There is no way that I will be growing Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon and producing big reds in the UK. There simply isn’t enough sun. I need to choose varieties that will work in this climate, and the best way is to look at local vineyards to see what they are growing.
Our nearest vineyard is Chilford Hall which produces some very nice white wine, my particular favourite being a Bacchus I tried a couple of years ago. There are several red varieties that suit our climate such as Dornfelder, and some modern varieties that are supposedly good such as Rondo and Regent, but I have yet to taste a really good English red wine.
So I’m looking at white varieties, mostly of German origin. I have also discovered that there are several hybrid vines available, which not only have the ability to withstand our cold climate conditions but have been bred for their resistance to diseases such as downy mildew, powdery mildew and botrytis. Choosing one of these hybrids would help me meet my ‘no chemicals’ policy.
That leaves me with the choice of a few varieties: Orion, Phoenix, Seyval Blanc, Sirius and Solaris. I’m not sure exactly how I came to the final decision, but based on details found at Winegrowers Supplies I have decided on Phoenix and Orion. Phoenix gets my vote because it is cross-bred with Bacchus, so it must be good!