HERE'S a quick question. Why is British wine not necessarily British?

Well, it's because the term “British wine” refers to a drink made in Britain using grapes or grape concentrate brought in from anywhere in the world. Actual wine wine must be produced from freshly pressed grapes.

This, of course, may confuse matters for a column about British wine which isn't "British wine" but is actually wine grown and produced in Britain.

To avoid such confusion, therefore, it's best to call homegrown wine UK wine from the UK wine industry.

Which brings us on to the actual point: that a once much-maligned product is continuing to grow rapidly - with a record-breaking one million vines being planted in the UK this year.

Indeed, according to the English Wine Producers trade body, the number of acres planted with grapevines in England and Wales has grown by 135 per cent over the last decade, and tripled since 2000.

This means an estimated two million more bottles of (mainly sparkling) wine will be produced each year in a country not historically known for its viticulture, adding an estimated £50million to the industry and making it one of the fastest-growing agricultural products in the UK.

Furthermore, in recognition of the increasing popularity of UK wine, the industry has this week launched a new competition to celebrate the achievements of English and Welsh wine producers, and to crown the UK’s best tipples.

The inaugural UK Wine Awards will be led by a glittering line-up of wine experts including Susie Barrie, Oz Clarke and Hamish Anderson, joining forces with the UK wine industry itself, hotel brand Hotel du Vin, Country Life magazine and Waitrose, which carries the largest range of English and Welsh wines on the high street.

Wines from producers large and small will be pitched against each other in blind judging sessions, with the winners to be announced on May 31.

So there - ridicule it no more.

Apparently slightly warmer weather (cheers, global warming) has helped the UK industry, as have new technology and methods and a desire of some consumers to cut down "food miles" and support local produce.

Farmers have also seen that the financial return for tonnes of grapes compares favourably to that of more traditional crops such as wheat, albeit of course while being considerably more dependent on good summers.

For example, even in the far south of England where most production takes place, only about two years in 10 sees really good grape production (considerably less than in France, Italy and Spain of course), with four years being deemed average and four years poor or terrible. However, that has not stopped the recent surge in growth.

Susie Barrie is certainly a fan. “The UK Wine Awards has been relaunched to showcase one of the world's most exciting wine regions," she said. "There is so much to shout about."

Oz Clarke likewise. "The French finally admit they like our wines," he said. "New York decides that English bubbles are the next big cool wine 'thing'. And we are planting a million new vines in our nation this year. We are bubbling with confidence, and we want a UK Wine Awards, which reflects that confidence, to trumpet the message across the wine world that the English and the Welsh are coming and we will not be denied!”