The thing I hear most often when talking about English wine with the English wine drinking public is that“… even the French are planting vineyards in England”. Or planted, in Taittinger’ s case, at Domaine Evremond in partnership with their UK agent, Hatch Mansfield. My favourite of the grande marque Champagne houses, from a region with 300 years of unrivalled sparkling wine greatness. Worthy of note is the gravitas that comes with Taittinger planting in Chilham, but other than their presence perhaps convincing a few doubters, the value is not least in the column inches, but mainly the experience and expertise they bring.
In 2021, I stood in the rain and mud at Domaine Evremond. Three years later, I was in that very same spot, in the same rain, but now also an ultra-modern winery and visitor centre built into the earth with an 11-metre deep cellar capable of holding upwards of one million bottles. Champagne houses have planted in other counties and immediately bought fruit to launch a brand as soon as possible. Fair enough. Testament to the approach in Chilham is that having been planted in 2015, Evremond’ s first wine will be released in 2025 and made exclusively with grapes from their own vines.
There is something about the garden that is forever
England; luscious and green, this pleasant land … Ever more pleasant with a fine wine in hand, but equally importantly of course, full of great people and on occasion, even some sun. Cheers.
The Vineyards of Britain: Cellar Door Adventures With the Best of Britain’ s Wines is available online at wineclubdelivers. co. uk and direct via 59Vines. com or Waterstones, Blackwells and Amazon( RRP £ 19.99).
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