English wine sparkles abroad as more countries buy British

British winemakers are seeking to increase exports to 2.5 million bottles by 2020, from 250,000 bottles in 2015

Just under 70 per cent of British wine is produced as sparkling and another 24 per cent is white wine (Getty)

English sparkling wine exports increased to a record 27 countries in 2016 as the drink went from a novelty to a major player in the global drinks market.

As New Year’s Eve partygoers across the world prepare to raise a glass to see out 2016, figures by the Department for Environment revealed the number of countries receiving cases of British bubbly increased to 27, up from 19 in 2015, with exports heading to Taiwan and Dubai alongside France and Italy.

Warmer temperatures and the UK’s chalky, south-facing slopes means the sector’s sales increased to around £100m a year.

“Thanks to sparkling rosé from Kent, and chardonnay from Sussex, we are rightly taking our place among the world’s most renowned wine producers,” environment secretary Andrea Leadsom said.

“The number of countries enjoying our wine has increased by a third this year, and with major producers on track to deliver a tenfold increase in exports, we could soon be tapping into more countries,” she added.

British winemakers are seeking to increase exports to 2.5 million bottles by 2020, from 250,000 bottles in 2015.

Sales of English sparkling wine also boomed domestically.

Marks and Spencer doubled its sales, while Waitrose said 50 per cent more bottles of sparkling wine flew off its shelves in 2016.

Growing demand has led to land under vine doubling over the last 10 years, with 30 vineyards opening in the last two years alone.

There are more than 500 commercial vineyards in the UK comprising 133 wineries spread over approximately 5,000 acres of land.