Lallemand Oenology, sponsor of WineGB, speaks at the technical conference held in Denbies Winery, UK, June 24th, 2019
Publiée le 03/07/2019 15:42A WineGB (Wines of Great Britain) Technical Conference was held on June 24th, 2019 at Denbies Winery. Two members of Lallemand Oenology –one of WineGB sponsors, the national association for the English and Welsh wine industry-, Nathalie Sieczkowski, Research Director, and Sigrid Gertsen-Schibbye, Area Manager UK and Scandinavia, participated as speakers.
128 winemakers, mostly from Great Britain, but also 20 of which were Canadians from British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia, attented the technical conference held at Denbies Winery on June 24th, 2019. They discovered with Nathalie Sieczkowski, Research Director, and Sigrid Gertsen-Schibbye from Lallemand Oenology how non-Saccharomyces yeast and wine bacteria could be used as biological tools to preserve and enhance freshness and aromas in wines. They were also presented how active yeast add security to cold soak to protect the wines against oxidation and specific inactivated yeast help maintain quality through ageing in barrels and international transportation.
The UK wine industry is currently booming. There are now over 500 commercial vineyards and 165 wineries operating in Britain.
Last year the industry enjoyed its largest harvest on record – equivalent to £15.6m bottles – an astonishing 130% volume increase on 2017. Sales of English and Welsh wines doubled last year and exports also doubled.
English and Welsh wines are now exported to 40 countries and the wines are doing particularly well in the US and Scandinavia, which currently account for 65% of all exports.
The area under vine in the UK has increased by 160% in the past 10 years to 7,000 acres. Last year, 1.6 million vines were planted with a further 2 million expected this year.
65% of the wineries produce sparkling wines and 31% still wines.
At its current growth rate, the UK could be producing 40m bottles by 2040… One of the very few positive aspects of climate change and global warming.