Fancy riding a wine train? (Picture: @denbies_wine_estate)
English wine is crushing it right now.
There are currently more than 1,100 vineyards and 238 working wineries across England and Wales.
And get this,we’re producing over 16 million bottles of wine a year. That’s a drop in the pond compared to Champagne’s 300 million,but still.
Wind back the clock 10 years,and England wasn’t the first place that sprang to mind when you imagined sweeping rows of vines. We’re one of the world’s most northerly,coldest vineyard regions. Hardly sun-kissed and romantic like Italy or Spain. You might as well have tried growing grapes on the moon before things started warming up.
Our early wine-making efforts made us the butt of French jokes,even more than usual. ‘Les Roast Beefs font du vin? Hilaire!’
But in an astounding turnaround,global shipments of champagne fell by 2% in 2025,the lowest level in the last 20 years. France is Champagne’s largest market,and the French are drinking less of it – 4 million bottles a year less,to be exact.
England and Wales,on the other hand,increased sales by 3% that same year.
English wine is smashing it right now (Picture: Robertson Buckhaven)
Win a stay at this cosy Welsh hotel (Picture: Heather Birnie)For your chance to win this gorgeous spring getaway,enter your details into the form before midnight on Sunday,April 19. And don't forget to sign up to The Getaway Expert,our seven-day guide to becoming a more confident traveller.Click here to enterFull T&Cs apply,see here.This was propelled by airlines like BA and Virgin,who pour English sparkling as a point of national pride. The likes of Digby Fine English,Hambledon,and Hattingley are popping miles up in the air,and people are loving them.Even Japan Airlines serves Gusbourne in its first-class lounge in Tokyo.We’re on a roll. Our soil is largely identical to Champagne’s,while our climate mirrors theirs in their heyday. With soils ranging from chalk,clay,and green sand,the North and South Downs are the same geological formation found in Champagne.And how do we know this? Because every English wine producer will tell you within the first five minutes of meeting them.
Denbies vineyard has ‘magnificent’ views over the North Downs (Picture: Getty Images)According to WineGB’s latest figures,69% of what we produce is sparkling,Chardonnay represents 33% of all plantings,and there are as many as 99 grape varieties planted in England and Wales.Kent is the most widely-planted county,with double the vineyard area of the next largest,West Sussex.The wild card county is Essex,coming in third,mainly focusing on its delicious,non-bubbly wines.And the best bit? Many are a cork’s pop from London.Here are 10 of the top English wineries to visit for a lovely day trip from the capital,including a spot where you can ride a wine train…
You can ride around the vineyard in style,for just £12.50 (Picture: Denbies)Just under an hour from London,you’ll find one of England’s largest wine estates. So sizeable is the place,there’s a train running through it,shuttling visitors around the vineyards.A ride on the train will take 50 minutes set you back £12.50 per person,but it’s worth it for what Denbies describes as ‘the magnificent panoramic views’ of the North Downs.Once you’re done,make a beeline for their Solaris Orange Wine,a white made in the style of a red. It’s experimental and delicious.
A must-visit urban winery (Picture: Blackbook Winery/Instagram)A must-visit urban winery,squirreled away under a railway arch in Battersea. It’s run by ex-sommelier Sergio Verillo and his wife,Lynsey.They focus on ‘weirdy beardy blends’,low sulphur wines made from grapes,grown no more than two hours drive from London.Try their Seyval Blanc GMF for something sparkling,tropical,and unique.Tillingham Wines,East Sussex,Tour & Tasting,£40pp
Hipster Londoners will enjoy this spot (Picture: Tillingham Wines/Instagram)
With a Michelin green-starred restaurant,hipster Londoners are up and down to Tillingham like yo-yos.
There’s an array of events on offer,from winemaker dinners,foraging,and wellness days.
They also craft some of England’s most progressive wines; championing ancient winemaking traditions,natural winemaking,biodynamics,ageing in clay amphora,you get the picture.
Oastbrook is ‘enchanting’ (Picture: Oastbrook/Instagram)
America Brewer,originally from the Bahia region of Brazil is the owner here,and she brings a welcome spark of drama to Sussex,which we never knew we needed.
The Oastbrook estate has been hailed as ‘enchanting’ and with its own Hobbit House on site,it’s not hard to see why.
And get this,at the end of the tour,you’ll be tasting their superbly tasty range of wines,accompanied by relaxing Brazilian beats.
One for fans of quirky wines (Picture: renegadeurbanwinery/Instagram)
Lovers of quirky wines will know Renegade’s signature bottles. Each label features a ‘random’ person’s set of eyes; from students,plumbers,to teachers. Anyone can apply to have their peepers featured.
Wine-wise,they use both modern and ancient techniques,bringing grapes from all over the world to their London winemaking hub.
Arundel makes for a great day out,and you can swing by Digby’s on the way (Picture: Digby Fine English/Facebook)
Plan a day trip around old-timey Arundel,and make sure to swing by Digby’s Tasting Room along the high street.
They bring the vine experience to their Grade II-listed townhouse.
Sip your way though Digby’s world-beating range of vintage wines,which is,after all,what they’re celebrated for.
The wines are stunning (Picture: dust architecture)
Champagne Pommery was the first major champagne house to release English sparkling wines,from their Pinglestone Estate in Hampshire.
It’s worth joining this 1.5-hour tour,as they are as rare as grapes’ teeth.
Their wines are stunning,and they’ll be gearing up for harvest.
This is Cambridge’s first and only winery (Picture: Gutter & Stars/Instagram)
Chris Wilson is producing some of the most exciting wines in the game at Cambridge’s first and only winery,and that’s why tickets are selling at an alarming pace.
The winery is housed in the basement of a Grade II-listed windmill,for goodness sake,as if you needed another incentive.
Be sure to try a Pet Nat here (Picture: Westwell Wines/Instagram)
Their Kent Downs tours have been all over the pages of Time Out and were Tripadvisors’ Choice 2025 Winner.
Westwell will give you a two hour-long,authentic,behind-the-scenes look at viticulture and winemaking in a cooler climate.
Then you get to taste their eco-friendly,low-intervention wines,including their Pet Nats.
Fish and chips and wine? Sign me up (Picture: PA)
Visit Rathfinny’s 600-acre site,and you’ll feel like you’re in Stellenbosch.
One of England’s finest wineries,but make sure to ask for ‘a glass of Sussex,please’.
There’s a load of tasting events to choose from and one even includes fish,chips,and sparkling wine. Sign me up.
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