Twenty years after the first English Wine Week, Britain’s vineyards have never looked more exciting. To mark the occasion, we’ve rounded up the best ways to sip, stay and celebrate — from cellar-door tastings and vineyard tours to the bottles, restaurants and hotels putting English wine centre stage.
When English Wine Week was first launched by WineGB in 2006, it felt less like a celebration and more like a statement of intent. Back then, English wine remained a curiosity: a fledgling industry producing just 1.3 million litres annually and competing against supermarket shelves dominated by imported favourites such as Blossom Hill, Echo Falls and Hardy’s. A handful of pioneering estates — Nyetimber, Bolney and Three Choirs among them — carried the torch for a sector that many still regarded as a niche cottage industry.
Two decades later, the landscape has been transformed. Vineyard acreage has increased by more than 160 per cent in the past decade alone, while last year’s harvest exceeded 12.4 million litres. What was once an unlikely proposition has become one of the most exciting stories in European wine. English sparkling wine now wins international awards with remarkable regularity, and the country’s vineyards have attracted investment from some of Champagne’s most prestigious names, including Taittinger and Pommery.
English wine is no longer seeking validation. It has found its voice, established its identity and earned its place on the world stage. As English Wine Week marks its twentieth anniversary, there has never been a better time to raise a glass to a homegrown success story.
Twenty miles outside Brighton, amid ancient meadows, rolling vineyards and pockets of woodland, Wiston Estate is marking its 20th anniversary in style. The celebrations begin on Friday evening with a screening of A Good Year – Ridley Scott’s much-loved tale of vineyards, wine and Provençal escapism – before rolling into a mini music festival on Saturday. Expect pizza from Safari Pizza Company, smoked specialities from The Nordic Smokery and plenty of Wiston fizz, while Vermont-born singer-songwriter Ali T provides the soundtrack as the sun sets over the South Downs vines. 26th and 27th June; tickets available HERE.
A pioneer of English still wine, Bolney has long been recognised for its expertise with Pinot varieties. Its Pinot Gris is served at Wimbledon, while the estate’s rare Cuvée Noir – one of England’s few sparkling red wines – has achieved cult status. To celebrate English Wine Week, Bolney Estate is inviting visitors behind the scenes for a hands-on blending masterclass. Taste individual components before creating your own Chardonnay and Pinot Gris blend, guided by the winemaking team. It’s a fascinating insight into how balance, texture and style are built in the glass – and a rare chance to taste wines usually reserved for the winery. 27 June; tickets available HERE.
As England’s most awarded sparkling wine producer, Gusbourne doesn’t need much introduction. For English Wine Week, the Kent estate is opening its doors for a vineyard tour, extended tasting and wine-paired lunch. The day begins with a glass of sparkling wine before a stroll through the vines, where guests can learn more about Gusbourne’s vintage-only philosophy and the terroir that underpins its wines. Back at The Nest, expect a tasting of flagship bottles alongside rare releases and limited editions, before settling in for a seasonal three-course lunch paired with wines from the estate. A suitably elegant way to celebrate English Wine Week. Tickets available HERE.
If it’s fit for a king, it’s probably worth a visit. Still revelling in Hambledon’s Classic Cuvée being served to King Charles and Queen Camilla during their recent trip to the United States, the Hampshire estate is now preparing to host the Vineyards of Hampshire Fizz Fest. Eight of the county’s leading producers ( Black Chalk, Danebury Vineyards, Exton Park, The Grange, Hattingley Valley, Louis Pommery England and Raimes) will gather for a day of tastings. Expect more than 20 still and sparkling wines, alongside food stalls, masterclasses, vineyard tours and, naturally, a lively after-party. 28 June; tickets available HERE.
For much of its modern history, English wine has been a distinctly southern affair, with Sussex, Kent and Hampshire dominating the conversation. All the more important to raise a glass to Yorkshire Heart Vineyard’s annual Great Yorkshire Wine & Fizz Festival . Celebrating some of Britain’s most northerly vineyards, the event brings together a dozen local producers – including Goosebeck, Laurel Vines, Malton Vineyard and Robin Hood’s Bay Vineyard – for an afternoon of tastings, live music and food. A reminder that England’s wine revolution is spreads well beyond the South Downs. 27 June; tickets available HERE.
Forget vineyard tours and white-tablecloth tastings. For one day only, London’s urban wineries are taking over Vagabond Urban Winery in Canada Water for an English Wine Week celebration with the volume turned up. Hosted by the London Urban Winery Collective, the event brings together Vagabond, London Cru, Blackbook and Renegade Urban Winery for a day of wine, food, music and an exclusive headline DJ set from DJ Yoda. Expect pét nats, skin-contact wines and small-batch releases, alongside the chance to meet the winemakers behind some of English wine’s most rebellious bottles. 27 June; tickets available HERE.
Fittingly, the king of the after-party, Jago Rackham, arrives at Sandridge Barton just as English Wine Week draws to a close. Those not yet ready to put down their glass can eke out the celebrations at one of two long-table dinners in South Devon. Joining forces with the ROAM team, Rackham will serve a four-course feast celebrating summer produce, communal dining and the art of entertaining. The collaboration is something of a homecoming: he grew up just ten minutes away, and family celebrations were often marked by bottles from the estate. 3rd and 4th July; tickets available HERE.
