I just got back from a week exploring the English wine country and am still on a high from all the wonderful things the UK wine industry is up to. Lush, green rolling hills, small towns so charming I felt like I was in a BBC show, and bright, fresh English sparkling wines to top it all off…
It was a fun week! I’ll be honest, before I was invited on this media trip I didn’t know that England not only makes sparkling wine, but – and I know I’ll get a lot of heat for this one – it’s also competing well with Champagne??!! (I said what I said!)
This September I joined a small group of other bloggers and influencers for a guided tour around England and made some core memories.
Why Is English Sparkling Wine Special?
Before we dive into all the fun stops we did, let’s chat about the actual wine. England has the prime terroir and climate for growing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, the 3 traditional grape varieties used in sparkling wine.
Most of the wineries are located in the Kent and Sussex region of Southern England, right on the channel (though the vineyards extend to Devon and some even in Wales!)
This means the vineyards benefit from the classic English climate, with its cool temperatures and strong ocean influence, which is ideal for producing these high-quality sparkling wines. The flinty and chalky soils of southern England also provide a distinctive terroir that contributes to the unique flavors of English sparkling wines.
It’s funny, I talked to a lot of Londoners at the start of our trip and even they don’t realize that wine tasting in England is a thing – to be fair, many of the English vineyards are less than 10 years old. But with the increase of production in the UK and global warming making it harder and harder for Champagne to grow and produce, I expect to see more British wineries making menus and hitting shelves.
What Does English Sparkling Wine Taste Like?
Wine tasting around England was fun. We encountered many Non-Vintage Bruts, Vintage Bruts, Blanc de Blancs, and Rosés. Overall, I found English wines to be very crisp, bright fruit, and refreshing. We sample wines that range from delicate fruit flavors to complex tasting notes.
I was actually surprised by how many of the wines we tasted had a faint hint of salinity, something I would expect to wine in wine-tasting regions that make Albariños, not England. But, some of the wineries are so close to the English Channel, that they were literally underwater 500 years ago. You can still taste that ocean influence today!
Most of the English wineries produce their sparkling wine in the méthode traditionnelle with lees contact and it was fun to drill down during this wine tour and really become familiar with various degrees of lees contact.
Does England Make Still Wine?
Yes! Most English wineries will also produce a few still wines each season, though they do tend to focus most of sparkling. We sampled some great Bacchus, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
You can also find a few natural wines here! At the tradeshow, I had a chance to sample from Vagabond Wines who was making some very cool and unique organic wines. I can’t wait to see more innovation coming out of this region.
In fact, many of the winemakers we met with had a similar attitude about English winemaking: there are currently no strict regulations involved, unlike neighboring countries like France or Germany. So, English wine production gets to be very creative with how they make wine, though many stick with the traditional method.
Over all, this new wine region is putting out many award-winning wines which is very exciting.
Our England Wine Tasting Adventure – Day One (London)
We started our trip out in London. Our group of influencers came from all over the United States and we all flew into London for a couple of nights.
Funny enough, I had just visited London a few months before. My husband and I were in Europe for Eurovision and I decided to tack on a solo trip to London to see my friend and just enjoy spring in the city. Getting to go back twice in a year was such a treat!
On that solo trip I stayed at the CitizenM Tower London in East London, but for this trip, I checked into The Gore Hotel near Kensington Palace.
This hotel is very unique, it has this old-world England vibe and some of the suites the girls stayed in were absolutely haunted (but in a fun way). It’s also within walking distance to the Natural History Museum, Gloucester Road Tube Station, and Hyde Park.
Then, we got started on our England wineries tour right away! We kicked things off at Balfour St Barts, a restaurant and wine bar in London that is an extension of Balfour Winery located in Kent.
You can do wine tastings at the winery but you can also come to the restaurant to dine and experience their wine.
The whole group was a wee bit jet-lagged but thankfully the team at Balfour was incredibly wonderful, and out of all the wine tasting sessions we had, Balfour was one of my favorites. I think they are making really wonderful reserves, but this is also where I got to try my first Bacchus!!
Bacchus is a grape that is mostly just grown in England so I haven’t had a chance to try it before. We paired all the tastings with heapings of food and it was the perfect way to start our England wine trip.
Exploring London (Day Two)
Let me tell you, getting up for a sunrise photoshoot with my friend around Westminster was HARD this day but so worth it (the photos are amazing and sans tourists!) Jet lag isn’t easy.
Then, it was time to get started on the Wines of Great Britain trade show. They rent out a huge hall in Battersea every year and bring together tons of English wine producers in one place. This served as a great way to get a crash course on English wines.
It was fun to compare the wines from Sussex compared to Devon, for example. You can really taste the climate and soil influence!) I also got to try a Welsh wine which was very unique (it’s hard to grow wine grapes in Wales but they manage to do it!)
After the long tradeshow day, our group headed back to The Gore Hotel to rest a bit. We choose to grab a bottle of Highweald Brut Reserve and bring it to Kensington Palace to take some photos, along with just bonding and exploring the park together.
I loved the photos we got around Princess Diana’s garden! Not going to lie, sipping English Sparkling Wines while roaming Hyde Park is delightful.
Then, we got changed and ready for dinner at the Sussex Bar and Restaurant in SOHO. This was hands-down one of my favorite meals all trip. We got to sample their “Local and Wild” menu accompanied by Nutbourne wines.
Day Three – Into The Kent And Sussex Wine Country
Bright and early we loaded into a van to start our travel day into vineyard tours! Most of the wineries in the country are in South East England due to the climate, so we hung around West Sussex, East Sussex, South Downs and Kent for more of the tour.
I love estate vineyard tours. I have the honor of living in San Francisco just a quick jump away form Sonoma Wine Country and Napa Wine Country. You will also find me up there sipping at cellar doors or doing tastings on patios overlooking vines. It’s THE way to experience wine and understand the terroir of the region.
So, I was giddy to get out of the city and into the countryside. Even though we all packed the wrong things. Originally it was forecasted to be 75 degrees and sunny, but the weather turned fast and it ended up being very rainy.
We all adored the moody England vibes, it makes the countryside so much more beautiful. Do wish I actually packed wellies, or at least an umbrella!
Our very first stop was at Simpson’s Wine Estate in Canterbury. Simpson’s are making a name for themselves and is probably one of the easiest wineries to find outside England. British Airways offers Simpsons Wine Estate’s Chalklands Classic Cuvée N.V. on its Club World flights and they are very popular in Norway.
(Sidenote, I’m heading to Bergen this autumn and am excited to see if I can find their wines on menus to try again!)
First we did a tour of their vineyards and then we popped into their tasting room to sample their wines. This tasting room is unique since they have a slide that takes you down to the production facilities – how cool!
We didn’t have time to see the town of Canterbury, but the photos made it look incredibly beautiful. Next time I’ll have to swing by here on my own!
Next, we were off to Gusbourne Estate for lunch and a wine pairing. The skies opened up about 10 minutes after we arrived and since nobody packed umbrellas or raincoats, we had to stick inside and skip their vineyard tour.
But the meal was delicious. Gusbourne makes fine English wines and everything was paired perfectly with the meal they make on-site. My favorite was their 2019 Blanc de Blancs and a 2013 reserve they pulled out.
This estate is located about 10 miles from the English Channel and benefits greatly from the ocean influence. The vineyards have a unique history as well. John de Goosebourne planted vines here in 1410, and while the vines today are not the same as 600 years ago, it was very neat to wine taste at such a historic region.
You can book this exact tasting, it’s called their “Estate Tour” and includes a tour and a 3-course lunch with pairings!
Then, off to Oxney!
Oxney Organic Estate was my favorite vineyard stop of our entire trip. Next time I visit the United Kingdom I’ll be making a point to swing by here again, or perhaps even staying in one of their wine cottages on the property.
We rolled up to Oxney to be immediately treated by Frida, the wine dog, a spunky little gal who was excited to show us her vines. Kristin, the owner, was a doll and loaned me a pair of wellies so I could tour the vines without soaking my feet too much.
Something unique about Oxney is many of their sparkling wines don’t have any dosage, or if they do it’s a very low amount. They’re able to pull this off since their vineyards are located in a small valley which keeps the grapes just warm enough that they produce a little extra sugar naturally.
After the estate tour, it was time to taste wines and holy moly, I was blown away. Blancs de Blancs 2019, NV Brut, Classic 2018 were all made to perfection, but the standout wine as actually not sparkling at all.
It was their chardonnay. The Oxney 2022 Chardonnay is award-winning and help put them on the map of England wineries to watch out for. I’ll be honest here – Chardonnay is not my favorite wine. (I’m not a big malo girlie, ok?! And so many Napa wineries choose lots of new oak and malo and it’s just not my cup of tea)
But the Oxney 2022 Chardonnay was something to write home about. Creamy, peachy, crisp. You simply must try this wine at least once in your life.
I was sad to leave this welcoming, charming little estate but it was time to go. It’s already been a whirlwind day in wine-tasting England but the day doesn’t stop there!
Our group headed off to Oastbrook Estate Vineyard in Bodiam! Oastbrook is a winery but they also offer a few unique lodging options including a hobbit house and glamping tents. We stayed in the glamping tents but got a chance to tour their hobbit house and it was very cute. Perfect for girls trips or romantic getaways!
We didn’t get much time to explore the property, just a quick wine tasting and off to a local pub for a well-earned hot meal after such a rainy day. I have a love affair with English pubs, especially adorable countryside ones. They always serve up the BEST food and drinks.
Here at The White Dog Inn Pub (which absolutely made think of The Black Dog song) I had a Guinness (a must at least once on every Ireland or UK trip) and a pint of a cask ale.
For dinner, we shared this delicious goat cheese pana cotta dish and I had a classic fish and chips meal. The perfect end to a long day!
Wine Tasting Around Sussex (Day 4)
In the morning, we were up early and on the road again to our wine tasting tour. I wish we had time to stop by Bodiam Castle (next time!) That’s the joy of wine tasting in England vs California. You’ll randomly find wineries down the road from historic castles!
We kicked off the day at Ridgeview Wine Estate in a tasting room with views of the vineyards.
Ridgeview boasts some pretty famous people drinking their wines, including Barack Obama (The Ridgeview Fitzrovia) and The Nyetimber Classic Cuvee was served at Pippa Middleton’s wedding.
The Queen herself has drank the Ridgeview’s Grosvenor blanc de blancs 2009 and Ridgeview’s Blanc de Blancs 2016 was served at King Charles III’s first state banquet as monarch. Now that’s a royal line up!
The next stop of the day was to Winston Estate which has been producing wines since 1743. This property is very beautiful – I think we all screamed a little when we got out of the van and saw a bunch of sheep dotting the hillside beyond. So picturesque!
We did a quick wine tasting and tour here in their cellar room, but we were coming back later for dinner. Back to the bus!
Before then, we headed to Squerryes Winery and Vineyard in the North Down. Squerryes is the only English wine estate to have won a gold medal for six consecutive vintages in the World Championships of Champagne and Sparkling Wine, so I was excited to try their wines!
First though, we took some time to explore their darling property complete with a little seasonal creek. Then, into the tasting room. We tried their 2013 Late Disgorged, 2020 Rosé ( my favorite), 2017 Vintage Blanc de Blancs and a few others during our wine tasting session.
Something we didn’t get a chance to see but I really wish we did, was the Squerryes Court, which was featured on Season 3 of Bridgerton. The building is on their label, though!
For dinner, we headed back to Winston Estate to dine at their Chalk restaurant and sample more of their stunning sparkling wines.
We got to dine on a set five course dinner showcasing produce grown, farmed and foraged on Wiston Estate and the Sussex Coast paired with English Sparkling wines and it was fantastic. If you are in the are and looking for a fantastic, unique winery dinner, this is the place to go!
Then, we headed to the Welldigger’s Arms, a little countryside pub and inn for a late check-in. I was tickeld by my room with a garden patio view. I woke up at sunrise to catch the low hanging mist on the moor and it totally felt like Mr. Darcy was going to saunter over the field at any moment.
Oh, and it was my 33rd Birthday! Waking up in the English countryside on my birthday was a pinch me moment. We had an early breakfast the pub, which was seriously delicious. It’s outside the little town of Pentworth and driving through the town later that morning, I had to resist jumping out the bus to explore since it’s so cute. Absolutely need to come back here in the future and would totally stay at the Welldigger again since it’s so charming.
And that wraps my England wine press trip!! It was a whirlwind but I learned a lot about their sparkling wine and I’m excited to see the region grow and expand.
UK vineyards are new to the wine world but are quickly making a name for themselves.
It’s still pretty hard to find English sparkling wines in the United States (easier in NYC than out here in California) but I expect that to change in the coming years.It’s a catch 22 – English wine producers and distributors need demand from America to sell there, but they need to sell there to get demand.
In the meantime, I’ll be looking for English wines when I travel to Europe on restaurant menus and in wine shops. Thank you for hosting me, Wines of Great Britain! The United Kingdom is always a joy to visit.
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