THE UK - UK WINES & UK VINEYARDS

Beautiful Hambledon Vineyard in Hampshire

Photo source: Wine Keller

 Select a region in the UK for a vineyard tour and wine tasting!

Where are the vineyards in the UK?

GB wine regions (source - WineGB)

 Where is UK wine produced?

The UK wine industry is relatively young compared to other more established wine producing countries, but the UK is now positioning itself as a serious destination for wine tourism. 

According to WineGB there are approximately 165 UK wineries and 770 UK vineyards - with numbers growing rapidly as the climate becomes ever more suitable for producing quality wine - and over 200 UK vineyards are open to visitors! Some vineyards are quite small and don’t have their own winery, which explains the difference between the number of vineyards and number of wineries, where the wine is actually made.

WineGB has defined seven distinct regions, each with their own regional vineyard association and covering all wine-producing counties. There is a superb variety of UK vineyards to visit, with the attraction of being able to combine with visiting major city, cultural, scenic and historic travel destinations, enjoying wonderful food at local restaurants and pubs, sampling a huge range of accommodation options - and of course, trying out some local beer too!

Where are you going to visit first??

 UK wine

English wine especially, but also Welsh wine is really starting to make a mark on the global wine industry and interest both at home and abroad in visiting UK vineyards and sampling UK wine is at an all time high.

Pinot noir, whose spiritual home is Burgundy in France, is the mostly widely grown grape in the UK, making up 33% of the total crop. Very little of this however goes towards making red still wine, mainly because the UK’s cooler climate hasn’t traditionally delivered enough warmth to produce the essential fruitiness of a still red - or white wine. However, the climate is ideal for producing grapes with lots of acidity, which can be blended together with the other classic Champagne grapes, chardonnay (32% of total crop) and pinot meunier (13%) to produce the perfect sparkling wine. 

The current focus for UK wines is therefore sparkling wine (72% of all wines produced) and the reputation for English sparkling wine, made by the traditional ‘champagne method’ )or Great British Classic Method) is really growing. The style is typically very, very fresh with hints of apples and flowers and although the quality can vary greatly, the best are really world-class!

You may think that sparkling English wines are quite expensive, compared to say a cava or a prosecco, but made in the classic way of French champagne, you are paying for a lengthy, but quality process!

 

Pinot noir grapes at Winding Wood vineyards, W Berkshire

 Sustainable UK wines

Viticulture represents one of the UK’s fastest-growing agricultural sectors and it’s really encouraging to see more and more wine producers signing up to the national sustainability scheme - Sustainable Wines of Great Britain.

 Planning your UK wine tour, vineyard tour or English wine tasting

You can easily plan a day trip or tour of UK vineyards, focusing on a specific county or geographical area. Perhaps centre around a major transport link if you are using public transport. If based in London, you can plan a 1-day or 2-day trip to vineyards in the neighbouring counties in the South east, Wessex, East Anglia and Thames & Chilterns regions.

Be aware that not all vineyards have a winery, so your tour will be restricted to seeing the vineyards and then a wine tasting. If the vineyard has its own winery, a tour of the winery may also be included.

You will be able to find accommodation easy enough in local towns and villages and of course the UK vineyards will be able to advise some excellent options for accommodation, but also for restaurants and other activities. 

You should always contact the vineyard in advance, to book your visit.

See our different UK wine region website pages and read our suggested wine tour blogs for inspiration, information and advice about which regions to visit, which vineyards to visit and what to see and do in the area!

Also see here for ideas and help in planning your wine tour or vineyard tours in the UK:

  • WineGB for a full list of UK vineyards to visit, with an excellent search function and useful information by vineyard.

  • Wine Cellar Door who also do the above, but in addition have a great interactive map which makes planning easier!