Years ago, European wine was only taken seriously when it came from France, Italy or Spain – occasionally, America and Australia, but even those were a stretch – and English wine was at the very bottom rung of the ladder (not that there was much choice, mind).
But now, thanks to a handful of pioneering English wineries and temperatures more conducive to perfect growing conditions, native grapes and the bottles they create are making even the most discerning of connoisseurs sit up and take notice. And it’s about time, too.
The Brits are coming
Although Hambledon in Hampshire is the oldest commercial vineyard in England, founded in 1952 by Major-General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones, it was Chapel Down – the Kentish winery that opened in 2002 – that first broke into the mainstream in a seriously big way, with others such as Bolney Wine Estate, Gusbourne Wine and Hattingley Valley Wines hot on its heels.
Now, you’re spoilt for choice in the likes of Sussex, Kent and Hampshire with wineries peppering these beautiful counties.
Simon Roberts, director of winemaking at Ridgeview – a winery in Sussex launched in 1995 – says: “It’s an exciting time to be part of the English wine industry. Figures from WineGB (our governing body) state there are now nearly 900 vineyards in England and Wales, which is three times the number compared to 20 years ago. At Ridgeview, we’re proud to be an integral part of the growth of our industry over the past 30 years.”
The vinter has seen plenty of changes in this time, “the most significant being the effect of climate change over the last three decades. The 2018 season felt like a real change had begun, bringing a long, hot summer and a bumper harvest, which was our biggest to date before the record 2023. Ever since wine production has grown so much, and viticulture is now excitingly the fastest-growing sector in the agricultural industry.”
Roberts explains: “Much of the success of the English wine industry stems from our blending of tradition and innovation with our feet both in the Old and New Worlds.
Ridgeview has experienced exponential growth; production has increased from 25,000 bottles annually to over 500,000 with plans to reach three-quarters of a million a year.”
He concludes: “Now, it’s not unusual to see English wines on restaurant wine lists. With English wines continuously winning international acclaim, there’s a real buzz and the quality keeps improving. We encourage customers and enthusiasts to support this growing industry and sustainability efforts by buying local and visiting vineyards. Not only do they provide an enjoyable day out, but you can see just how vibrant the English wine industry is.”
Barbara Drew, Master of Wine and content officer at Berry Bros. & Rudd, the esteemed London wine merchant, chimes in: “For many years, English wine was something of a curiosity, but now the vineyards have matured, the vines are producing incredible fruit, and winemakers are much more confident in pushing the limits, knowing that their wines (certainly the fizz) can age for decades.
As a result, these wines stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best of France, or New Zealand or California. The sheer variety is also exciting. For a small island, we have a range of different climates. Yes, we can produce sparkling wine that rivals Champagne, but we can also create exquisite, buttery Chardonnays, juicy rosés, really floral white wines and smooth reds. I’ve even tasted some beautiful orange wines from England recently. For any fan of fine wine, English wine is, today, not to be ignored.”
Still need convincing? Work your way through this list – they’re the best of the bunch.
THE WHITE
Definition by Majestic Bacchus 2023
Characterised by its namesake grape – mouthwateringly fresh and irresistibly crisp – this Bacchus from Majestic’s own label comes from Henners Vineyard in the east Sussex village of Herstmonceux by ex-F1 race engineer Lawrence Warr. Expect typical aromas of elderflower, gooseberry, whitecurrant and lime.
Buy now £18.99, Majestic
Henners Gardner Street Classic White 2023
Henners Vineyard in Sussex has created its Classic White to be enjoyed any time and stand up to its European counterparts. We’d say it’s mission accomplished with an uncomplicated but sophisticated sip made from Bacchus grapes blended with a small proportion of Chardonnay. Vibrant elderflower and orchard-fruit aromas make way for flavours of whitecurrant and lime zest with a creamy finish. Deliciously drinkable.
Buy now £18.49, Virgin Wines
Burn Valley Schonburger 2023
Benefiting from free-draining soil that’s flinty with a chalk base – not to mention a south-facing vineyard – Burn Valley in Norfolk is quietly making some very good wine indeed. Case in point is its Schonburger: tropical-fruit flavours and aromas of lychee and rose petal make for an elegant accompaniment to Asian food.
Buy now £17.99, Burn Valley
Halfpenny Green Wine Estate Bacchus 2022
This small but perfectly formed vineyard in Staffordshire produces up to 60,000 bottles of its own-label wine each year using grapes grown on-site. Arguably, its take on a Bacchus is one of its best bottles: citrussy and herbaceous on both the nose and palate. We enjoyed it as an aperitif with nibbles but it’s equally good with grilled fish or pasta dishes.
Buy now £15.25, Halfpenny
THE RED
Mills & Hills Pinot Noir 2022
This delicious Pinot Wine from Derbyshire – made in an old cotton mill in the Derwent Valley, no less – has great body and depth with bright cranberry, pomegranate and Morello cherry flavours. It’s silky and fresh on the palate with subtle aromas of oak spice. Really great with a Sunday roast.
Buy now £25.99, Naked Wines
Riverview Crouch Valley 2021 Pinot Noir
You’ll have to be quick to get your hands on a bottle of this Pinot Noir from Riverview Crouch Valley in Essex: there are only 900 bottles made.
Husband-and-wife team Umut and Kate Yesil are onto a winner with this small-batch, single-varietal Pinot Noir featuring delicate floral notes and flavours of orange peel, smoke and sweet spice.
Buy now £36.00, Riverview
Bolney Wine Estate Cuvée Noir
Serve something different at your next soirée with this sparkling red wine from Bolney. Yes, really.
Completely unique, it’s got aromas of red cherry, redcurrant and sweet blueberry with summer-fruit flavours and sweet spice. We’ve tried it with a couple of pairings but we think the perfect match is barbecued food such as a juicy burger: the sparkling red really cuts through the fat.
Buy now £32.00, Bolney Wine Estate
Lympstone Manor Estate Triassic Pinot Noir
Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines produces his own wine at Lympstone Manor – the luxury manor-house hotel in Devon – in partnership with the local Lyme Bay Winery. Out of the four produced to date, it’s the Pinot Noir that’s the stand-out for us. Made from pure Pinot Noir grapes aged for 18 months in a combination of old and new French oak barriques, it’s light but luscious on the palate, and is exceptionally food-friendly, as you’d expect.
Buy now £65.00, Lympstone Manor Estate
THE ROSÉ
Chapel Down Rosé 2021/22
As the official supplier to 10 Downing Street and The Cambridge and Oxford Boat Race – fancy! – you’d expect nothing but good things from Chapel Down, the now-famous Kentish winery. Thankfully, its rosé doesn’t disappoint with soft red fruit, floral notes and a refreshing finish. We suggest pairing it with fresh seafood or light meats on the barbie. When English pink is this good, who needs Provencal?
Buy now £11.50, Amazon
The Heretics Blowhorn Rosé 2023
The Heretics is a new English wine brand that aims to offer the quality that homegrown bottles are becoming synonymous with, albeit with a design-led approach that flips the traditional labels on their head.
Its first release is the Blowhorn Rosé: a pink made exclusively from Pinot Noir grapes grown in London soil in Essex. It’s the first 100 per cent barrel-fermented rosé and is encased in a black bottle to protect it from sunlight.
Don’t worry: inside, it’s pale in colour with notes of wild strawberry, subtle cedarwood and Seville orange zest. Stonking with Sunday lunch.
Buy now £26.00, The Heretics
Black Chalk Wild Rosé 2021
Combining Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, this perfumed pink fizz is a complex sparkling that’s fruity on the nose and palate. Such sophistication calls for a similarly classy pairing: think sushi and sashimi, or simply a sharing board groaning under the weight of quality charcuterie.
Buy now £45.00, Black Chalk
THE FIZZ
Ridgeview Bloomsbury NV
If it was good enough for the latest Queen Elizabeth II – served at her Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2022, no less – then Ridgeview Bloomsbury NV is certainly good enough for us. The Sussex winery’s signature blend is made from predominantly Chardonnay grapes and features toasty brioche and citrus-fruit aromas with pleasing hints of melon and honey. Utterly versatile.
Buy now £34.99, Waitrose Cellar
Gusbourne Brut Reserve 2020
Encased in a seriously elegant bottle that’s not dissimilar to Krug, Gusbourne Brut Reserve 2020 is proof that Kent is where it’s at when it comes to English sparkling.
This is a beautiful bright gold with a fine mouse and aromas of ripe-stone fruit, honeyed citrus and toasted almond. On the palate, it's all pear and apple with hints of white peach and raspberry. Soft spice, toasted nuts and custard tart notes wrap things up.
Buy now £45.75, The Whisky Exchange
Nyetimber Classic Cuvée English Sparkling Wine
Nyetimber Classic Cuvée English Sparkling Wine is the toast of any celebration with toasty, spicy aromas and flavours of honey, almond, baked apple and pastry. The pale-golden colour means it looks elegant in the glass, too. It comes in a gift box making it perfect for present-giving.
Buy now £39.99, Amazon
Louis Pommery England English Sparkling Wine
English grapes have been combined with the French traditions of Louis Pommery to create this British twist on its signature sparkling. Made by Pinglestone Estate in Hampshire, it’s characterised by freshness and finesse with white-fruit aromas of lime, apple and pear teamed with blackcurrant, white fruit and honey flavours.
Buy now £28.00, Tesco
Hattingley Valley Wines Blanc de Blancs 2015
Hampshire born-and-bread, this 2015 blanc de blancs from Hattingley Valley Wines has won a clutch of awards. It's surprisingly complex, given that it’s made from purely Chardonnay, with fragrant aromas of blossom, violet and lemon zest with candied lemon, caramel and honeycomb flavours. Spectacular with something fresh like seabass.
Buy now £51.95, The Whisky Exchange
Hambledon Vineyards Classic Cuvée
You can’t write a round-up of the best English wine without including a signature from England’s oldest winery in Hampshire. Hambledon Vineyards Classic Cuvee remains a celebrated bottle for good reason by boasting a blend of all three traditional grapes – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier – grown on chalky slopes to produce layers of floral and stone-fruit aromas. It’s light and refreshing on the palate with apple and biscuit flavours.
Buy now £32.00, Amazon
Britpop Brut by Alex James NV
From Blur bassist to cheesemaker and now winemaker, Alex James doesn’t know when to stop – and we’re glad he doesn’t.
His wine brand, cleverly named Britpop, has been welcomed with open arms by even cynical oenophiles and it’s not hard to see why. This fizz is made from a Chardonnay-based blend using the traditional method and is creamy, long and toasty.
Plus, the bottle is bound to spark conversation at any table.
Buy now £25.00, Laithwaites
The Uncommon Eleanor Bubbly Rosé Wine
Canned cocktails and wine have never been bigger in the UK – convenient for taking to the park or festivals, or simply enjoying on the train – and The Uncommon is the best of the bunch. Its rosé wine, named Eleanor and made in Kent, is light and bright with summer-fruit flavours.
Buy now £19.95, F&M
Berry Bros. & Rudd English Sparkling Blanc de Blanc by Hambledon Vineyard
Blended and bottled for the esteemed London wine merchant by historic English winery Hambledon Vineyard in Hampshire, this blanc de blanc is bright, pure and refreshing with notes of stone-fruit, gooseberry crumble – yes, really! – and English meadow. It’s made from Chardonnay grapes and is medium-bodied and perfectly dry
Buy now £35.75, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Bluestone Vineyards Premier Cuvée 2019
Just 4,500 bottles of this English sparkling from Bluestone Vineyards in Wiltshire have been released into the wild, so hop to it.
What can you expect from a glass? It’s clean, crisp and refreshing with lemon, apple, lime and apricot flavours followed by hints of toast and honey. It’s made from a sexy foursome – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Reserve and Pinot Meunier – while being aged on the lees for a minimum of 36 months to create real depth of flavour.
Buy now £45.00, Bluestone Vineyards
Wolds Wine Estate Solay Fizzy White
Nottingham may not be the first place you think of when you think viticulture, but Wolds Wine Estate is changing all that with cracking fizz in the form of Solay – or, semi-fizz, to be more precise. Tropical fruits, manuka honey, citrus and apple characterise this natural wine crafted from a Solaris and Chardonnay blend.
Buy now £25.00, Wolds Wine Estate
Tinwood Blanc de Blanc 2020
This Sussex-made English sparkling starts life on vineyards neighbouring the world-famous Goodwood Estate. It’s 100 per cent Chardonnay and superb with shellfish or canapés. Don’t let its pale-yellow colour fool you: it’s got plenty of character on the palate with refreshing green apple and tropical-fruit flavours.
Buy now £33.00, Tinwood Estate
Roebuck Estates Classic Cuvée 2018
The Classic Cuvée from Roebuck Estates in Sussex is hands-down one of our favourites. Elegant and refined, it’s all baked apples and citrus fruit on the nose with toasty richness and buttery brioche on the palate.
Buy now £38.00, Roebuck Estates
Wiston Rosé NV
Whether with ocean-fresh shellfish or strawberries and cream, Wiston Rosé NV – from the eponymous Sussex winery – is an aromatic and refreshing pink sparkling with a lot going on. From rhubarb and raspberry to strawberry and redcurrant, it sings with fruity flavours, while persistent bubbles and refreshing acidity keep you coming back for more.
Buy now £36.00, Wiston
THE ORANGE
Denbies Orange Solaris 2022
Hailing from Denbies Wine Estate in the rolling Surrey Hills, this orange wine is vibrant yet mature on the nose – you may even get nostalgic aromas of pineapple juice – with tropical flavours of pomegranate and lychee. Team with lightly-spiced Asian plates or perfectly-pink barbecued lamb chops. The star of any summer gathering.
Buy now £27.49, Grape Britannia
