French wine house Taittinger recently launched its new vineyard in south-east England, taking advantage of the increasingly grape-friendly climate due to climate change. The 60-hectare Domaine Evremond vineyard in Kent was unveiled with the attendance of the Duchess of Edinburgh Sophie.Â
Vitalie Taittinger, the president of the wine house, described the event as a decade-long collaboration between two families and companies. The partnership between Taittinger and Patrick McGrath, the head of its UK importer Hatch Mansfield, led to the purchase of the land in Kent in 2015.Â
The vineyard, situated near the village of Chilham, will produce the first 100,000 bottles of “Domaine Evremond” English sparkling wine to be sold in the UK in March 2025. Priced at around £50 ($67), the wine is expected to be elegant, but distinct from champagne due to EU regulations.Â
While Taittinger claims to be the first champagne brand to initiate such a project in the UK, other French houses like Vranken-Pommery have also ventured into the British terroir. The rise in temperatures and chalky soil in Kent provide an ideal environment for vine cultivation, with the region becoming popular for English sparkling wine production.
With a rise in vineyards and a doubling of wine-growing areas in southern England and Wales, the popularity of English sparkling wines has surged in recent years. Sales have skyrocketed by 187 percent since 2018, fueling the excitement among winemakers looking to blend traditional champagne methods with the newer English sparkling wine trend.Â
