(Independent) - Earlier this year, in a field close to Alfriston in East Sussex, a small but significant event occurred in the history of English wine-making: the first vines were planted in what could become the country's largest vineyard – it is projected to produce a million bottles of sparkling wine annually by decade's end. Once, former financier Mark Driver's investment in the 400-acre Rathfinney estate, complete with state-of-the-art winery and hired French wine-maker, might have been considered a rich man's indulgence. But his venture is less speculative gamble and more faith in a business with a long-term future – English sparking wines have been garlanded with awards, celebrated by top chefs and served at Buckingham Palace and state functions. Now taken seriously by leading merchants, the supermarkets, from Aldi to Waitrose, also crucially feel required to put English wines on their shelves.