English wine is now becoming a staple on good wine lists. Thankfully though, the English wine experience does not stop there. The usual tourist haunts outside of the thriving, culturally rich, metropolis of London may include visiting castles, roman ruins, quaint English market towns and villages complete with cosy pubs. Throw in an afternoon rambling through rolling scenic hills with maybe a stroll along a pebbled beach and most visitors call it a day.
The thought of visiting an English winery would perhaps not be even thought of in this land of beer and cups of tea. It may come as a surprise to know that according to winecellardoor.co.uk, there are over 200 wineries who welcome visitors in the UK, with most of these being in England. Don’t worry, visitors to Wales also have a choice of wineries to visit.
It is not just about the fizz…
In the past decades, English sparkling wine producers have proven that their delectable fizz competes on equal footing with those of the prestigious region of Champagne. With warmer vintages becoming the norm, this should not to be unexpected. That limestone rich soil that the vineyards of Champagne and Chablis are famously grown on is the same as found in some of the best sparkling wine vineyards in England. Particularly in the South East. That is not the only similarity. As the best English sparkling wines are also made with the same grape varieties and using the same method as those in Champagne.
What has also become clear is that there is so much more to discover about English wines than just great fizz. Grape varieties such as Bacchus, Pinot Noir and even Dornfelder are making wine drinkers sit up and take notice of what is in their glass. This makes a visit to at least one English winery a must on any vinous loving traveller’s itinerary.
Here are just half a dozen of the 200 + that are worth the visit. Even better, there is one right in the centre of London:
Vagabond Winery + Kitchen
Here is one winery that you do not even have to leave London to experience. It is one of the small urban wineries that have been popping up in cities around the globe. This one can be found in the shadow of one of London’s iconic landmarks, Battersea Power Station.
The Vagabond outlets offer winelovers the opportunity to taste up about 100 wines using the enomatic wine system. They also offer wine courses. When they opened their Battersea outlet, they decided to build in an urban winery. The current winemaker is Jose. However, to show the quality of the team, one of their past winemakers was Gavin Monery. Gavin is now back in Australia, but was there making English wines with a difference. His skills have been well honed by working with the likes of one of Australia’s leading producers including Cullen Wines (who happen to be biodynamic), and Mosswood.
Why not pop down to Vagabond at Battersea and see the winemaking action while tasting great wines and produce? You might get to have a tank sample. You will certainly get to right in the thick of it in any case.
Here is a video of just what you can expect on your visit:
Chapel Down
This is one of England’s better known, corporately owned, wineries thanks to its bevy of award winning wines. Still, it has a great ambiance at its cellar door in Kent. It also has a brewery producing Curious beers and ciders. Not to be out done there is also gin, vodka and brandy under the Chapel Down portfolio.
The cellar door is located on the eastern edge of the beautiful High Weald in Kent. Kent is a county known for its beauty and iconic oast houses. This is a cellar door that is well worth the drive. If only just to drink in the scenery but also to learn a lot more about English wines.
Highlights:
Chapel Down has a number of sparkling wines in their portfolio. One of these is the plush moussed berry, citrus Chapel Down Three Graces Vintage Sparkling. Or the prestige cuvee of Kit’s Coty Blanc de Blancs which is a classy curvaceous blend of bready lemon, apple and peach.
For those who prefer skin contact white wines, they offer an amber hued Bacchus. This fits the bill as does a wild ferment Bacchus that has a lovely savoury length. Amongst the reds, as well as an elegantly proportioned Pinot Noir as well as a fun blend of Pinot Noir and Rondo. This particular blend delivers intense morello cherries, liquorice and spice.
The cellar door has a restaurant, a tasting room and lovely garden. Plus there is a wonderful additional space for courses or tastings. Being the size that it is, this is the winery that if you want to ‘drop in’ as you go past, it is very easy to taste there without having to do any tours. This makes it a great winery to add to your list to visit. Plus it is one to get to know the grapes that make the English wine scene so interesting. Chapel Down wines are perhaps the easiest English wines to find in wine sellers and on wine lists.
Bolney Estate
A Sussex winery owned and managed by the Pratt family. Bolney is just outside the village of Bolney giving the estate its name. Their cellar door houses a large café with a first floor deck that has a lovely view over the vineyard. This creates an atmosphere that, combined with these excellent English wines, certainly makes it hard place to leave.
The estate produces a wide range of still and sparkling wines. Plus there is a delicious vermouth using ingredients foraged from their hedgerows. There is a gin made using spirit distilled from their own juice too.
Highlights:
One of the highlights of their range includes the Bolney Estate Lychgate Bacchus. This is a white English wine that shows a savoury spice nestled in amongst the honeysuckle, white peach and elderflower notes. It is good drinking and is certainly a wine that will impress at lunch.
Bolney Estate wines are quite well distributed. You will easily find them on wine menus and wine store shelves around London.
Visit the winery website for more information bolneywineestate.com.
Wiston Estate
Set in the stunning South Downs, Wiston Estate is one of Britains fine sparkling wine makers. Just getting to this cellar door takes you through some of the South of England’s beauty spots. It is about a two hour drive south of central London. In addition to the beauty of the rolling chalk hillsides, you are also not far from some of the county’s best roman mosaic floors. The mosaics at either Bignor or Chichester are also very well worth the visit.
There is little doubt that Sussex is a superb region for making sparkling wine. Those chalk hills are delivering some of the finest quality bubbles to be found in the UK. Well, not just the UK, these wines compete head on with those of Champagne. Wiston Estate is in the neighbourhood of Nyetimber and on similar soils. Those soils at Nyetimber produced a wine that made the Champagne producers take notice back in the 1990s. It was also the Moss family at Nyetimber who has been said to have planted the first vineyards dedicated to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
However, Wiston’s quality is not overshadowed by Nyetimber. Together they have set the South Down’s wineries firmly on the map. Given the beauty of the area, it is also not surprising that Wiston also have several walking trails that I do also recommend.
Highlights:
Note: Tastings here will attract a fee of £15.
The Wiston Estate Brut NV is a delicious sparkling wine. It not only undergoes 8 months resting on lees before being bottled for the second ferment, it then undergoes up to five years before disgorgement. There is a whole lot to love here. It is rich in toasted nuts and cinnamon spice that boosts the citrus and stonefruit. This is one generous sip.
I would also recommend the Wiston Estate ‘Cuvee‘ and the Wiston Estate Blanc des Blancs Vintage. The ‘Cuvee’ takes on a floral lushness. It is incredibly intense, I would recommend drinking this with food. The Blanc des blancs Vintage however, is a lovely mouthful of complex fruit, spicy and minerality. And it is impeccably balanced.
Click here to visit their website.
Rathfinny Wine Estate
click here to watch a video on the Rathfinny Cellar door.
Just set back a rolling hill or two from the English Channel, down in Sussex is one of England’s newest cellar doors. Rathfinny Wine Estate. Owners Mark and Sarah Driver have grand plans for their vineyard. One of those plans is to have one of the largest wine estates in England. Now there is a modern and spacious cellar door, a restaurant specialising in seafood (perfect for English Sparkling wine and the evocative of the proximity to the coast). As you might expect, there is some excellent accommodation options.
They even encourage you to walk around the estate with their Rathfinny Trail.
Highlights:
The Rathfinny Rose Sparkling Wine is ripe with berries and lemon and enriched with a large dollop of cream sitting amongst some more savoury notes. While in the mouth it is soft and lush and leaves a lasting impression.
They also have Seven Sisters gin, launched in 2016 on offer. The gins uses the 3 rd pressing of their grape marc which is good without any adornment. This is a sipping gin with sweet lemon, orange, pear and herbs unfolding above the typical juniper. The Seven Sisters Dry Vermouth is also good with just a slice of orange.
click here to read more about Rathfinny Wine Estate.
English Oak Vineyard
While the Poole-Bournemouth region is known for its sandy beaches. This is not as common as you might think in the UK! It is better known for those quaint Dorset villages. However, there is a vineyard that deserves your attention. Sarah and Andrew named their family-run vineyard after the dominating 350 – odd year old oak at the foot of the slopes of the estate. The vineyard is planted with Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot meunier. Each variety plays a part in their sparkling English wine range. A compact range of four wines each named after oak trees.
Highlights:
The honeysuckle spice nuanced English Oak Engelmann and the salmon hued orange shortbread and berry English Oak Chinkapin are stylish blends of all three grapes. The English Oak San Gabriel is a zingy lemon brioche Blanc de Blancs. This Blanc de Blancs highlights the quality of the Chardonnay. Finally, the lightly herbaceous, stonefruit and citrus English Oak Wainscot is a Blanc de Noirs made from their Pinot noir.
There are tours available. Here is a hint, that oak tree at the centre of the estate is a stunning spot for one of their picnic hampers. You can even book to hold an event there. You will find their wines appearing on fine wine lists, particularly locally. Contact the winery to book tours, those picnics look mighty good too.
Denbies
Perhaps this is the cellar door closest to London. It is about 30 minutes by car from the western edge of London. This makes it one for those who do not have time to travel further afield. Denbies is located just on the outskirts of the township of Dorking in the scenic hills Surrey. It is certainly a lovely part of the world to go for a drive around the many beauty spots and picturesque villages in the vicinity. However, a warning. Do not arrive at this cellar door without booking a tour. You might be greeted by plastic shot glasses to taste with.
Highlights:
The Denbies Bacchus is worth trying. It shows that Bacchus is finding its stride in the English vineyards. The single variety Bacchus is dry with some savoury spice complimenting the fresh apple, pear and elderflower. There are other interesting varieties on offer too. Such as a white blend of Seyval and Reichensteiner. Or a Pinot Noir and Dornfelder red blend. While you are there, you might try the curiosity Ginking. This is a blend of Denbies Sparkling wine with London Dry Gin.
Being so close to London, means it is well set up for tourism. Expect to fine two choices of places to eat, accommodation, plus a farm shop. And the Surrey Hills Brewery. They run regular tours with special tastings all year and there is a tour to suit all weather conditions. If you cannot get there by car, you are able to get there by train too. The cellar door is about 20 minutes easy walk from the Dorking Deepdene station.
For English wine recommendations, please click here and here. To read about the Bacchus grape, an English speciality, please click here.
Please note: This article was updated on 23 rd October 2019 & 20th July 2020 & 26th August 2025
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