Celebrating English wine scene

Raise a glass to English Wine Week, says Sam Wylie-Harris

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Whether you're a wine enthusiast, fizz fanatic or your wanderlust only takes you as far as the closest vineyard for a tour and tasting, it's hard to keep up with England's dynamic wine scene.

With world class sparkling wine to rival champagne, more than 1.5 million vineyard visits made in 2023, and a 55% increase in visitor numbers since 2022, wine tourism is soaring... and the skies the limit.

Moreover, sales figures for English and Welsh wine in the past five years are strong, highlights Nicola Bates, CEO of WineGB. "With a significant increase from 3.3 million bottles in 2018, to 8.8 million in 2023, which is a massive jump."

And therefore people's visibility of the product is much, much higher, underlines Bates. "People are buying because you know you're getting a quality product. And retailers know they can work with a brand, that constant flow of wines and consistent quality.

"And I think people have just become quite interested in something new, suggests," Bates. "Our consumers are in the most competitive landscape in the world, and retail has really helped."

She continues: "With people being able to try the wines in restaurants and the like, and that ambassadorial piece which thousands of people have been playing to consumers, it's starting to have a real uptake."