As the warmth of late spring transitions into the early days of summer, wine enthusiasts across the UK prepare to acknowledge English Wine Week. The annual event is a celebration of the English wine industry, highlighting the exceptional quality of wine that our country produces and offering encouragement to support your local vineyards, whether it be for the first time or already your favourite tipple.
Sussex and Hampshire, the home counties of Elite Hotels, boast numerous award-winning vineyards, placing England firmly on the winemaker’s map. Particularly notable in the sparkling sector of the industry with wineries like Nyetimber, Ridgeview, and Chapel Down, all three of which we are honoured to partner with and which have earned comparisons to Champagne. And it is not just our own residents who enjoy the English grape; more than 30 countries have English wine shipped to them, with 67% of overseas orders going to Scandinavia - clear fans!
Every wine-producing country has different challenges to face throughout its process. England’s being (you guessed it!) the weather. This is why vineyards are more prevalent in the south of England, where higher temperatures help to ripen the grapes. Rainfall and wind speeds both also impact grape growing conditions, influencing the quantities produced each season.
As the popularity of English wine grows, so does its presence on our wine list, with our cellar team always excited to discover something new to add. We are proud to offer a variety of white, red, rose, and sparkling English wines across both of our restaurants and in our cocktail bar, available by the glass or the bottle.
We recently welcomed the team from Bolney Estate to our ‘Best of Sussex’ Dinner, hosted in the Mirabelle restaurant, where they paired our food dishes to perfection with their wines. If you missed our event with Bolney, why not head to the Wine Estate for one of their own English Wine Week dining experiences. From Afternoon Tea to Dinner in their ‘Eighteen Acre Restaurant’ they’re celebrating in style during English Wine Week.