Plantings of English vineyards have boomed over the last decade. 70% of all English vineyards have been planted during this period, and with this boom in plantings has come a new type of vineyard owner. In comparison with the have-a-go heroes of early British winemaking, these newer owners are more often people with significant resources, ambition, and expertise. The quality of English wines has improved accordingly.

The launch of Louis Pommery’s first wines made wholly from fruit grown at their Pinglestone Estate in Hampshire marks another significant watershed in the development of the UK wine industry. For the first time, an historic Champagne house with global distribution reach (and the resources to match) has started producing and selling English Wines.

This is exciting stuff. Yet what is truly exciting about Louis Pommery England and the Pinglestone Estate is how different their approach has been versus that taken in Champagne. Of course, there is the supreme commitment to quality, and there is the same philosophy of making wines of exquisite elegance and finesse. Yet unlike in Champagne, where production is dictated by the historic traditions of the region, in Hampshire the vineyard is free to be one of the world’s most future-orientated, planted with a mission of sustainable agro-ecology at its absolute heart.

The cuveés that come from this Hampshire estate – ‘England Brut’ and ‘England Brut Rosé’ have been released so far – are world-class. Yet this will not come at the expense of the wider environment at Pinglestone, or the plants, insects and birds that make their homes alongside the vines.

It is a lesson that we hope this innovative French producer, via England, can teach the world.