Missing in England: an entire wine region

Missing areas in green, yellow

 When it comes to wine, not a lot of Americans immediately think about England. Beer, yes, but wine not so much. Apparently some people in England have that same attitude.

According to The Drinks Business, "A post titled ‘All About English Wine’ published on the Wine Folly blog this week includes a 'Wine Map of England' which highlights the winemaking regions of Hampshire, Sussex, Surry, Kent, East Anglia and -- that’s it.

"Several observers noted the omission of the entire South West of England, home to ... around 139 vineyards ... around half of which are of a 'medium to large' size, according to English wine marketing group English Wine Producers."

Was this just a faux pas by some ill-informed hobbyist writing a weak little blog? No, says the report. "The award-winning Wine Folly site is run by Madeline Puckette, a former graphic designer and qualified sommelier whose wine infographics have helped many thousands, if not millions, of wine novices to better understand the subject since its launch in 2011. The site has also led to the publication of a New York Times best-selling book."

So, what happened, and why the mysterious omission of an entire wine-producing region in a country that isn't all that large to begin with? Go here for the rest of the story.