Wine has been continuously produced in Britain since Roman imperial times (100 AD - 400 AD). Historically there has been little success in the quality and consistency of British winemaking, but since about 1970, and particularly in the beginning of the 21st century, there have been signs of improvement.
Sparkling wines are the most prominent, and commercially successful, of English wines, some of which have been rated alongside those from better-known wine producing countries such as France, Australia and New Zealand. These are produced within the south of England in Kent and Sussex.
Red wine varieties struggle to achieve ripeness in the cool, damp climates of England, but Triomphe D'Alsace, Cascade, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are grown in English vineyards.
White grape plantings, which account for around 90% of grapes grown in Britain, are dominated by Germanic varieties such as Madelaine Angevine, Seyval Blanc, Schonburger and Muller Thurgau.
Current legislation recognises the following Wine Regions in England: Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, East Anglia, England, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Isle of Wight, Isles of Scilly, Kent, Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Shropshire, Surrey, Sussex, Worcestershire and Yorkshire.
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