The quality of English wine continues to go from strength to strength and its blossoming reputation is driving consumer curiosity, with wineries transforming their estates into attractive tourist destinations as a result. There is an increasing number of reasons to visit English vineyards, be it a tour and a tasting, art and music events, picnics, a meal in a restaurant overlooking the vines or even an overnight stay. Indeed, the quality of the wine and hospitality at English vineyards is now good enough to rival those in France, Italy, Spain and beyond.
As the industry matures in the UK, the wines only continue to improve, and the range of styles on offer broadens too. Sparkling wine is no longer the only option when buying English, with a growing number of producers exploring still wines made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to impressive effect, as well as wines made from Germanic grape varieties. Plus, English rosé is starting to become a more common sight in the summer. All this means English wines are scooping more medals than ever; we’ve used award winners from this year’s IWSC to form the backbone of our list below.
From vineyard tours led by estate owners to talks and tastings informed by the winemakers themselves, you can really get to the bottom of how England’s vineyards have adapted to a unique climate and varied terroir – from the chalky slopes of Surrey’s Greyfriars to sun-soaked Chapel Down in Kent. If you’re less about the education and more about the enjoyment, many of these English vineyards also offer snacks, afternoon tea, long, lingering lunches or drinks at dusk in the summer months, so you can make the most of the unique countryside settings – plus a glass or two of the good stuff.
23 top vineyards in England open to visitors over the summer
-
- Balfour Hush Heath Estate & Winery, Kent
- The B58 Winery, Hampshire
- Beacon Down, East Sussex
- Black Chalk, Hampshire
- Busi Jacobsohn Wine Estate, East Sussex
- Chapel Down, Kent
- Denbies Wine Estate, Surrey
- English Oak Vineyard, Dorset
- Greyfriars Vineyard, Surrey
- Gusbourne Estate, Kent
- Hambledon Wine Estate, Hampshire
- Harrow & Hope, Buckinghamshire
- Hattingley Valley, Hampshire
- Henners, East Sussex
- Langham Wine Estate, Dorset
- Lyme Bay Winery, Devon
- Mousehall Estate, East Sussex
- Penn Oast Vineyard, Kent
- Ridgeview Wine Estate, East Sussex
- Sandridge Barton, Devon
- Vagabond Urban Winery, London
- Winbirri Vineyard, Norfolk
- Woodchester Valley, Gloucestershire
English vineyard tours and tastings
Balfour Winery
Kent
Synonymous with sparkling rosé, the Balfour Winery in Kent is an ideal travel destination for year-round visits or an afternoon in the summer sunshine. Richard and Leslie Balfour-Lynn’s 400-acre estate was first planted in 2002. Now a thriving winery, throughout the year visitors can choose to wander around the vineyards, orchards and woods (pick up a map at the cellar door), or select from a variety of tours and tastings. At estate restaurant The View, you can dine and taste wines among the family’s private art collection. PM
From £15pp. There are two routes around the vineyards for self-guided walks at no cost
Balfour Winery, Five Oak Lane, Staplehurst, Tonbridge TN12 0HT
The B58 Winery
Hampshire
Sandy Booth’s farm in Beaulieu, a town on the edge of the New Forest National Park, has been home to strawberry fields and asparagus tunnels for decades. But it wasn’t until 2023 that Booth turned his attention to vines. Now, techniques honed for soft fruit cultivation have been applied to grape growing, allowing varieties rarely found in UK soil, like Gewürztraminer, to flourish. Following the release of its first wines in 2025, the winery has launched ‘open days’ this summer offering guided vineyard tours, a talk by Booth and a tasting of three of the wines, including the Beaulieu White 2024 and Beaulieu Orange 2024, both awarded Silver by the IWSC in 2026. Eloise Feilden
From £15pp
The B58 Winery, Newhouse Farm, Church Lane, Hampshire SO42 7WS
b58winery.com
Beacon Down
East Sussex
What began in 2012 as a ‘what if’ conversation between husband and wife Paul and Al Pippard has, in the years since, flourished into an 18-acre wine estate in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In spring and summer, guided tours of the vineyards have the option of ending with a picnic or a tasting of all the current wines, including IWSC Silver winner Blanc de Blancs Brut 2018. The couple offer free tastings on Saturday afternoons in August, where you can walk among the vines with a glass in hand, taking in the stunning South Downs backdrop. Plus, Beacon Down’s ‘Lease a Vine’ scheme gives you the chance to own a slice of this idyllic spot. You can rent either one or six vines and return to pick your grapes at harvest. EF
From £15
Beacon Down Vineyard, Browns Lane, East Sussex TN21 0QJ
Black Chalk
Hampshire
With 30 acres of vines split across four different vineyards and a range of tours and tastings at different price levels, Black Chalk has plenty to offer. Jacob Leadley’s bold venture first started producing wine in 2015 and, after moving to its current site in 2020, now boasts a state-of-the-art winery, offering tours and tastings to visitors throughout the year. The team at Black Chalk is keen to emphasise the winery’s green credentials, with sustainable and minimal intervention practices carried out in the vineyard and winery. Visitors can opt for tastings and/or lunch after a tour of the vineyards, with locally sourced grazing platters that pair perfectly with the still and sparkling wines on offer, including the Eighty Nine Point Six Blanc de Blancs Brut 2020, awarded Gold by the IWSC in 2026. Ciarán Griffiths
From £25pp
Black Chalk Vineyard and Winery, Fullerton Rd, Andover SP11 7JX
Busi Jacobsohn Wine Estate
East Sussex
Husband and wife Susanna and Douglas describe Busi Jacobsohn as a ‘family vineyard’, where even their dogs play a part in protecting the land. A single-estate ethos has driven sparkling winemaking at the estate, situated 15 minutes south of Tunbridge Wells, since it was established in 2015, although the design-led elements might seem more prominent thanks to Susanna’s keen eye and background in art and fashion. A handful of summer open days sell out fast, but a tailor-made visit to the vineyard is still encouraged, with prior contact required so you can make the most of a group trip and tasting. Laura Richards
From £32pp
Busi Jacobsohn Wine Estate, Blackdon Hill, Farm, Eridge, Tunbridge Wells TN3 9HX
Chapel Down
Kent
One of the pioneering producers of the English sparkling boom has also helped set the tone for wine tourism in the UK. Kent’s Chapel Down – situated on the edge of charming market town Tenterden – is open seven days a week for tours and tastings, including an opportunity to drink by the glass as you tour the vines and sample juice direct from the tank (all part of the ‘walking with wine’ tour). Tastings of its English Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and more familiar sparklers can also be combined with fine dining or afternoon tea in the Swan Restaurant. With plans for a new winery site recently approved in nearby Canterbury and the expansion of its wine production a future prospect, bigger things from Chapel Down are still to come. LR
Tour and tasting, £30pp
Chapel Down Winery, Small Hythe, Tenterden, Kent, TN30 7NG
Denbies Wine Estate
Surrey
Denbies is one of the largest single-estate vineyards in England, with 265 of 380 acres dedicated to vines. The size of the estate means there is plenty in the way of hospitality on offer, including several restaurants and a hotel, but tours and tastings include a package that features a short film in the ‘Denbies cinema’, a walk of the winery and a tasting of selected wines in the estate’s cellars. An outdoor ‘train’ tour is also available, taking you around the best vantage points on the estate for views of the vineyards. If you do decide to sample the food at one of the restaurants, keep an eye out for Denbies’ Cubitt Blanc de Blancs Brut 2017 on the wine list, which took home a Silver medal at the 2026 IWSC.
From £16.95pp
London Road, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6AA
English Oak Vineyard
Dorset
Located a 10-minute drive from Poole in Dorset, English Oak has a strong focus on sustainability, with solar power and electric vehicles, as well as beehives and various fauna to see while wandering through the vineyards. Tours and tastings are on offer, plus picnic hampers to enjoy on-site. The venue is also a popular location for weddings thanks to an oak ‘amphitheatre’, stone waterfall and the generally idyllic views and surroundings. There’s plenty of bubbly on offer, including IWSC Silver winner Quercus Blanc de Blancs Brut 2020, to toast the British summer. The vineyard tours run on Fridays and Saturdays from June to the end of October, with the option of a tasting minus the tour in the off season. William Morris
£25pp
English Oak Vineyard, Flowers Drove, Lytchett Matravers, Dorset, BH16 6BX
Greyfriars Vineyard
Surrey
The North Downs, just outside Guildford, are known for chalky slopes. Here, the Greyfriars team have been focusing on traditional method sparkling wines since a change of hands in 2010 – and has just scooped a Silver medal from the IWSC for its Rosé Reserve Brut 2022. Guided tours are by appointment and come complete with tastings on a viewing deck. You can also take a self-guided saunter round those steep grounds, or pack a picnic and plonk down on a pre-booked blanket with a bottle of your choice. For those less organised, food trucks are serving sustenance on select Saturdays. LR
From £25pp
Greyfriars Vineyard, The Hogs Back, Puttenham, Surrey, GU3 1AG
Gusbourne Estate
Kent
Day-trippers from London can take the train and a short taxi ride to this renowned Ashford winery, where a regular roster of tours and tastings await. Founded by Andrew Weeber in 2004, the estate comprises 60 hectares of Burgundian clones put to good use in Gusbourne’s award-winning sparkling whites and rosés. As well as lunchtime picnic packages, keep an eye out for guest chef and restaurant collaborations throughout the summer that make Gusbourne a worthy tourist go-to. LR
From £30
Gusbourne Estate, Kenardington Road, Appledore, Ashford, TN26 2BE
Hambledon Wine Estate
Hampshire
A cellar door and restaurant opened just last summer at Hambledon’s Hampshire estate, adding to a long list of reasons to visit. Guests can shape an itinerary any which way: from a wine-paired book club in among the vines, to a Land Rover wine safari or a sumptuous live-fire feast offset by lashings of English sparkling. If you’re lured in on the appeal of the wines, you’re justified: Hambledon’s Blanc de Blancs is an IWSC Gold medal winner. Plus, the estate has the backing of esteemed wine merchants Berry Bros. & Rudd and uses its expertise to stock a cellar door chock full of cult world wines to sample. LR
From £30pp
East St, Hambledon, Waterlooville, PO7 4RY
Henners
East Sussex
Henners was first established in 2007 by an ex-Formula One engineer, but production ramped up a gear when UK-based wine importers Boutinot took on full ownership in 2017. Planted on clay soils just 24 metres above sea level and overlooking East Sussex’s Pevensey Levels, Henners boasts a cellar door with ample outdoor space for sitting and sipping sparkling rosé (Henners Rosé Brut NV just picked up a Silver medal from the IWSC) and devouring street food delights from a rotating roster of pop-ups in the kitchen. For the grape to glass experience, tours take in both the vineyard and winery, and finish with a guided tasting of five wines from the range. LR
From £29pp
Henners Vineyard, Herstmonceux, Hailsham BN27 1RJ
Harrow & Hope
Buckinghamshire
When Henry and Kaye Laithwaite began work on their single-vineyard estate on the Chiltern Hills, they soon learned that the harrows used to till the vineyard were no match for the hard flint rock underfoot. They chose to name their winery after the broken tools that became emblems of all the hard work. Discover the fruits of their labour via vineyard evenings run in partnership with local food vendors in the summer or through intimate guided tours running from May to early September, which offer groups of up to 12 a trip through vines planted on the rolling hillsides overlooking the River Thames. EF
Tours & tastings from £35pp
Marlow Winery, Pump Ln N, Marlow SL7 3RD
Hattingley Valley
Hampshire
What initially began as a diversification project for a farm has become one of the leading lights in English sparkling wine. Hattingley Valley makes its fizz using the traditional method and currently has a portfolio of seven wines, including a classic Chardonnay-based blend, a blanc de blancs and a rosé, as well as a still Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Guided tours of the winery include an opportunity to taste the current range and buy wines at cellar door prices. The Classic Reserve offers bright orchard fruits and a subtly nutty finish – it’s definitely not one to miss, having won a Silver medal at this year’s IWSC. WM
£30pp
Hattingley Valley, Wield Yard, Lower Wield, Nr Alresford SO24 9AJ
Langham Wine Estate
Dorset
Langham Wine Estate in Dorset started off as a ‘hobby vineyard’ in the late 2000s, according to head winemaker Tommy Grimshaw but is now a major attraction, with a restaurant and café, gift shop and cellar door for sales and tastings. Regular themed foodie nights take place, as well as winemaker dinners and a variety of tours. The wines themselves are a range of sparklers made from the classic Champagne varieties, including the award-winning Culver Classic Cuvée Extra Brut NV. SP
From £15pp
Langham Wine Estate, Crawthorne, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 7NG
Lyme Bay Winery
Devon
Nestled within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty just five miles inland from the Jurassic coast, Lyme Bay Winery has been quietly conserving English mead- and wine-making tradition for three decades. Its range of still and sparkling wines and meads, as well as liqueurs and country fruit wines (think cherry, elderflower, and even nettle-infused libations) are best experienced at the cellar door. Here, guided tastings will take you through seven different wines, teaching you the fundamentals of how to taste, explaining where the grapes are grown and how the wine is made. Each guest also receives winemaker notes on each of the wines sampled, and you’ll be able to buy bottles at discounted prices. EF
Tastings from £35pp
Lyme Bay Winery, Shute, Axminster, Devon EX13 7PW
lymebaywinery.co.uk
Mousehall Estate
East Sussex
The Tidebrook wines produced at Mousehall Country Estate take their name from the Sussex brook that rises in the neighbouring valley. Most interesting is that the range comprises four still wines, including medal-winning Pinot Noir and Chardonnay – and not an English sparkling in sight. A 90-minute visitor experience includes a vineyard tour and a tasting of all four vinous expressions. If your enthusiasm for drink extends beyond the humble grape, Mousehall has the unique advantage of housing a gin distillery on site, with the option of taking a combined tour. You won’t want to be designated driver for this day out. LR
From £30pp
Mousehall, Tidebrook, Wadhurst TN5 6PG
Penn Oast Vineyard
Kent
A former hop farm in the Kent countryside has been transformed into fields of vines under the ownership of the Davis family, who now occupy the oast house that still sits in the centre of the land. Their aim is to produce wines in step with nature, letting their chickens and even a turkey roam free among the vines. Open days fall on most Saturdays of the summer months, and the occasional Friday, too, with drinking tents and picnic tables set up outdoors – and a roster of local food trucks pulling up for wine-sipping sustenance. A great opportunity to sample English rosé brimming with the aromas of a Kentish strawberry harvest. LR
Open days are free to attend
Manor Lane, Hollingbourne, Kent, ME17 1UN
Ridgeview Wine Estate
East Sussex
Considered one of the first growths of English sparkling wine, Ridgeview’s Chardonnay vines were planted back in 1995 and its bottles have notoriously been popped at Buckingham Palace. But despite those lofty heights, it’s a family business at heart. Get advice at the cellar door, book a one-and-a-half-hour tour and tasting or stop for a meal at the Rows & Vine restaurant, with views across the vineyard and the exquisite South Downs backdrop. LR
From £20pp
Ridgeview Wine Estate, Ditchling Common, Fragbarrow Lane, BN6 8TP
Sandridge Barton
Devon
Known as Sharpham until 2020 when it moved to the eastern side of the river Dart, Sandridge Barton has been a pioneer of English wine since the early 1980s. The transported estate’s visitor centre opened in 2022 and now offers vineyard tours to suit all moods and knowledge levels. For in-depth wine geekery, the ‘vineyard safari’ gives insights into every aspect of grape growing and winemaking. Meanwhile, its guided tastings include a trip through the winery and a tasting of three wines to sip alongside locally made cheese and charcuterie. Alternatively, hour-long self-guided tastings offer a more informal way to enjoy a glass. EF
From £15pp
Sandridge Barton Wines, Lower Well Farm, Stoke Gabriel, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 6RL
Vagabond Urban Winery
London
It’s not often you get a winery with a London postcode, let alone one as central as Zone 2, but Vagabond’s Urban Winery sits at the heart of Canada Water, making it an essential addition to the bucket list for any wine-loving city slicker. Drink among the tanks and explore the barrels via tours, tastings and workshops. The blending masterclass, for example, will teach you the science behind creating unique styles and creating complexity through blending. Led by the production team, you’ll taste five wines and take home your very own self-blended 75cl bottle. Alternatively, the Vagabond bar is open seven days a week, so head there for a taste of the English wines made on-site and poured straight from the barrel. EF
Tours and tastings from £29pp
Vagabond Urban Winery, 9 Deal Porters Way, London SE16 2AJ
Winbirri Vineyard
Norfolk
From May to August, Winbirri runs regular tours of its vineyard on the outskirts of Norwich guided by lead winemaker Lee Dyer – but more casual visits to enjoy a drink within the estate’s wine garden, in touching distance of the vines, are also welcomed in warmer weather. Meanwhile, regular wine and cheese evenings pair Norfolk cheese with the Winbirri range, including medal-winning English sparkling and the estate’s calling card Bacchus. Recent one-off events include a Bacchus vertical tasting, so keep an eye out for future curiosities tailored to true oenophiles. LR
From £32.50pp
Bramerton Road, Surlingham, Norfolk, NR14 7DE
Woodchester Valley
Gloucestershire
Situated in the south Cotswolds, Woodchester Valley made its first wine back in 2010, before moving to its current site and establishing the winery in 2016. The estate now offers a choice of tours, with picnic-lunch options, and special ‘Fizz and Chips’ evenings – plus, there’s on-site accommodation, in the form of three vineyard barn guest rooms, and houses for larger groups. Tour and tastings run year-round and there’s also a sizeable cellar-door shop five minutes’ drive away in the town of Nailsworth. SP
From £20pp
Woodchester Vallery, Convent Lane, Woodchester, Stroud, GL5 5HR
