The future of UK wine

Wine making actually has a long history in what is now England, with grapes grown by the Romans as far north as Lincolnshire. Over 40 vineyards are recorded in the Domesday Book and plenty of wine was produced throughout the Medieval era for use during the Eucharist. By the time of the reformation under Henry VIII, the number of vineyards had grown to 139 but increased trade with the world beyond Europe and tax cuts on imported wine saw the domestic grape outcompeted by foreign invaders. This downward trend hit rock bottom during World War One when the few remaining vineyards were requisitioned to grow crops and food for the war effort. This was the first time in two millennia that wines weren’t produced in England.