Summary: 

Wines from Great Britain, for so long considered something of a joke by the wider wine-world, have, in the last 20 years, started to make their mark.

GB’s sparkling wines have been winning national and international Gold medals and Trophies with regularity and their still wines, from a slower start, are also beginning to prove their worth.

The planted area under vine is now approaching 9,000 acres – five times the size it was in 2004 – and speaks volumes about the enthusiasm of its growers and winemakers.

Stephen Skelton MW, who has been a grower, winemaker and viticultural consultant, working exclusively in GB’s vineyards, since 1976, will talk about the past, the present and the future of English and Welsh wine.

Presenter: Stephen Skelton MW

Stephen Skelton started his career in wine in 1975. After 12 months at Schloss Schönborn in Germany’s Rheingau winegrowing region and two terms at Geisenheim Wine School, he returned to the UK in 1977 to establish Tenterden Vineyards in Kent (now the home of the UK’s largest wine producer Chapel Down) where he made wine for 23 vintages. He was also winemaker at Lamberhurst Vineyards, then the UK’s largest wine producer, between 1988 and 1991.

He became a Master of Wine in 2003 and won the prestigious Mondavi Prize for the highest marks in the written part of the examination. In 2005 he was awarded the AXA Millésimes award for his contribution to the work of the MW Education Committee. In 2014 he was elected to be Deputy Vice Chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine. He also lectures on viticulture for Wine and Spirit Education Trust’s Diploma courses.

Stephen is a consultant to the English wine industry and is involved with planting vineyards for the production of both still and sparkling wines. Since 1986 he has written and lectured widely on English wine and has published four guides to UK vineyards, the 2001 edition of which won the André Simon award for ‘Wine Book of the Year’. He has also written ‘Viticulture’ a primer on the subject for students, and ‘Wine Growing in Great Britain’ for growers.

About Stephen's book: "The Wines of Great Britain"

Great Britain is a premium wine-producing region, with around 650 vineyards in England and Wales covering some 2,750 hectares and producing sparkling and still wines. Here, Stephen Skelton MW, the leading authority on these wines, undertakes a comprehensive study of the country’s wines, past, present and future. A substantial part of this book is the 21 detailed producer biographies that provide a complete picture of the country's wine industry.

Publishing 13 May 2019

More info and book orders: http://www.infideas.com/buy-the-wines-of-great-britain/

Note: WSG members enjoy a 30% discount on this book and all wine books published by and sold on http://www.infideas.com/. Get your member discount code here.