COMPARED to other countries in the new and old-world, England produces a paltry amount of wine.

However, as more and more landowners discover the virtues of vines, the volume of wine produced in England has steadily increased.

In fact last year a new record was set, with the country’s wineries producing four million bottles.

Yet while the French laugh at what they decree to be a mere trickle (our continental counterparts produce approximately seven billion bottles), they weren’t laughing so much at last year’s International Wine and Spirit Competition.

Sussex’s South Ridge Cuvée Merret wiped the smiles right off their faces when it scooped the award for Best Sparkling Wine.

Clearly then, English wine is about quality rather than quantity.

And as English producers learn more, we can expect the quality to keep improving.

“I think there are improved grape-growing and wine-making skills evolving in this country,” says Paul Girling, who manages the 6.5-acre Setley Ridge Vineyard near Brockenhurst.

“People are learning more and producing wine is now a far more professional operation here.”

As English wine becomes increasingly profitable, vineyards are springing up all over the country; over the last five years the amount of land turned over to wine grapes increased by nearly 75 per cent to 3,270 acres.

A wise move – not only is English wine becoming fashionable but globally the wine industry is anticipating major growth, with the emerging middle classes in China and India increasing demand.

Thanks to their warm microclimates, Dorset and the New Forest are prime spots for planting vineyards, indeed the local area is home to some modest producers including Setley Ridge Vineyard in Brockenhurst, the Horton Estate Vineyard near Wimborne and The Purbeck Vineyard in Harman’s Cross.

“It’s very rewarding,” says Theresa Steel of The Purbeck Vineyard.

“They are a nice plants to work with. There are no thorns and it’s quite sociable when you’re pruning or picking the grapes – you can chat to whoever is working on the other side of the vines hence the expression ‘heard it through the grapevine’.”