Dessert Wines

Britain’s climate lends itself naturally to dessert wine, producing delicately fruity wines with high sugar but sublimely balanced with fresh acidity.

The grapes are either harvested late when the sugars are much higher, or in some years, conditions allow for Noble Rot to affect the grapes, producing smaller volumes of deliciously concentrated sweet juice. Grape varieties such as Bacchus, Ortega, Schönburger and Siegerrebe are ideal for this – producing complex wines exuding aromatic, Muscat-like flavours.

Food & Wine Matching

As with great dessert wine-producing regions – blue cheese (what is more British than Stilton) and pâtés provide a delicious pairing.

Fortified Wine

Currently only one winemaker has produced a red fortified wine, using grape spirit to halt fermentation and retain the natural sugars in the grape juice.

Orange Wines

Popular wine style where the fermentation relies on the grapes’ natural yeasts. They are made by leaving the grape skins in contact with the juice, resulting in an tangerine-hued wine. Some orange wines are produced in England and Wales from varieties such as Bacchus.

Qvevri

Using the ancient art of fermenting and ageing wines in amphorae, creating a richer, robust and earthy style of wine. Varieties used include Ortega.

Canned

Still and sparkling wines are now available in cans, which are ideal picnic partners.