[Akyung Wine Cellar] "Curious About Champagne 50 Years Ago?"... England's Pride Rivals France

England's First Commercial Winery, Established in 1952
Climate Change Shifts the Wine Belt North... A New Opportunity for the English Wine Industry
Premium Sparkling Wines Crafted from Champagne Varieties

Editor's NoteNo two wines under the sky are ever the same. Even when grapes grown on the same land are vinified and aged in the same way each year, the results are always different. Wine is a 'serendipitous drink,' born from the union of humans and nature. Every wine, disappearing silently after leaving only a single vivid memory, carries its own fascinating story. 'Akyung Wine Cellar' brings you tales of wines crafted and matured under unique circumstances, one by one.

In 1152, Alienor D'Aquitaine, princess of the Duchy of Aquitaine in southwestern France, divorced King Louis VII of France. A few months after the divorce, she remarried Henri Plantagenet, Count of Anjou, bringing with her the lands and wealth of her duchy as a dowry. Two years later, in 1154, Henri Plantagenet?grandson of King Henry I of England?ascended the English throne as Henry II. The Duchy of Anjou, which he owned, and the Duchy of Aquitaine, owned by his wife, thus became English territories.

At the heart of Aquitaine lies Bordeaux, a city that remains France's largest wine-producing region to this day. Bordeaux began its meteoric rise as a wine region around the time it became English territory. For nearly 300 years, until it was returned to France in 1453 at the end of the Hundred Years' War, Bordeaux wines enjoyed tariff exemptions and other privileges in England. As a result, most of the wine consumed in England during this period came from Bordeaux. Even after this era, England continued to purchase vast quantities of wine through Bordeaux, allowing France to establish its current status based on this enormous demand. In a sense, the origins of France's largest wine region can be traced back to England.

Scenery of Hambledon Vineyard vineyard.

England, which fueled Bordeaux's growth into the world's largest wine region, has always had a deep thirst for wine. From the past to the present, England has played a pivotal role in global wine distribution, serving as a hub for wine auctions and judging. Underpinning this role, however, is a fundamental lack of domestic wine production. Despite having once ruled the world under the flag of the British Empire, England had almost nothing to offer when it came to wine production.

Although the English have always loved wine, unfortunately, England lacked a tradition of winemaking, as well as skilled winemakers and grape growers. Most of all, the harsh and gloomy weather proved to be a formidable obstacle. The frequent rain was enough to shatter their dreams of wine production and leave them in despair.

Founder of Hambledon Vineyard (far left), Sir Guy Salisbury Jones

Yet, England was home to optimists. Among those who pursued the seemingly impossible dream of English wine, the most prominent figure was Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones. A British Army officer who served in both World War I and World War II, Salisbury-Jones was posted to Paris, France, in 1946 for his final overseas assignment. There, while leading the British military delegation, he became enamored with French culture and wine.

His passion for France and wine lingered long after. Upon returning to England and settling into a peaceful life after his discharge, he began contemplating the establishment of a vineyard while gazing at the fields surrounding his home in Hambledon, Hampshire, in the summer of 1951. He started researching grape cultivation on nearby south-facing chalk slopes, and with the help and advice of the renowned Champagne house Pol Roger, he planted several grape varieties in 1952, taking the first step toward producing English wine. This marked the beginning of Hambledon Vineyard, the first commercial winery in England.

'Hambledon Vineyard' located in Hambledon, Hampshire, in the southeast of England.

Climate Change Reshapes the Wine Industry: From the Periphery to the Center

Although the venture began with high hopes, reality was harsh. At that time, most of the optimists lacked the skills and capital necessary to run competitive wineries. Above all, the climatic limitations forced them to choose cold-hardy hybrid varieties such as Muller-Thurgau, Seyval Blanc, and Bacchus. These wines had limited markets and were widely regarded as poor in quality. While a handful of small producers managed to achieve some improvements in quality, their presence in the international market remained negligible.

Hambledon Vineyard was no exception. It achieved some success, such as winning a gold medal at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in 1984 and even began exporting its wines. However, after a change in ownership in the mid-1990s, production was scaled back, and the vineyard was reduced to just 4 acres (about 5,000 pyeong), producing only small quantities of grapes for sale to other wineries.

The vineyard view of Hambledon Vineyard.

It was climate change that provided a turning point for the stagnant English wine industry. Climate change altered regional vegetation, pushing existing grape growers into unforeseen difficulties. However, this misfortune created new opportunities for the English wine industry. The northern limit for grape cultivation gradually shifted northward, creating a more favorable environment for viticulture. In fact, since the 2000s, the number of vineyards in England has rapidly increased, and now, nearly 200 wineries produce wine, mainly in southeastern regions such as Hampshire, Surrey, East·West Sussex, and Kent.

Change also swept through Hambledon Vineyard. Acquired by a new owner in 1999, the winery removed cold-hardy hybrid varieties and replaced them with premium grape varieties from the Champagne region of France. Believing that the changing climate now allowed for the cultivation of these high-quality French varieties, the winery set its sights on producing sparkling wines that could rival French Champagne.

The decision to focus on sparkling wine led to the establishment of a 10-acre test vineyard planted with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. This experiment emphasized optimizing quality through various combinations of clones and rootstocks. In the 2010s, the winery accelerated its quality innovation by bringing on Herve Jestin, renowned for his minimal intervention winemaking methods and experience at Duval-Leroy, as chief winemaker.

Herve Jestin, Chief Winemaker at Hambledon Vineyard.

"The Foundation Is the Same": A Terroir Even More Like Champagne Than Champagne

Behind Hambledon Vineyard's seemingly audacious challenge to rival Champagne lies more than just climate change. The winery already possessed soils with immense potential, and they believed that the combination of these soils and the changing climate could create explosive results. Vineyards in southern England are typically situated in valleys to avoid the sea winds that whip across the hilltops. At the lower slopes, there is a thick layer of chalk, deposited 70 to 90 million years ago when southern England and northwestern Europe were covered by shallow seas. Remarkably, this chalk is the same as that found in the Champagne region, which gives Champagne its unique character.

The approximately 200-acre (about 245,000 pyeong) Hambledon vineyard is also covered in chalk. This is the same topsoil found in Cote des Blancs, the premier Chardonnay-producing area of Champagne. Chalky soil is both well-draining and moisture-retentive. When it rains, water drains quickly and does not pool, while in dry periods, the soil acts like a sponge, retaining moisture and providing a humidifying effect. Additionally, the soil warms up, encouraging grapes rich in nitrogen, which is known to aid yeast activity.

Chardonnay from Hambledon Vineyard.

Despite having soils similar to those in Champagne, southeastern England could not become Champagne in the past simply because of its lower temperatures. Although it is relatively warm by English standards, it is still cooler than Champagne, and even the best vineyards near the coast had to battle rain and mold. As a result, English sparkling wines have long been regarded as having bracingly high acidity?a somewhat disappointing trait attributed to the cool climate.

However, climate change has altered much. Southern England now experiences hot summers, creating the conditions necessary for grape ripening. Since 2010, the average July temperature has risen by about 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius. As a result, English sparkling wines now possess both the complexity developed just before the grapes reach full ripeness and the clarity and elegance imparted by the generally cool climate. James Osborn, Managing Director of Hambledon Vineyard, who recently visited Korea, said, "If you want to know what Champagne tasted like 50 years ago, Hambledon may be the answer." This reflects their confidence that southern England now boasts a terroir even more Champagne-like than Champagne itself.

'Hambledon Vineyard Premiere Cuvee'

The year 2018 marked a turning point for the English wine industry. Thanks to a warm, sunny year, England produced 13.2 million bottles of wine, of which 9 million were sparkling wines. Compared to the previous year's 4 million bottles, production more than doubled in just one year.

The achievements of 2018 were enough to inspire the English wine industry. In England, 1.6 million new grapevines were planted, followed by another 3.2 million the next year. Most notably, vineyard acreage increased by more than 160% compared to ten years earlier. With this clear demonstration of both quantity and quality, England has moved one step closer from the periphery to the center of wine production.

England's First and Finest Sparkling Wine

Hambledon Vineyard focuses less on vintage sparkling wines (wines blended from a single year's harvest) and more on establishing its unique house style by blending wines from multiple vintages. Hambledon's wines are made by producing base wines from each grape variety and then blending them. Unusually for England, the winery uses the 'Solera Reserve Wine System' to produce non-vintage sparkling wines.

The winemaking facilities of Hambledon Vineyard.

The Solera system typically involves stacking multiple oak barrels vertically by vintage, with the oldest wine at the bottom. The bottom tier is called the solera, and when bottling, wine is drawn from this lowest level. When a certain volume is removed from the solera, it is immediately replenished with wine from the tier above, blending the two. This process continues up the stack, so each tier is topped up from the one above, blending wines from different years and maintaining consistency in taste and quality.

Hambledon retains a portion of each blend produced annually to build its solera system. Some of this reserved wine is then blended with new wine at bottling, adding unique depth and complexity to the wine while ensuring the reserve wine remains fresh year after year through the continual addition of new blends.

'Hambledon Vineyard Premiere Cuvee'

The flagship wine produced in this way is 'Hambledon Vineyard Premiere Cuvee.' Blended from 44% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, and 21% Pinot Meunier, and aged on lees for 96 months, the Premiere Cuvee entices with aromas of lemon confit, orange blossom, and white lily, interwoven with ripe apricot, white peach, and baked red apple. On the palate, it develops flavors reminiscent of almond croissant and crumble, exhibiting a firm structure, creamy texture, and high acidity. After swallowing, a harmonious interplay of minerality and delicate bubbles lingers elegantly, making this a complex yet delightful wine.

'Hambledon Vineyard Classic Cuvee Rose' is also noteworthy. Composed of 82% Chardonnay, 7% Pinot Noir, 1% Pinot Meunier, and 10% Pinot Noir red wine, it displays a beautiful, vibrant wild-strawberry pink hue, with a hint of red onion skin at the rim. The wine is clean and refreshing, offering abundant fruit aromas of strawberry, ripe lemon, red apple peel, and cranberry, with a yeasty finish.

'Hambledon Vineyard Classic Cuvee Rose'