LONDON - Cine-Marie has just published a book on English wine titled “Watercress, Willow and Wine” with a number of illustrations celebrating English Vineyards and wines paired with recipes using locally sourced ingredients.

At press conference at the Foreign Press Association in London, Cindy-Marie Harvey revealed that there are 897 vineyards in the United Kingdom farmed by about 10,000 workers. 75% of the wine produced is sparking.

From the picturesque vineyards of Cornwall and Dorset to the beautiful downlands of Hampshire, Sussex and Surrey, Ms Harvey’s book celebrates some of England’s finest wine producers and local ingredients from land and sea. The book is a journey through a selection of the author’s favourite estates and recipes, illustrated by Chloe Robertson.

Cindy-Marie Harvey is a wine expert and owner of Love Wine Food Ltd, a private wine tour company. She has travelled continually for almost 25 years, visiting iconic wine estates across Italy, New Zealand, South America, Portugal and many more. In this book, she turns her attention to English wine and produce on her very own doorstep as more producers open up their vineyards and wine estates to visitors.

“English wine is experiencing a renaissance with an explosion of new plantings resulting in over 800 domestic vineyards across England and growing. While still a relatively young member of the global wine family, this small island is already starting to conquer the hearts and minds of wine lovers, earning international awards and plaudits.” said Cindy-Marie.

The counties of South East and South West England have the lion’s share of vines and according to WineGB, the amount of land devoted to wine growing has more than doubled in the past 40 years. Despite covid, exports rose by over 50% in the 12 months from September 2020. While the charge has been led by classic method sparkling wines, Cindy-Marie wishes to broaden understanding of the many other blossoming styles: from crisp still whites to dessert wines.
Broken down chapter by chapter into some of England’s finest wine regions, the book also shines a light on these home-grown delicacies. Wine from each vineyard is paired with recipes that complement one another. Cindy-Marie explains how “For me food and wine are intrinsically linked, each having the capacity to make the other even better when matched well... this is the golden age of discovery for wine lovers and foodies alike.”

Cindy-Marie touches on the history of English vines and the more recent pioneers of wine who emerged following the Second World War. The generations that followed in turn inspired the vast wave of winemakers and vineyard owners in England today. The book explores both boutique and larger scale wine estates, from inter-generational family-run businesses to producers who have moved from overseas. These include those who have relocated from established wine regions such as France and South Africa to produce English wine.

She also pays homage to urban wineries in London and further afield while pointing readers in the direction of online resources with more information on how to visit and where to buy English wine.
Sustainability is a key area of focus for many of these English estates, which has led to the creation of a new scheme, Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (SWGB), dedicated to observing key sustainable practices throughout to ensure the rapid expansion of English vineyards does not create a negative ecological impact.

Cindy-Marie’s love of wine began at an early age, being allowed a small taste of Burgundy at a family lunch, the delights of Pinot Noir lured her into the world of wine. Moving to Piemonte in North-West Italy for a year, led to the discovery of Barolo & Barbaresco, which combined with some of the greatest of Italian foods produced in that region, and meant she stayed instead for five years! Her love of wine, combined with a passion for ‘abbinamento’, what Italians call wine & food pairing, could do no other than mean a career in the wine trade. A spell at a UK wine importer, was followed by 20 years of planning, organising and escorting wine & food tours around the globe. Speaking Italian, French, Spanish (and happy to be inventive in Portuguese) meant really getting to know some of the most fascinating wine makers in the world from the classic wine regions of France, Spain, Italy through to less well known but equally fascinating countries such as Slovenia .

The book is a delight for wine lovers who probably did not know anything about wine producing in the UK. It is also a learning curve for doubters who never thought wine-producing in England is a reality.