History of Grape-wine in East Anglia Courtesy Adriana Sascombe-Welles, Sascombe Vineyards
Grape-wine has been produced in East Anglia ever since the Romans planted vines on various sites around Great Britain. The combination of low rainfall and limestone and chalk soils made them particularly successful in this region.
We know that by 1086 more than 40% of Britain's recorded vineyards were East in Anglia. (For details, see p. 4 of Hugh Barty-King's A Tradition of English Wine, Oxford 1977)
In what has been called " the great English wine revival" of the past 30 years, many vineyards have been planted in East Anglia where vignerons strive to uphold the traditions of the past by ensuring that we remain the premier wine-producing region of the country. They vary from small back garden undertakings by amateurs to commercial concerns varying from one to 100 acres.
The Vines
A variety of vines are cultivated; most are tried and proven to produce quality wines in England, but growers also experiment with new ones. The most widely grown vine is Müller Thurgau, which produces a fragrant fruity wine. Madeleine Angevine, Huxelrebe and Seyval Blanc also produce good wines in this dry and sunny region. Of the new varieties, Bacchus, Reichensteiner, Dornfelder and Rondo are proving successful. While the oldest vine of all, Pinot Noir, continues to thrive in East Anglia.
As in France, vines behave differently in different vineyards, according to soil, cultivation techniques and local climate, so no two wines are exactly alike. Several vineyards produce "varietal" wines made from single grapes. Spotting the differences is one of the pleasures of visiting a vineyard.
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