English winemakers have toasted another year of record sales.
Sales of home-grown fizz at the top seven producers rose 15 per cent to £37m, up from £32m the year before.
Winemakers including Chapel Down, Denbies and Gusbourne went from strength to strength, according to accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young.
The figures also included smaller firms Hambledon, Forty Hall Vineyard, Henners Vineyard and Domaine Evremond.
They made a combined total of £13million just five years ago.
Record year: Sales of home-grown fizz at the top seven producers rose 15 per cent to £37m, up from £32m the year before
Climate change has created better growing conditions for grapes – cooler temperatures and soil with high clay concentrations – in south-east England.
And tourism has boosted sales with vineyards enticing young people through hotels and restaurants.
Wine is the UK’s fastest growing agricultural sector, enticing foreign and domestic investors including Saracens chief Nigel Wray and Lord Michael Spencer.
Chapel Down has been seen as a takeover target. Even LVMH – the French owner of Moet – eyed up British plots a few years ago.
DIY INVESTING PLATFORMS
![Easy investing and ready-made portfolios](https://img.thisismoney.co.uk/i/pix/A%20J%20Bell%202022_122X84.png)
AJ Bell
![Easy investing and ready-made portfolios](https://img.thisismoney.co.uk/i/pix/A%20J%20Bell%202022_122X84.png)
AJ Bell
Easy investing and ready-made portfolios
![Free fund dealing and investment ideas](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/05_02/HL-Logo_122x84.jpg)
Hargreaves Lansdown
![Free fund dealing and investment ideas](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/05_02/HL-Logo_122x84.jpg)
Hargreaves Lansdown
Free fund dealing and investment ideas
![Flat-fee investing from £4.99 per month](https://img.thisismoney.co.uk/modulepix/ii_thisismoney_122x84.png)
interactive investor
![Flat-fee investing from £4.99 per month](https://img.thisismoney.co.uk/modulepix/ii_thisismoney_122x84.png)
interactive investor
Flat-fee investing from £4.99 per month
![Get £200 back in trading fees](https://media.sailthru.com/composer/images/sailthru-prod-626/SAXO_be_invested__saxo_blue_logo_rgb.png)
Saxo
![Get £200 back in trading fees](https://media.sailthru.com/composer/images/sailthru-prod-626/SAXO_be_invested__saxo_blue_logo_rgb.png)
Saxo
Get £200 back in trading fees
![Free dealing and no account fee](https://media.sailthru.com/composer/images/sailthru-prod-626/T212Logo_Icon_130x90.png%0A)
Trading 212
![Free dealing and no account fee](https://media.sailthru.com/composer/images/sailthru-prod-626/T212Logo_Icon_130x90.png%0A)
Trading 212
Free dealing and no account fee
Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence.
Compare the best investing account for you
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk