English wine enjoyed bumper year in 2016

English wine enjoyed a record year in 2016, with independent English wine producers registering £132 million in turnover from 2015-2016, an all-time high, according to new research by online business finance supermarket Funding Options.

English wine had not been considered as serious competition to more established wine-growing regions, but had become a major growth industry in recent years. According to its latest turnover figures, it had logged an increase of 16 per cent on the previous year, while the sector has nearly trebled over the last five years, the study showed.

According to Funding Options, greater national and international recognition had helped overcome consumer scepticism and increased prices. In May 2017, Norfolk-based Winbirri Vineyards' Bacchus 2015 was named as the world's best white wine in the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards.

Wine makers were also taking advantage of the  increasing popularity of boutique British alcohol production and growing sales were encouraging more producers to enter the market. According to the latest statistics from HM Revenue and Customs, a record 64 new wine producers had obtained license for wine production in 2016.

According to Conrad Ford, founder of Funding Options, English wine was now being ranked alongside French and German vintages. He added, however, that producers need to increase investment and capacity to keep pace with growing demand.

"English wine is going from strength to strength, Ford said, The Telegraph reported.

"The English wine industry is not only gaining traction among domestic consumers, but is now being ranked with wines from traditional white wine-producing countries such as France and Germany."

In May, a wine from Norfolk was named as the best white wine in the world receiving a score of 95 out of 100, from a panel of 200 international experts.

Winbirri Vineyards' Bacchus 2015, which sold for £13.95 a bottle, took on 17,200 other entries to win the Platinum Best in Show.