Wine: English or Welsh – But Not British

English wine seems to be enjoying a renaissance at the moment but you should be careful what you are buying.

There can be some confusion over its labelling. You would think that British Wine and English Wine are one and the same but they are not – British Wine is made from imported grape juice (or grape must) shipped into the UK and turned into wine.

Only wine made from grapes grown on home soil can be labelled English and Welsh Wine.

This Is Money has reported that: “sales of cheap wine made in Britain from imported grape juice are booming amid rising prices in the traditional import market.

But UK wine producers say there is widespread confusion about the difference between this ‘British’ wine and ‘English’ wine, which is made from grapes grown in this country.

British wine is not made from home-grown grapes. It is fermented and bottled in the UK from imported grape juice.

According to a report in The Grocer magazine, this means it has not been hit as hard by currency fluctuations as traditional imported wines have.

It therefore can be found for as little as £2.99 a bottle, or two for £5, and sales values have grown more than 50% in the past year.”

Silver Bay Point is a British Wine and was launched by CWF (Yorkshire based importer, agent, producer, bottler and distributor of wines and alcoholic beverages) back in 2008.

Vicky Lee, marketing manager of CWF, said the core female audience would also be attracted by the range’s premium “New World” look and lower 8% alcohol content.

Over the next 12 months CWF will be investing over £1.5 million in marketing and promotional support for the Silver Bay Point brand. CWF says sales of Silver Bay Point have risen 657% in the past year.

Julia Trustram Eve, marketing manager for English Wine Producers, has said:

I have seen instances where a consumer wanting to be patriotic has picked up British wine but didn’t understand the difference between it and English and was disappointed.

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