7 English vineyards and wineries to visit this summer
When you think of famous wine regions, your mind might go to Bordeaux, Tuscany, or Napa Valley. However, some incredible vineyards and wineries are much closer to home.
While it’s often overlooked, English wine is becoming increasingly popular and regularly wins international awards.
According to Wine GB’s latest report, more than 1.5 million people visited vineyards and wineries across the UK in 2023 – a 55% increase when compared to a year earlier. In fact, according to VisitBritain’s Motivations, Influences, Decisions and Sustainability (MIDAS) Research from December 2022, the number could rise as high as 16 million a year, if the right changes are made.
So, with English Wine Week around the corner (21 to 29 June 2025), now could be the perfect time to visit these vineyards and wineries. Here are seven to consider.
1. Gusbourne, Kent
Gusbourne is the ideal day trip from London if you want to escape the busy city or combine it with a trip to the capital if you’re travelling from further afield.
They have 60 hectares in Appledore, which you can visit for tours and tasting flights, as well as another 30 hectares next to the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex. The majority of the hectares are dedicated to Burgundian clones, which have led to award-winning sparkling whites and rosés. You can also choose to book a picnic for two with them or attend one of the special events, which include a midsummer barbecue, an open cellar, and the chance to have a tour with the head winemaker.
2. Albury Vineyard, Surrey
Located in the picturesque Surrey Hills, Albury Vineyard is family-run and focuses on producing organic and biodynamic wines.
Albury Vineyard produce award-winning still rosé and sparkling wines, and one of their rosé wines was served on the Royal Barge during the Queen’s Jubilee.
What’s more, dogs are welcome on a lot of their tours and walks and they also offer specials events where they host musicians, offer bee-keeping demonstrations, and much more – you’re sure to find something that catches your attention on the event list. The vineyard also includes a delightful wildlife walk, where you might be lucky enough to spot barn owls and other animals.
3. Gutter & Stars, Cambridge
Gutter & Stars will certainly catch your attention thanks to its unusual location – it’s housed in an old windmill less than a mile from Cambridge city centre. They make small-batch wine, with availability often only limited to a few hundred bottles per vintage, that tends to sell out very quickly.
The winery is housed in the basement of the mill, and they offer tasting events which are a great opportunity to discover how the team crafts its wine in the small space that’s just big enough for the equipment and fittings.
4. Dunesforde, York
Located in the Vale of York, Dunesforde is a four-acre boutique vineyard that draws inspiration from the vineyards of Tuscany and the local Roman heritage.
Besides tasting events and tours, Dunesforde also offer various parts of their venue as the background for your own events, from the small “Queen of the North Room” that seats a dozen to their combined Cellar Bar and Terrace which can house up to one hundred. At the same time that the family behind Dunesforde purchased the land for the vineyard, they also purchased a 25-acre plot that they’ve turned into a thriving nature reserve that you can visit for an off-grid experience, or even book for outdoor gatherings.
5. Everflyht, Sussex
Everflyht was established in 2016 after the Ellis family was inspired by a trip to Napa Valley. Now, they produce sparkling wines with a focus on sustainability. There are plenty of tasting days and seasonal tours you can book, or, for a more tailored experience, you can opt for private access to the tasting room.
The vineyard is nestled at the foot of Ditchling Beacon in the heart of the South Downs National Park. So, it could be ideal if you’re looking for a small break that combines great wine and stunning landscapes.
6. Camel Valley, Cornwall
On the right day, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in Italy when visiting the Camel Valley vineyard in Cornwall. At the bottom of a winding road, the sun terrace is an excellent place to sit with a glass of wine.
Founded in 1989 by an ex-RAF Pilot, Camel Valley now supply Waitrose nationally, with their wines regularly winning awards over more than 20 years. With such successes it is little wonder that in 2018 Camel Valley were the first English wine producer to be granted a royal warrant.
If you want a closer look at the vineyard, the tours offered promise to be relaxed and friendly as they enthusiastically take you through the process of how their grapes are transformed into award-winning wines.
7. Harrow & Hope, Buckinghamshire
If you’d love to learn more about the winemaking process, a trip to Harrow & Hope is highly recommended. The experts will show you how it goes from vine to bottle and offer you a tutored tasting of three of their award-winning sparkling wines.
The beautiful vineyard sits on part of the Chiltern Hills that overlooks the River Thames on an ancient Thames gravel terrace that was formed by the river cutting into the local chalk around 450,000 years ago. The flint rocks from this makes the vineyard a dream for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes.