English Wine Exports Surge 35% as Record Harvest Spurs Global Ambitions

English winemakers are looking to international markets after a record-breaking warm summer led to what many in the industry are calling their best harvest yet. The shift comes as domestic sales growth slows, prompting producers to focus on exports to sustain the momentum that has built up over the past two decades.

The area planted with vines in England has increased by 30% since 2020, and production has grown at an average rate of 7% per year since 2000. This expansion is largely due to improved weather conditions, with warmer summers making southern England more suitable for grape growing. As a result, both local producers and international wine groups have been investing in English land, aiming to produce wine for export to countries such as Norway, Japan, and China.

This year’s harvest follows Britain’s warmest summer on record, a development that many attribute to climate change. The favorable conditions have helped English sparkling wines gain recognition on the global stage. Just days before the start of this year’s harvest, a sparkling wine from southern England won the International Wine Challenge’s top award for sparkling wine, beating out French Champagne for the first time. This victory has raised hopes for further success in export markets.

Brad Greatrix, senior winemaker at Nyetimber—the company behind the award-winning sparkling wine—said that exports represent the main opportunity for growth in the coming years. “Export is where the real growth is in the coming period,” he said.

English wineries began to emerge in the 1990s as landowners started planting vines on land previously used for crops, orchards, and even golf courses. Today, vineyards stretch across chalky slopes in southern England. While domestic demand fueled much of the industry’s early growth, recent figures show that sales have plateaued. Last year, sales of English sparkling wine—accounting for 70% of total wine sales—remained flat after growing by 11% the previous year.

Chapel Down, Britain’s largest wine producer, recently canceled plans for a new winery due to these market conditions. Nicola Bates, CEO of WineGB, an industry body, said that maintaining steady sales was an achievement given current economic challenges and declining Champagne shipments to Britain. For many British consumers, English sparkling wine remains a luxury product, with leading brands like Chapel Down and Nyetimber priced similarly to French Champagnes.

With more vines being planted each year, industry leaders say that export growth is essential for long-term stability. Export volumes rose by 35% in 2024 and now account for 9% of total English wine sales. Bates said she aims to double that figure by 2030.

Norway has become the largest importer of English sparkling wine by volume. According to Norway’s state-run wine monopoly, imports jumped from just 451 liters in 2015 to over 111,000 liters last year. Arnt Egil Nordlien, head of product at the monopoly, said this growth far outpaces increases from other countries. Norwegian sommeliers report that customers are increasingly curious about English wines and often compare them favorably to Champagne.

Despite this year’s strong harvest overall, unpredictable weather remains a challenge. Alistair Nesbitt, chief executive at Vinescapes consultancy, noted that while average temperatures during the grape-growing season have risen by up to 1.5 degrees Celsius over the past half-century, climate change also brings more erratic weather patterns. Persistent rain in 2024 cut grape production by half compared to last year.

Still, some experts believe England’s cooler climate gives it an advantage over traditional wine regions in southern Europe that are facing more frequent droughts and heatwaves. International interest in English vineyards has grown steadily over the past decade. French Champagne house Taittinger bought land in England in 2015 and California’s Jackson Family Wines established operations there last year.

“If you’re in a real climate-stressed area of the world and you want to keep your wine production enterprise going, you look to cooler areas like the UK,” Nesbitt said.

As English winemakers prepare for future harvests and look beyond their home market, they hope that continued investment and international recognition will help secure their place among the world’s leading wine producers.