Sparkling wines are the most prominent and commercially successful of English wines, some of which have been rated alongside those from better-known wine-producing countries such as France, Australia and New Zealand. These are produced in the south of England in Kent and Sussex.

Red-wine grape varieties struggle to achieve ripeness in England's cool, damp climate, but Triomphe D'Alsace, Cascade, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are grown in English vineyards. White varieties account for approximately 90% of grapes grown here, and are dominated by Germanic varieties such as Madeleine Angevine, Seyval Blanc, Schonburger and Muller-Thurgau.