I often wonder when passing through suitable landscapes what sort of wines might be produced there, or if there are small isolated parcels of vines what they might be able to achieve. In countries like France there are many areas where vines were once widely planted but are now absent or very sparse and I am given to imagining the resurrection of a great terroir. Often you will catch a glimpse of vines in hedgerows, climbing up trees as they do in the 'wild'; they will sometimes be recognisable cultivars but sometimes they will be wild plants, perhaps rootstocks growing unburdened in the countryside.
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| Vine growing by the roadside |
There are some potentially great sites to be discovered. If you ask around you will sometimes find out that vines were planted there pre-phylloxera, or before the rural exodus, and wine was indeed made. Nobody can remember what this wine was like or whether it was any good, but it might have been. That idea has a particular attraction. You can't be proved wrong, unless some intrepid individual takes the plunge, plants a vineyard and sees for him or her self what the results are like.
The great vine lands of England have yet to be discovered, and again there are some intriguing sites. Some day a truly great wine will be made here perhaps benefiting from the effects of climate change. But where this will be is anyone's guess. I would imagine that well exposed former hop gardens would be good candidates for producing high quality ripe grapes. Herbert Hall at Marden Vineyard in Kent, run by Nick Hall comes to mind sited as it is on a well exposed, well drained site. First release of sparkling wine from this estate should be this month. Something to look forward to.
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