Back in 1918 during World War One, Winston Churchill said: "Remember gentlemen, it's not just France we are fighting for, it's Champagne!"

Little did he know 86 years later we don't even need to fight for it. French Champagne houses are now seeking to produce bubbly here (see front page).

Courtesy of global warming we might have the sophisticated drink right here on our doorstep. After all, we are the most important market for Champagne outside France.

Would you believe in this country we sell 35 million bottles of fizz per year? We drink 10 times as much sparkling wine per head than the States.

France is famous for cordon bleu cuisine and wines. Belgium is famous for divine chocolate and lace. Holland offers windmills, tulips and things which aren't legal anywhere else.

Asking my colleagues about England's specialities, I get bangers and mash, cheddar, stilton, marmite, baked beans, fish and chips, steak and kidney pie. And it lacks a certain je ne sais quoi.

Perhaps this is our chance to boast world-class wine. English sparkling wine is a bargain. It would seem the French have finally accepted that we have the perfect terrain and climate right here in Kent, the garden of England, for producing world-class bubbly.