Taittinger vines grow in garden of England

The first vines have been planted in a new multi-million euro venture for prestigious champagne house Taittinger - in Kent.

Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, president of the only grand marque champagne house still run by its eponymous family, planted the first vines in the Domaine Evremond vineyard in Chilham. By the end of the week, the 50 acres of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes were planted, with more vines planned over a similar area within the next three years.

The first of bottles of its English sparkling wine should be ready to drink in 2023.

It is the first time a grande marque champagne house has planted a vineyard in the UK with the intention of producing a quality English sparkling wine. It is hoped that the Kent vineyard will supply 300,000 bottles of wine a year once production is fully established.

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