The hot weather goes on and on and what better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than joining a group of Shoreham residents, Canon Ann Waizeneker and some musical accompaniment to bless a new vineyard at the foot of the Downs. This new venture by Shoreham Beach residents Fiona and Bernie West just beyond the Shoreham flyover is the first vineyard in my constituency and helped by this year’s weather is on course to start producing properly in a couple of years’ time.
The English Wine industry and particularly English sparkling wine is a huge success story that I have been involved with ever since I spent my student holidays working at the English Wine Centre in Alfriston where I grew up. Last year we produced around 3.9m bottles of wine here which has trebled since 2000 and this year is on track to be the best yet and we are consistently beating French Champagne houses in blind tastings. We are not allowed to call English fizz Champagne of course and the industry is still looking round for an agreed term. I suggested ‘I can’t believe it’s not champagne’ which should get round the rules.