Taittinger Plants Vines on English Chalk

Taittinger, one of the oldest houses in Champagne, has planted vines in Kent and introduced its first English sparkling wine in early 2025. The reason isn’t whimsy-it’s geology: the same chalk that lies beneath Champagne also underlies southern England. Ignore this, and you’ll miss the most exciting shift in European sparkling wine.

A Champagne House Heads North

Some news demands a double-take. A house like Taittinger, crafting Champagne in Reims since 1734, plants vines in the English county of Kent and releases its first sparkling wine in 2025-one that can’t be called Champagne because it’s not from Champagne. At first glance, it seems like a branding misstep. Look closer, and it’s the most logical decision in years.

The project, Domaine Evremond, sits in Chilham west of Canterbury and is a partnership. Taittinger holds the largest stake, with British wine importer Hatch Mansfield-led by Patrick McGrath, an old friend of Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger-backing it. The first vines went into the ground in 2017. Today, around 61 hectares are under cultivation, with an ambitious target of 400,000 bottles annually. This isn’t a hobby; it’s a statement. More on the topic: Vermouth aged in barriques: Europe’s other way to drink.

It’s About the Chalk, Not Just the Climate

The knee-jerk reaction? Climate change-England’s warming, so wine works there now. True, but that’s only part of the story. The real twist lies beneath the surface. The chalk belt that defines Champagne dips beneath the English Channel and resurfaces in southern England. The South Downs and Kent’s hills rest on the same rock as the vineyards around Reims and Épernay.

Chalk does two things for sparkling wine. It stores water and releases it slowly, keeping vines fresh even in dry spells. And it imparts that delicate, saline minerality that sets fine Champagne apart from ordinary sparkling wine. Taittinger chose its Chilham site precisely for these deep, well-draining chalk soils and south-facing slopes. When you know how prized this subsoil is in Champagne, seeking it elsewhere is only natural. More on the topic: Albariño and Sauvignon Blanc-two Atlantic wines.

A Champagne house doesn’t chase the weather. It follows the rock it’s known for three hundred years.

What’s in the First Wine

The first wine, the Classic Cuvée Edition 1, hit the shelves in late January 2025. It bears the classic Champagne signature: a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier, based on the 2020 vintage with a touch of 2019, aged three years on the lees, and disgorged in August 2024. At 12.5% alcohol and 7 grams of dosage, it’s crafted in a dry style. The list price is around 58 euros per bottle.

The initial reviews ranged from warm to ecstatic. Anne Krebiehl, Master of Wine, awarded it 93 points, describing the wine as sleek, precise, and elegant, with well-integrated acidity and a saline note on the citrus fruit. That’s the kind of praise usually reserved for fine Blanc de Blancs from Champagne. Plans also include a rosé and a prestige cuvée, with Edition 2 based on the 2021 vintage already in the pipeline.

A Royal Seal of Approval

That this project is more than just a quiet investment was clear from the launch. In September 2024, the Duchess of Edinburgh inaugurated the winery, and in spring 2025, the visitor center opened its doors. A Champagne house building a glass-walled winery with a cellar door in England isn’t thinking about a quick exit-it’s thinking in generations, just as they do in Reims.

The investment is estimated at around 15 million pounds. That’s a significant sum for a market that, twenty years ago, hardly anyone took seriously on a wine list. And that’s precisely what makes this move so telling: this isn’t an outsider’s gamble, but a house that understands sparkling wine better than almost anyone else.

Taittinger Isn’t Alone

Domaine Evremond is the most visible effort, but not the only one. Champagne house Pommery is also active in England, the Spanish-German sparkling wine giant Henkell Freixenet acquired Sussex’s Bolney Wine Estate in 2022, and California’s Jackson Family Wines has established its own English division. When three heavyweights from three different countries independently set their sights on the same island, it’s no coincidence-it’s a capital-backed trend.

The numbers back it up. England now boasts over 1,100 wineries across roughly 4,840 hectares of vineyards, and in 2024, production exceeded ten million bottles, the majority of which was sparkling wine. A young industry growing rapidly – and delivering exactly the product the big players know best. For a Champagne house, it’s a ready-made opportunity.

Why This Matters to You as an Enthusiast

You don’t need to be a collector to benefit from this development. English sparkling wine from chalk soils offers a style close to Champagne, often with even more acidity and tension, thanks to the cooler climate. If you love Blanc de Blancs, you’ll find a distinct character here-one that doesn’t aim to copy but to show kinship.

The best test is a side-by-side comparison. Place a fine bottle from Kent next to a classic Champagne and taste blind. You’ll notice differences in fruit, texture, and finish. But you’ll also understand why a house from Reims crossed the Channel. It’s the same chalk, the same craftsmanship-just a different sky above. That blend of familiarity and individuality makes English sparkling wine the most exciting bottle you could open this year.

Source header image: Pexels / Joel Zar