The vineyard area in East Anglia has increased by just over 400% in four years- triggered by the scientific paper ‘A Suitability Model for Viticulture in England and Wales’.

This scientific paper, published in the Journal of Land Use Science, was the most downloaded paper in 2021 – showing the increasing interest in viticulture in the UK. Researchers, led by Dr Alistair Nesbitt, Viticulture Climatologist and CEO of Vinescapes, identified 35,000 ha of prime viticulture land for new and expanding vineyards in the UK – the size of the Champagne region of France.

The paper also revealed, amongst other details, that East Anglia has some of the warmest growing season average temperatures in the UK and would likely be the next major area to be planted – and the latest data shows this estimation is spot-on. Since the paper’s publication in 2018, the East Anglia region has seen just over 400% growth, from just under 100ha to over 400ha, according to figures from the Food Standards Agency Wine Inspection Team.

Vinescapes is a vineyard and winery consultancy in the UK, providing world class research, strategic and operational expertise to grape growers and wine producers. Vinescapes offers a comprehensive ‘Ground to Grape to Glass’ services including bespoke vineyard creation, vineyard management, consultancy, mentoring and training.

The full paper is: ‘A suitability model for viticulture in England and Wales: Opportunities for investment, sector growth and increased climate resilience’ is published in the Journal of Land Use Science.