English Wine: a Growing Industry

Wines of Great Britain – a newly created association combining English Wine Producers Ltd and United Kingdom Vineyards – are this week running English Wine Week, an initiative designed to promote and celebrate English wine, with events and activities taking place across the country.

Wine production across the UK has gone from strength to strength in recent years, partly due to the effects of climate change, but also thanks to increased awareness and expertise among producers and consumers. Sparkling wine accounts for the biggest proportion of English wine produced (around 60%); even prestigious French champagne houses Taittinger and Vranken-Pommery are getting involved in this area of the market. Both have planted vines in England for the first time in recent years, with Pommery the first to release an English sparkling wine earlier in 2018.

Analysing the 116 leading companies in the industry, the Plimsoll ‘Wine Producers’ report shows a more detailed view of the market and its key players. According to their latest data, nearly a third of companies have increased in value year on year, with market size increasing by over 5%.

As many see this growth providing good prospects for investment, demand for new vineyards in England is growing. But due to the level of work involved, plus the time required for new vineyards to become productive, acquiring an existing wine producer may be a more lucrative option.

Following a 9-point checklist, the Plimsoll report finds that 25 UK wine producers are rated “highly attractive” acquisition targets, and a further 84 are “worth considering”. With millions of new vines being planted every year, and estimates suggesting the industry could be worth £1 billion by 2040, now could be as good a time as any to invest in English wine.

Plimsoll offers a number of financial reports providing in-depth analysis of the wine sector in the UK and further afield. Click here to see more information about the UK ‘Wine Producers’ report; alternatively, the Plimsoll World ‘European Wine Producers’ report shows how the UK market compares to others across the continent. The Plimsoll France ‘Champagne’ report – which is also available in English – can tell you more about the champagne houses mentioned in this article.

For more information visit our website, or email us at enquiries@plimsoll.uk for a free brochure of any of the above reports.