Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss has described the release of new laser mapping data from the LIDAR flood database as “just the beginning of the biggest government data giveaway the country has ever seen.”

The recent release of 3D LIDAR maps, produced by the Environment Agency, will be used to help grape growers better understand the tiny variations in slope and aspect of their land. When used in combination with other data, growers will be able to pinpoint the best location to plant vines that will thrive.

Experts estimate that an additional 75,000 acres of land across the country – equivalent to the Champagne region in France – is prime for grape growing.

The extensive LIDAR archive – which contains 11-terabytes of information, equivalent to 2,750,000 MP3 songs, and covers most of England – was originally used by the Environment Agency to plan flood defences and analyse land use.

It was released last month under the #OpenDefra project, which will see 8,000 datasets made publically available in the next year, so that commercial industries and members of the public can use it free of charge.

Sir Philip Dilley, Chairman of the Environment Agency, said:

“This data can give unique information about a landscape that can be useful for all kinds of applications. For example, when deciding where best to plant vines, the data can provide a vital insight into the terrain to identify ‘frost hollows’ and badly-drained areas that adversely affect vines.”

“Making our LIDAR surveys available as Open Data gives entrepreneurs, businesses, and local communities new opportunities to grow our thriving rural economy.”

LIDAR is the first of a number of datasets that will be released by Defra in the coming months to help grow the wine industry. From data on soil chemistry and ground water measurement to information on water supplies and localised microclimates, the planned data releases will support an industry already at the forefront of technology.

Steve Wilkinson, Head of Data Services at the Joint Nature Conservation Committee said:

“We are entering an age where all sectors – government, commercial and research – will need to work much more closely together to protect and get the best out of our environment. While the tools and techniques for analysing data become ever more powerful, it is making data more accessible that really makes the difference.”