VINES AND WINES: ENGLISH HISTORY LINKED TO CLIMATE CHANGE
Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne are names that not only bring to mind these beautiful regions of France, but also the wines for which they are renowned. For centuries, wine has been imported to Britain from continental vineyards; in recent times New Zealand wines have also delighted the British palette. But what of English home-grown wines?
The vagaries of the British weather are not just on a daily basis, but climate change is also evidenced through historical records and events since Roman times. Medieval vineyards flourished, and English and Welsh vines and wines are once again asserting their place in viticulture and gastronomy. Was it turbulent times or temperature that undermined the English vineyards during the early modern period?