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English wine has long been ­dismissed as inferior to posh French vintages... but no more.

Thanks to great weather this summer and improved growing techniques, experts predict 2014 will be the best year ever for English and Welsh wines.

We have 432 vineyards, producing a mouth-watering 6.5 million bottles a year.

Could it really be that our wine is now as a good as, or even superior to, its rivals from across the Channel?

With Christmas booze buying just around the corner, we asked wine legend Oz Clarke to take a blind taste test in his local pub in West London.

He gave marks out of ten to a mixture of English and French that included reds, whites and sparkling.

So which fizz did Oz fancy for a Christmas toast? Could he tell the ­difference between the two nations and, most important, which did he prefer?

We totted up the scores – below – and home-grown English wine came out the overall winner in our Sunday People taste test.

Oz’s verdict: “Well done, England. A great result and the margins could have been much bigger if I’d had better vintages of some of the English wines.

“When picking them, look for years when it didn’t rain at Wimbledon.

“That is the time when the vines are in blossom – and a dry spell leads to more fruit.

“England and Wales are making some really good wines. That should be no surprise because the vines sit on the same chalk belt that runs from the south of England over to Calais and down into the Champagne region.

“Also global warming means ­temperatures in southern England are like northern France 20 years ago.

“It is important to note the ­difference between English and British wine. British wine is made from imported grapes ­fortified and tastes disgusting. So look for wine labelled English or Welsh.

“We made four million bottles of English wine last year. It will be 6.5million this year and that will grow.

"Get a bottle this weekend. Mark my words that in a couple of years we’ll all be drinking it.”

The Sunday People blind tasting

French – Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut NV (£36.99, Waitrose). Oz guessed French. He said: “Really nice. Fresh with a good amount of fruit. Drink with friends. No food needed.” Mark 8.5.

English – Nyetimber Classic Cuvee (£31.99, Waitrose). Oz praised this, saying: “Lovely,the bubbles are foaming in my mouth. It’s classy.” Mark 8.5.

French – Signature Champagne (£18.99, Morrisons). Oz’s guess: French. “Bright, breezy, brash. Share a bottle at an ­impromptu festive get-together, on it’s own or with party food.” Mark 7.

English – Chapel Down Brut (£21.99 but £16.99 from Dec 1, Morrisons). Oz’s glowing verdict: “A rich, deep, serious wine. I like this a lot.” Mark 8.

French – Tesco Finest Cotes de Gascogne 2013 (£7.99). Oz got this one wrong, guessing it was English. He said: “Waxy in your mouth but perfectly drinkable. Serve with white fish and chicken.” Mark 5.5.

English – Tesco Finest English White 2013 (£8.99). Oz: “Promising. Lemon zest. Serve with seafood.” Mark 6.5.

French – Beaujolais (£9, Marks and Spencer). Oz guessed it was French and said: “It’s got a strawberry taste, slightly jammy but the aftertaste drifts off a bit. Good with cold meats.” Mark 6.

English – Plumpton College Red (£10, Marks and Spencer). Oz said: “Smells nice It has a bit of green apple but pleasant fruit.” Mark 6.5.

French – Tour Chapoux Bordeaux Sauvignon (£10.49, Waitrose). Oz said: “Freshness of early spring. Serve with chicken, fish or soup.” Mark 5.5.

English – Waitrose English White (£9.99). Oz correctly identified this as English and said: “Nice flavour, green pears and green apple peel. Soft, mild nose. Great with a salad.” Mark 6.

French – Lanson Rose Brut NV (£37.99, Waitrose). Oz guessed French. Verdict: “Good and full flavoured. Drink at a celebration.” Mark 7.

English – Camel Valley Pinot Noir Rose (£28.99, Waitrose). Oz was enthusiatic: “This has much more flavour, honey and strawberry. A lovely drink. You don’t need food.” Mark 8.5.

To order Oz Clarke’s Pocket Wine List 2015 (RRP £9.99) for the offer price of £8.99 plus £1.75 postage

and packing, call the Mirror Bookshop on 0843 060 0022.