French bubble with enthusiasm for South Downs' champagne

THERE is an old saying in the villages of Champagne that it isn’t the way the wine is made that matters, it’s where you grow the grapes.

Less than ten years ago, any suggestion of growing champagne grapes on the South Downs of England would have reduced the average Champagnois to tears of laughter as les vignobles Anglais was regarded as ridiculous as Jacques Tati.

Now in an admission that Britain is producing world-class sparkling wine, the Gallic doubters have swallowed their pride and are planning to team up with their fellow vignerons on the wrong side of the channel.

Frazer Thompson, of English Wines, which makes Chapel Down wine, says he is in active negotiations with three champagne houses that want to invest in English vineyards, especially those which make sparkling wine.

Mr Thompson said that although nothing has been signed yet he is discussing investment options with vineyards in Kent either to buy vineland or to invest in the production side.

"We are talking to them and there is real interest. The chalk subsoil that we have on the South Downs is perfect for growing the three classic grape varieties that makes champagne and sparkling wine. A deal could be a long way off but it could also go through within the next six months."

Champagne houses have suffered in recent vintages with an above average rise in temperature, an inability to expand as the appellation is nearing capacity and a colossal increase in the value of land. It is these factors, as well as a string of outstanding English vintages, that Mr Thompson believes has forced the larger champagne houses to look to England as a potential area for expansion.

Mr Thompson said: "Within the last ten years temperatures in France and the south-east have increased by about a degree. This suits English sparkling wine but it does not do a huge favour for the champagne houses.

"Last year for the first time in many years champagne producers had to add acid into the grapes to get the acid base wine to make champagne."

With its two towns of Rheims and Epernay, Champagne was the first region to make sparkling wine and historically the name of the region became synonymous with the finest sparkling wine in the world. Last year it exported 119 million bottles, nearly 6 per cent up on the previous year as well as consuming 174 million bottles within the domestic market.

But due to the strict appellation boundaries laid down in 1927 it is nearing capacity. Last month Cheval-Gatinois, the chairman of Champagne’s growers committee said he did not believe that the appellation’s surface area should be expanded beyond its current boundaries in the interests of champagne’s exclusivity, quality and respectability. As a consequence land in Champagne costs up to 250,000 per acre.

Mr Thompson added: "In Britain, which one may argue is better suited to growing champagne grapes, we have tens of thousands of acres that could be sold for vineland at a cost of between 200 and 500 per acre."

"Smaller champagne producers are sitting on an enormous amount of capital. They look at the factors with a rise in temperature global it is becoming more difficult to make good champagne in France, whereas in Britain, there is cheap land, perfect soil and with the Eurostar it is only twenty minutes away."

It has not been possible to label any sparkling wine produced in England as champagne since 1927 but major champagne houses could circumnavigate the problem by using only their name on the label. They would expect to sell the product on the strength of their brand name.

Charles Metcalfe, co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge, the world’s biggest wine competition, said champagne houses had a proven track record of producing sparkling wine overseas.

"Traditionally the large champagne houses, while always promoting the superiority of French wine, were in fact the first producers to invest in vineyards overseas. This dates back to the 1950s when Mot and Chandon invested heavily in Argentina and California."

But Mr Thompson argues that, in the long term, the champagne appellation could be expanded into the UK or the big houses could break away from the appellation.

"If one follows the brewers model, they do not own any of the land where their hops are grown. Heineken does not exclusively brew in Holland, they brew all over the world. Brand is definitely bigger than the product. At some stage at least one or two champagne houses might break out."