Campden BRI helps lead research into English wines

23 Oct 2017 --- Campden BRI will help lead research into UK wines following the appointment of Geoff Taylor, Campden BRI’s wines and spirits expert, as chair of the UK Wine Producers research and development group. The group will encourage, assist and support research projects to improve quality, yield, consistency and sustainability within the wine industry.

Taylor commented on his appointment: “I’m honored to be appointed as head of the research and development group. UK wines have evolved enormously both technically and analytically since I started working with the wine industry over thirty years ago. I look forward to helping UK wines to take further steps forward by ensuring that the technical and sensory aspects of research are developed to their full potential.”

Taylor told FoodIngredientsFirst: “The UK is one of the coolest grape growing regions of the world. When well made, the wines have subtlety and complexity at a relatively low alcohol content. Some of the grape varieties grown in the UK - for example, Bacchus - are grown in few places elsewhere in the wine world.”
 
“The world’s traditional wine producing areas have decades of experience fine-tuning their winemaking techniques in order to produce the best wine possible. With the scientific tools currently available it should be possible to fast forward this learning in order to raise the quality of UK wines even further and on a consistent basis,” he explains. 
 
“The UK has an extensive range of excellent research facilities available, ranging from vine growing, fruit maturation, winemaking to maturation and bottling. State-of-the-art analytical tools are essential to underpin this work. A key part of my role will be to ensure all this work is both co-ordinated and undertaken at the most appropriate facility,” notes Taylor. 

UK Wine Producer Ltd. was formed in September, bringing together the United Kingdom Vineyards Association and English Wine Producers after both organizations voted to merge in July. The new organization will promote, represent and support all UK wine producers and vineyards, irrespective of their size.

By Elizabeth Green