在过去十年的时间里，英国的起泡酒产业经历了显著的增长，这主要是气候变化导致的气温上升所致。尽管英国不适合生产国际级别的白葡萄酒和红葡萄酒，但它却成为了制作优质起泡酒理想的地方。英国适合产出起泡酒的一个原因是其较为凉爽的气候，这对于制造起泡酒基底非常有利。此外，英国的地形与香槟地区相似，其中一些地方与香槟地带紧密相关——热情的营销已经证明，在英格兰南部发现的一些白垩土壤是世界知名香槟、夏布利和桑塞尔地区地质延续提供了许多最好的葡萄园土壤。实际上，只有少数英格兰葡萄园位于这些白垩土壤之中。
大多数优秀的英国起泡酒生产商将传统香槟品种——霞多丽、莫尼耶和黑比诺结合起来，并采用传统方法进行瓶内发酵并延长陈酿过程。而日耳曼品种如Bacchus、Reichensteiner和法国杂交品种Seyval Blanc被广泛种植，其中一些用于通过 Charmat 方法制作更果味、风格简单风格的起泡酒，在罐中进行第二次发酵。这类产品也用于静止葡萄酒生产。
随着英国葡萄业发展，一些区域已成为该国主要产区；其中包括东英吉利、萨里、肯特、大伦敦西北部以及汉普郡及东苏塞克斯。
肯特以其海洋性气候而闻名，同时比大部分其他区域略为温暖且干燥，因此得到了“英格兰花园”的称号。在这里，各种不同的土壤类型都可见，而那些与香槟地区相似的白垩石灰岩可能是最著名之一，它吸引了法国香槟公司泰廷格在此投资新型葡萄园。不过值得注意的是，尽管高调宣传显示出这一点，更多倾向于非白垩土壤而不是白垩土壤来种植葡萄。
由于肯特拥有30% 的英国所有露天栽培面积，是西苏塞克斯和东苏塞克斯两倍，所以在这里可以找到众多知名品牌，如Gusbourne Estate、Chapel Down、Biddenden Domaine Evremond Hush Heath 和Westwell ——Nyetimber 在肯特也有120 英亩土地用作栽培。
Ken t's major sparkling wine producers combine traditional methods with modern techniques to produce a range of complex and elegant wines. These include Gusbourne Estate Sparkling Blanc de Blancs, which has won numerous awards including the International Wine Challenge Gold Medal in 2014 and the Japan Wine Challenge Gold Medal in 2013.
Sussex is also known for its sunny climate but is also affected by some winds. As part of South Downs, the area boasts high-quality chalk and limestone soils ideal for producing sparkling wines. The region is home to over 140 different producers, many of whom have received accolades. The resulting wines often feature high acidity and aromas, with strong mineral characteristics. Fruit flavors tend to focus on rich apple and citrus notes, sometimes accompanied by buttery or toasted bread elements. Major producers include Nyetimber Tillington Single Vineyard Sparkling Sussex England., which has been rated as the second-highest-scoring British wine (according to critic scores) with a score of 92 from The Wine Advocate in 2013.
In summary, Britain's rise as a producer of quality bubbly can be attributed to several factors: its cooler climate that lends itself well to base production; regions like Kent that offer similar soil types found in Champagne; combined traditional methods with modern techniques among winemakers; regional specialties such as East Sussex and West Sussex that boast their own unique terroirs; all these contribute towards creating an array of fine champagnes worthy of recognition both domestically and internationally.
These are just a few examples showcasing exceptional British sparkling wines like Gusbourne Estate Sparkling Blanc de Blancs from Kent or Nyetimber Tillington Single Vineyard Sparkling from Sussex – both praised worldwide for their complexity & elegance while reflecting local terroir!
