It’s all about location, location, location. The land here is triple blessed, you only have to follow the same line of latitude west and find yourself in a rather frosty Canada to realise that something different is going on. The Gulf Stream brings a constant flow of warming currents, the prevailing south west wind combined with topography deflect much of any bad weather, and the geology here is part of the same famous beds that have brought Champagne and Burgundy so much fame and fortune.