there ’ s Biddenden , still a thriving family concern , which first planted vines in 1969 . Their varietal , Ortega , has since become an English classic .
Even ‘ foreign ’ producers have a strong Kentish link . Nyetimber ’ s first wines were made at the High Weald winery near Ashford under the supervision of Kit Lindlar . Most of the big sparkling wine producers from Sussex and Hampshire either have their own vineyards in Kent or source some of their fruit from here .
So , what makes Kent so special ? Well , it certainly has the terroir ; from the clay soils near Appledore , home of Gusbourne , to the rich seam of chalk at Blue Bell Hill , near Maidstone , where Chapel Down planted its Kit ’ s Coty vineyard , Kent has long been famous for its apples , and grapes often thrive in similar situations . But the climate has to be right , and that ’ s where Kent really excels . Summers are not only some of the hottest but the county is also drier than other parts of England so the grapes don ’ t have the disease pressure of vineyards further west and growers can leave the fruit out longer to ripen .
No wonder Kent has had so many firsts . England ’ s first world-class sparkling rosé was produced in 2004 by Balfour at the Hush Heath estate ; the first great
English still Chardonnay came from the Kit ’ s Coty vineyard ( the 2011 is still tasting great to this day ); and the first great English red I tasted ? That would be Gusbourne Pinot Noir .
If I was going to give an English wine sceptic just two wines that show what we are capable of they would be Chapel Down Kit ’ s Coty Chardonnay and Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs sparkling . But I could equally put in Simpsons Q Class Chardonnay or Squerryes ( rhymes with cherries ) Brut Reserve , especially with a bit of age on it . For those looking for something a bit more offbeat , I ’ d send sceptical visitors to Westwell to try some of the wonderful wines made by Adrian Pike like his Flor Ortega or the insanely delicious Summer Red - England ’ s answer to Beaujolais . And talking of summer wines , you really must try the sensational Best Turned Out Pinot Meunier rosé from newcomer Yotes Court .
These are just the major producers ; the county is also full of small growers turning out excellent wines . It seems like not a week goes by without me discovering a new one . If you ’ re a wine lover , there ’ s really no need to leave The Garden of England .
Vines in a Cold Climate : The People Behind the English Wine Revolution by Henry Jeffreys is published by Allen & Unwin .
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