UK producer Simpsons doubling down on still Chardonnay

The Kent based wine estate is planting 40ha of Chardonnay destined for still white wine production, in a move that could show the next big opportunity for English wines.

World-beating sparkling wines are what England has become known for, but recently Chardonnay has started to become a challenger. Simpsons Estate has decided to plant 40ha of Chardonnay using only Burgundian clones optimized for still wines on chalky soils.

Historically, much of the UK's Chardonnay has been planted using clones best suited for sparkling wine production, but after the commercial and critical success of their still Chardonnay, Simpsons are dedicating more vineyards to these.