From yesterdays Telegraph:
Tattinger puts faith and fizz in English wine
English sparkling wine was once regarded as a bad joke, and the poor relation of French champagne. But now it has gained a certain cachet as Taittinger, the French champagne house, planted its first vines in Kent.
The family company plans to produce its own sparkling wine under the name Domaine Évremond - after Charles Saint-Évremond, a French nobleman said to have introduced 17th-century London to champagne at the court of King Charles II.
The vineyard is situated at Chilham, close to Canterbury. Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, the firms president, said the area is perfect for growing. He said: "We believe the combination of chalk soils, climate and the topography of our site in Kent are ideal for producing quality sparkling wine."
