Sussex Vino

Hello, my name is Mayumi Robertson, a wine promoter from West Sussex.  

I emigrated to the UK from Japan and have lived in West Sussex for many years and I really adore here. Although it is not far from London, West Sussex is peaceful and has beautiful English countryside and the people here are relaxed and agreeable. In the rural areas the wine industry is blossoming!

Only 25 years ago English wines were mostly unknown to the world. As a local resident in Sussex I had heard that there were some local vineyards existed but at that time I could never imagine that such high quality wines could be produced. (Well, I couldn't tell the quality of wine at that time anyway...)

Now, English sparkling wines are recognised around the world because of their quality. I’m really impressed by the amount of effort and passion these producers put into their vineyards and winemaking and truly admire them. As a Japanese local resident I would like to introduce and promote English wines to Japanese people. 

Talking about sparkling wine, Japanese people love Champagne! Japan became the third highest importer for Champagne in 2019 after the UK and USA. One of the reasons is the excellent paring with Japanese food. It’s not easy to choose wines that match Japanese cuisine due to the "Umami" taste contained in most Japanese dishes. Japan ranked only the fourteenth country by annual wine consumption in 2018 with 3.5 million hectolitres, equivalent to 4 bottles per person. It has the potential to be an excellent market for English sparkling wines. 

The world of wine is extensive. The more I study the more I realise that there are so many things I don’t know. Additionally, I have appreciated that it is so much better and fun to explore the wine world with other people.  I would be incredibly grateful if I can meet like-minded wine lovers and show you the magic of English wine.