English Wine Guide

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WHY IS ENGLISH WINE SO EXPENSIVE AND WILL IT GET CHEAPER?

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In recent years, English wine has emerged as a rising star on the global wine stage, garnering acclaim for its quality, craftsmanship, and unique terroir expression. However, one aspect that often raises eyebrows among consumers is the price tag attached to English wines.

Why is English wine so expensive compared to its counterparts from more established wine regions? Let’s delve into the factors that contribute to the premium pricing of English wine.

Why is English wine so expensive?

Boutique production & Limited Availability

The English wine industry is relatively new and small-scale, with many boutique wineries producing limited volumes of handcrafted wines. This, combined with growing demand, can lead to higher prices, especially for premium and award-winning wines.

Land & Labour costs

The cost of land in England, particularly in desirable wine-growing regions such as Sussex, Kent, and Hampshire, can be prohibitively expensive. Much of the land that may be suitable for growing wine could be built on already. And, growing wine needs significant space!

Vineyard establishment and maintenance require significant investment in land acquisition, site preparation, vine planting, trellising, and ongoing vineyard management. Anyone who has ever visited a winery can see just how much equipment is involved.

Labour costs in England are relatively high compared to some other wine-producing regions, contributing to the overall production expenses.

Climate challenges & Vineyard Management

England’s cool and typically rainy climate offers exciting opportunities for grape growing, necessitating tailored vineyard management techniques and investments in frost protection, irrigation, and canopy management.

Even as advancements are made in grape cultivation and the emergence of grape varieties that can thrive in diverse weather conditions, the unpredictable climate presents an element of excitement, impacting the quantity and quality of grapes produced, and thereby influencing the costs of production.

English wine is good quality

Many English wineries prioritize quality over quantity, adopting modern winemaking techniques, state-of-the-art equipment, and sustainable practices to produce wines of exceptional caliber.

This commitment to quality entails investments in vineyard technology, winery infrastructure, skilled personnel, and ongoing research and development.

Put simply, English wine is expensive but as a consumer you get what the high quality that you pay for.

Prestige & Marketing

One factor that I have pondered, is that some brands may choose to keep prices high. A strategic choice to position their brands as premium. Whilst this may raise eyebrows, it is a normal commercial practice. Think of certain English wines as the designer pieces of the wine market.

Will English wine get cheaper?

I suspect that English wine will get cheaper in future. Here’s my thinking behind that claim.

There have been various news reports referencing the fact that the climate in Southern England is becoming more similar to the Champagne region. Whilst, from a climate perspective this is not good news, from a wine point of view – it is. The better weather, the more reliably growers can produce grapes. The more wine, the cheaper it should become.

Secondly, there is more competition than ever. With new vineyards popping up in England every year, and the big wine houses looking to expand. We all know that an increased supply is likely to lower prices and competition may exacerbate this.

Wine makers are becoming more experienced, learning what works and what doesn’t. The industry is evolving at pace. Remember when the first ever iPod was made – it was so expensive! As industry changes and learns, prices are likely to be driven down.

Supermarkets are getting in on the action. Tesco now produces a supermaket brand English Sparkling Wine. It’s made by Balfour winery in Kent, but retails at a cheaper price point to the Balfour sparkling. Aldi is also muscling in, with still English wine on sale for less the £10. History tells us that once the supermarkets are in on the action, this will drive prices down.

Well, I’m hopeful!

Five great reasonably priced English wine

Here are five reasonably priced English wines currently on the market.

Tesco English Sparkling Wine – £21

Tesco now offers a Tesco finest English Sparkling wine. Made by Balfour winery in Kent, this brut is on sale for around £21. A decent price point for English sparkling wine.

Chapel Down English Sparkling – £18

Chapel Down English Sparkling – possibly the most famous sparkling wine in England. The price point is very reasonable for this drop – only £18.

Aldi English Wine – £8.49

Aldi is setting, what I think may be, a record for the least expensive English wine on the market. At just £8.49, they an Aldi’s own white blend.

Three Choirs Stonebrook -£11.99 (when you buy six)

Majestic Wine stocks a good range of English wine. One such is the Three Choirs Stonebrook, from the Gloucestershire vineyard. A white with hints of Lychee. 93% of customers would buy this wine again – so I would go for a box of it (£11.99 when you buy mix six at Majestic.)

Chapel Down Rosé – £14.99

Chapel Down is most known for sparkling wine, but they also offer some delightful still wines. Not least, this drop of Rosé.

A perfect accompaniment to any barbecue. The price point is very reasonable at £14.99.

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