Best UK vineyards for wine tastings, tours and stays

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Surrey and Hampshire
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last updated 9 April 2024

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Surrey and Hampshire

Nestled in the heart of the Surrey Hills in an area of outstanding natural beauty, Denbies Wine Estate is one of England’s largest single estate vineyards. Visitors can enjoy indoor wine tasting tours, outdoor vineyard train tours and eat at a number of restaurants, including Gallery Restaurant, Vineyard Restaurant & Wine Library, Conservatory Restaurant, and the Hatch On The Lawn Takeaway. The estate is also home to the Denbies Vineyard Hotel, which has 17 en suite rooms. The hotel has been “designed with the vineyard at its heart”, said The Telegraph. One of Britain’s first vineyard hotels, the “setting of this boutique property doesn’t disappoint”. denbies.co.uk

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Located in the Surrey Hills, Greyfriars Vineyard has been making wine since 1989. Its " stunning south-facing chalk slopes" said Surrey Live. Greyfriars's tour with wine tasting takes visitors on a guided walk through the beautiful vineyards finishing with a "tutored tasting" of several of its "prize-winning sparkling and still wines". Alernatively, you can opt for a free self-guided tour. greyfriarsvineyard.co.uk

Hambledon Vineyard boasts the title of England's oldest commercial vineyard and despite "flying the flag for English fizz" since 1952 "it's still full of new ideas", said Time Out. The small family-run operation's "charm" is showcased in its wine tours and the pop-up restaurant is a "lovely touch". Tours include a "walk around the vineyards and underground cellars", said Good Housekeeping, before sampling "English sparklers", or add on an afternoon tea. hambledonvineyard.co.uk

Set in a rolling valley, Oastbrook Estate's winery is itself an "outstanding architectural feature", said WineTourism.com. Surrounded by vineyards and offering luxury accommodation "this truly is a unique place to visit to try amazing wines". Oastbrook produces a range of award-winning sparkling and still wines that "reflect the exceptional micro-climate of the Rother Valley". As well as luxury glamping and the Scandinavian-style Avalon Waterside Lodge, the estate also has its own "Hobbit house", Vineyard Hollow, within the vineyard, with two bedrooms, a living area, wood-burner and even a hot tub. oastbrook.com

There's plenty of attractions for wine aficionados at the Tinwood Estate. On the edge of the South Downs near Chichester, visitors can book vineyard tours, tastings and afternoon teas. There's a "small-plates restaurant" open during the day, said The Times. One of the big highlights here are the three luxury vineyard lodges "each decorated in beautiful materials, with a terrace for better views of those ripening grapes" as well as a barrel sauna and a hot tub". The estate first started planting in 2007 and "boasts 110 acres of land under vine, where it largely produces Blanc de Blancs, Brut and English Sparkling Rose", said Square Meal. tinwoodestate.com

Near Rye in East Sussex, the Oxney Organic Estate makes “delectable chardonnays and fizz”, said The Times. As the name suggests, this 35-acre vineyard is said to be the "largest single-estate" maker of organic English wines, with wine tours every Saturday from April to November. And on a sunny day, you'll be able to take in the beautiful country views on an idyllic picnic lunch after your tour. Best of all, "you can sleep it off" in the estate's converted barn, shepherd's hut or farmhouse cottage. oxneyestate.com

Looking out of the tasting room window at Ridgeview Wine Estate, the inspiration for the name is clear. Beyond the vines stretching out across the valley, the landscape rises towards the chalk escarpment of the South Downs, which divides the vineyard from Brighton and the sea. As "one of England's most prestigious producers", said the Daily Mail, Ridgeview offers guided tours, relaxed wine tastings, or all-day dining at The Rows & Vine restaurant. ridgeview.co.uk

Less than a 15-minute drive from the historic town of Rye you'll find Tillingham Winery, "one of the most exciting wine-makers in Britain," said The Times, which is "known for natural, non-intervention wines plus fermentation in earthenware qvevri jars". Book onto one of the vineyard tours in advance and enjoy the "country life" that's incorporated into the surroundings, said Kaye O'Doherty on TheWeek.com. As well as tours and tastings, Tillingham also offers 11 double rooms in a former hop barn and a restaurant with vistas over the Sussex countryside. Chef Brendan Eades, who scooped a Michelin Green Star in 2022, cooks up an exceptional, pescatarian feast with fish caught daily from Rye Harbour. tillingham.com

Here "each bottling is supposed to reflect the unpredictable nature of the British summer season", said Elite Traveler. "Three miles from where the rolling hills of the South Downs give way to the coast" the 600-acre estate is home to The Flint Barns, which has 10 en-suite bedrooms, and the Tasting Room and Flint Barns Dining Room restaurants. Rathfinny's Cellar Door shop is open daily for drop-in wine tastings and shopping, while the estate also offers seasonal vineyard tours and tastings all year round. rathfinnyestate.com

On the chalky North Downs, Chapel Down is perhaps "the most well-known wine producer in the UK", said Time Out. The guided tour is "a lot of fun" and it helps that "the wine is great, too", with Flint Dry a bestseller. Chapel Down has won numerous awards throughout the years and its Classic NV Brut is one of the "most accessible" English sparkling wines – "both from a price point and national availability", said Great British Wine. As well as tours Chapel Down also hosts experiences and visitors can book a table at its restaurant, The Swan Wine Kitchen. chapeldown.com

At this environmentally conscious vineyard in the heart of the West Country, they take a "low-intervention approach to wine making, from grape growing to wine production", said Square Meal. English sparkling is the "brand's main forte" which you can sample on a guided tour and tasting. And if an afternoon of wine tasting really takes it out of you, a sumptuous collection of lunches and afternoon teas are available in the vineyard café. With wines made solely from the classical champagne grape varieties of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier, this is high-quality fare – be sure not to miss the Rosé NV, which is packed full of gorgeous berry flavours. langhamwine.co.uk

Visitors can book tours and tastings at Darts Farm's 18-acre Pebblebed Vineyard and traditional winery, in the village of Clyst St George in east Devon. The vineyards and winery are located on their farm and "the team are proud" said Luxury Lifestyle magazine, "to be one of very few single-estate producers" in the country, with the vineyard and winery in one place and wines made from their own grapes. dartsfarm.co.uk

If you're seeking "fizz and festivals" look no further than Castlewood Vineyard in Devon, said Condé Nast Traveller. Its story began in 2006 on a south-facing Devon hillside overlooking the River Axe with owner Rob Corbett planting his vines by hand. Now the vineyard offers private tours and a June festival, held to celebrate the release of the latest vintage. If you stay in one of the Grade-II listed cottages you'll be "surrounded by pretty gardens and countryside". Equally, if you're there for just a day the steep slopes of the vineyard offer "amazing views of the Axe Valley". castlewoodvineyard.co.uk

Made up of 82 acres of rolling hills bathed in southerly sunshine, Camel Valley is Cornwall's largest vineyard, and was "the first English wine producer to be granted a royal warrant", said Muddy Stilettos. Visitors can join a number of tours and tastings, or sit on a stone-clad terrace, sipping Pinot Noir Rosé Brut as they watch the sun set over vineyards that slope down to the River Camel as it snakes from Bodmin Moor to Padstow. And it's "handy for non-driving access", being on the Camel Trail cycle route. camelvalley.com

One of England's oldest vineyards, in 2023 Three Choirs celebrated 50 years since the first vines were planted on the estate in Newent, Gloucestershire. It now boasts 75 acres of vines and currently produces around 250,000 bottles of wine a year. Facilities and experiences include The Brasserie restaurant, Cellar Door shop, plus wine tastings and vineyard tours. A "pretty vineyard" with "fabulous views", there's even accommodation on site, said The Hotel Guru. The lodges and rooms are "smart and spacious" with "hints of luxury". three-choirs-vineyards.co.uk

This south Cotswolds vineyard is "putting Gloucestershire on the map as a world-class wine destination", said Muddy Stilettos. Set in the Stroud valleys, "family-run boutique winery" Woodchester Valley has been producing world-class white, rosé and sparkling wines since 2016 and visitors can book tours, tastings or enjoy a "sip-and-stay experience with a difference". In 2023 its vintage Pinot Gris "beat Italian rivals", said The Times, to win gold at the Global Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio Masters. woodchestervalleyvineyard.co.uk

There are vineyards "blossoming" all across Wales, said Natasha Lovell-Smith on Great British Food Awards. And one of the most popular is Gwinllan Conwy, which has received multiple national and international awards. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Snowdonia Mountain Range, the "success" of this vineyard is "underpinned by the microclimate" of north Wales, which "pairs resemblance" to the climate of New Zealand. Thanks to its proximity to the sea, this means the vineyard "experiences mild winters allowing the vines to develop earlier". This beautiful vineyard offers tours and wine tasting experiences throughout the year and at the online shop you can buy Welsh artisan produce or Welsh hampers, as well as wine. gwinllanconwy.co.uk

Tucked into the Welsh countryside, yet only 20 minutes from Cardiff, Llanerch Vineyard offers "a drop of romance", said Kerry Walker in The Daily Telegraph. While the vineyard itself is centred on a "whitewashed farmhouse" from 1851 and pulls off the "delicate act of combining original features", the hotel rooms are "bright and contemporary". Beyond the hotel and wine, is the "perkily turreted Neo-Gothic" Hensol Castle which is only a 15-minute walk away. But where Llanerch really "shines" is its restaurant which overlooks the vineyard and offers "great" food and "bang-on" service. You may "come for a wine tour" but you'll "stay for the imaginative locally sourced food". llanerch.co.uk

The most northerly vineyard in Britain, Ryedale offers more than wine – it also makes cider from the estate's orchards. Voted one of the best vineyards to visit and tour in England, it offers an "informal, humorous and informative guided tour". For those wanting to stay, Ryedale has two "cosy en suite rooms in the farmhouse", said The Guardian, and the "slap-up breakfast" is the "perfect way to start a day" exploring the surrounding North Yorkshire wolds. ryedalevineyards.co.uk

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Surrey and Hampshire

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