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Global temperature increases has a marked effect on wine-producing areas. Lots of those regions that historically excel at making wine are slowly becoming too hot to supply decent crops, while other areas are on the edge of becoming warm enough to do exactly that.

The southern counties of England make up one area which is well positioned to take merit of warming temperatures.

The Expansion of English Vineyards
While hotter weather can't be warranted 2008 was very stormy the general trend has been towards hotter temperatures recently. 2007 was the second warmest year in Britain in 356 years. The result has been that more English land is starting to become appropriate for wine production.

Today, there are around four hundred vineyards in Britain across Kent, Hampshire, Essex and Sussex and the Dept for Environment Food and Rustic Affairs (DEFRA) reports that production in 2006 was just over 3.3 million bottles. Wine merchants Berry Brothers & Rudd Future of Wine Report in 2008 believes the quantity of English farmland dedicated to wine production may approach that of France by 2058. The report also observes that French Poo producers such as Louis Roederer have been having a look at the chalky soil of the South Downs with interest, believing it offers them a fantastic opportunity to produce fizzy wines like Champers itself.

English champagnes hit big success
Champagnes. In 2007, English wines picked up a record number of gongs at the World Wine Challenge, the planet's largest blind-tasting competition.Tim Atkin, a manager of the awards, told Martin Hickman of The Independent: "English wine is ultimately showing that it should not be thought of as a homegrown industry but as a sector which can produce world class wines." (English wines toast record haul of prizes in world tasting contest, The Independent, twenty-three May 2007). The silver and gold gongs came from 4 vineyards. Greenfields, from the 265-acre Denbies estate in Surrey, won the gold, while Chapel Down winery in Kent, Ridgeview in East Sussex and Camel Valley in Cornwall picked up silver.

In 2008, the sparkling Classic Cuvee 2001 from the Nyetimber Vineyard won Gold "Best in Class" in the World Wine and Spirit Competition.