling wines available, it tends to be trickier to produce well than sparkling and therefore more expensive than you might be used to.
Find out whether cheaper supermarket champagnes are any match for luxury brands, including Lanson and Moët & Chandon2. Check the vintage
The vintage, which is the year the grapes were harvested, can make a big difference when it comes to English wine.
Our experts suggest checking what the weather was like during the year you're looking at. If you can, it's best to choose wines from particularly warm years, so keep an eye out for those 2022 bottles.
The vintage is particularly important if you're buying a non-sparkling wine, but has less of an impact on sparkling wine as the grapes don’t need to be as ripe.
3. Get on board with bacchus
As well as the vintage, it's also worth paying attention to grape variety when you're choosing an English wine.
Our experts recommend trying wines made with bacchus grapes, which are particularly well suited to the UK's cooler climate.
Bacchus is especially good if you enjoy sauvignon blanc. It's sometimes referred to as 'English sauvignon' as it has a similar flavour profile, with notes of grass, nettles, elderflower and gooseberries.
4. Don't be duped by 'British wine'
If you see a bottle labelled 'British wine', you might assume it's the same as English wine, but opting for British wine could land you with a product that wasn't actually grown in England.
English wine is made from grapes grown in English vineyards. British wine, on the other hand, is produced using imported grape concentrate that’s been fermented and bottled in the UK.
Check the label carefully to make sure you know what you're getting and look for terms such as Wine of England, English Quality Wine or English Regional Wine on the bottle.
5.Try before you buy
English wines can be expensive, so taking time to do a tasting and discover the varieties that you enjoy can save a pricey gamble on a bottle that disappoints.
Our experts suggest exploring English vineyard tours and tastings, which give you the opportunity to explore different wines and find your favourites.
Once you've narrowed down your preferences, you'll know what to look out for in the supermarket.
Tips on choosing the best bottles6. Get to grips with label lingo
Most English fizz is labelled as English Quality Sparkling Wine. This type of wine is made using the traditional method (like Champagne), which involves the wine being fermented inside the bottle for at least nine months to gather extra flavour from the yeasts.
However, some cheaper sparkling wines are produced in large pressurised tanks rather than in the bottle (similar to prosecco). Labelling regulations mean they can't be referred to as English Quality Sparkling Wine, so they're usually described as Sparkling wine from England.
Please dsource https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/english-wine-the-brilliant-supermarket-bottles-to-try-and-top-tips-for-choosing-ajqtU6z4LrHt