The UK had a bumper year in 2023, producing between 20 and 22 million bottles of wine, 50% more than the previous record. The harvest yield was high (almost 10,000 kg/ha, approx. 65hl/ha), the bunches of grapes unusually heavy, and the quality top-notch. Hardly any spring frost, a hot June, a rainy August and a beautiful September contributed to the excellent result.
However, high yields were not the only reason for the increase in volume. The vineyard area has also grown. It is now 3,230 hectares (about the same as Châteauneuf-du-Pape), which is to be compared with 2,100 hectares in 2018.
Three-quarters of all English wine is sparkling, which for 2023 means 16.5 million bottles. Perhaps we will see more English bubbly on the export market in two years when the vintage goes on sale.
Whether these weather conditions were a one-off remains to be seen. The problem for English vineyards (and other cool climate regions) is, among others, the spring frost. In 2023, only 6% of the UK vineyards were affected, whereas in 2022, 29% was hit. The weather during flowering in June is another critical period. In 2023, June was the hottest on record, with temperatures above 30 degrees C.
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