Sussex wine closer to joining Champagne in Europe's elite club

rathfinny vineyards, sussex wine — Autumn at Rathfinny Estate in Sussex.

(Image credit: Rathfinny Estate)

Sussex sparkling wine has climbed the next rung of the ladder to protected name status, but its application for EU-wide name rights may overrun the timeline set out for Brexit by the UK government.

Britain’s agriculture ministry has put forward the application for Sussex wine to get PDO status in the European Union’s Geographic Indication (GI) scheme.

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But these are contradictory times; the application was conceived before Brexit but is being put forward by a government also seeking to chart a course out of the European Union.

Supporters of the Sussex plan dream of creating a regional brand with the pull of Champagne.

‘We believe that Sussex will become synonymous with high quality sparkling and still wine,’ said Mark Driver, founder of Rathfinny Wine Estate.

‘So when you go into a bar in London or Tokyo you will be asked – would you like a glass of Champagne or a delicious glass of Sussex?’

Several English wine producers outside of Sussex have said it would be better to promote English wine as a whole, over individual regions.

Approval at EU level often takes several years to achieve, a spokesperson for English Wine Producers told Decanter.com.

England’s Camel Valley is still waiting for a PDO application for its Darnibole vineyard in Cornwall to be ratified by EU member states, according English Wine Producers. It applied in 2012.

Brexit adds an extra complication, following the 23 June referendum in the UK.

British prime minister Theresa May has committed to starting the two-year leaving process next year.

English Wine Producers said it was still considering the possible effects of Brexit on the industry and would release a statement soon.

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Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.