Historic installation of first female Archbishop of Canterbury celebrated with wine from Kent
The installation of the new Archbishop of Canterbury – the first female incumbent in the role’s 1,425 year-old history – was officially celebrated with wines from Kent, reflecting the region’s growing viticultural significance.
The Most Revd Dame Sarah Mullally was enthroned as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury at Canterbury Cathedral on Wednesday (25 March), with the ceremony itself followed by a reception attended by HRH the Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the Royal Family, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and local dignitaries. A dinner was also held later on that evening.
The wines for both the reception and the dinner were solely sourced from Kent, notably Kent’s Domaine Evremond’s Classic Cuvée Edition I, which was served at both the reception and dinner, and two still wines from Simpsons’ Wine Estate, its Roman Road Chardonnay 2023 and Rabbit Hole Pinot Noir 2024, which were poured at the dinner.
“This is a strong symbol of how far English wine – and Kentish wine in particular – has come, with two local estates chosen to represent the region at such a historic and high-profile occasion,” a joint-statement from Canterbury Cathedral and both wineries said.
The Classic Cuvée, which was first released in spring 2025, has strong ties with Canterbury through the Taittinger family. Jean Taittinger, the former honorary president Taittinger Champagne and the son of the Maison’s founder, was a Mayor of Reims for 18 years between 1959-1977 , and was instrumental in twinning the French city with that of Canterbury in 1962. Later, his middle son Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, who bought back the family Champagne house following its sale in 2005, co-founded Domaine Evremond with his friend Patrick McGrath MW of Hatch Mansfield, Taittinger’s UK importer in 2015. The vineyard was planted in 2017 and later expanded.
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The Classic Cuvée was previously served at the state banquet held at Windsor Castle for the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron. HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh attended the inauguration of Domaine Evremond’s Cellar Door back in September 2004.
Both wineries are founding members of the Wine Garden of England, a collaborative group of industry pioneers who are using their combined strength to create a world-class wine trail and visitor experience in Kent.
Simpson’s Wine Estate was founded by Ruth and Charles Simpson, an English couple who set up Domaine de Sainte Rose winery in Languedoc in 2002 and later crossed the channel to produce world-class English sparkling and still wine in 2014. They chose the site in Kent based on its high number of sunshine hours and proximity to the coast, as well as the south-facing, free-draining, chalky loam soils “identical to those in Champagne”.
Mullally is the first female church leader to ever hold the position as both the head of the Church of England and the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The role of Archbishop of Canterbury dates back to 601AD, when Pope Gregory I appointed Saint Augustine with jurisdiction over Britain, based in Canterbury, surviving both the Henrician and later Elizabethan Reformations as well as upheavals such as the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170 and a devastating fire that destroyed the Cathedral itself four years later.
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