Amber Valley Wines: Know The Grapes We Grow

One of the most common questions we get asked during events & Vineyard Tours is "How can you grow vines in the UK?"

We are still at the very beginning of general public knowledge on Grape Varieties and UK Vineyards & Wines. So we're going to start a range of blog posts on the varieties we're growing at Amber Valley Wines in the Heart of Derbyshire.

Starting with the grape that will eventually become the main base of our Sparkling English Wine.

1. SEYVAL BLANC

This is hybrid wine grape variety used to make white wines.

It's vines ripen early, are productive and are suited to fairly cool climates. Seyval Blanc is grown mainly in England, the United States east coast (specifically the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, and Virginia), as well as to a lesser extent in Canada.

As it contains some non-vinifera genes, it is outlawed by the EU authorities for quality wine production, which is an issue of conflict with the English wine industry.

Seyval blanc has a characteristic citrus element in the aroma and taste, as well as a minerality that may be compared to white Burgundy. It is often oaked and subjected to a stage of malolactic fermentation.

Our friends over at The English Wine Shop have a couple of great examples of Sparkling Seyval Blanc English Wines :