Pop the cork for English wine week

English Wine Week runs from June 21 to 29. This event provides a great opportunity for Tunbridge Wells Business Magazine’s Drinks Editor, James Viner, to celebrate the country’s exceptional wines and vibrant wine scene. So join him as he toasts Britain’s bottled brilliance…

This month, I’m highlighting seven top English wines – five sparkling, two still – that show just how far English wine has come. Kent alone is home to about 1,000 hectares of vineyards, around a quarter of the UK’s total. Today’s exciting English wines are elegant, food-friendly, low in alcohol, and full of cool-climate finesse, making them perfectly suited to modern tastes and ideal for summer.

Originally launched in 2006 by Master Sommelier Laura Rhys, now Global Brand Ambassador for Gusbourne, English Wine Week (EWW) begins on the summer solstice and provides an excellent opportunity to toast our homegrown heroes. 

Nicola Bates, CEO of WineGB, the national association for the English and Welsh wine industry, says: “England has rightfully earned its reputation as a producer of world-class wines. This year’s EWW is all about embracing our domestic wine industry and making the switch to drink English. There are so many ways to create new traditions with English wine – join us and take part!” 

The English wine renaissance is no longer in its infancy—it’s in full bloom. Global warming has proven beneficial for English viticulture. With over 1,000 vineyards, there has never been a better time to celebrate what’s right on our doorsteps; just ask the team at Corkk, TW’s buzzing independent English wine specialist

Need help deciding what to pour? Here are 7 top-tier picks to mark the moment…

Fizz That Wows:

1. Sainsbury’s Ellercombe English Sparkling Wine, Taste the Difference, W. Sussex & Kent. £22, £17 with Nectar, Sainsbury’s, 12%

English Fizz may reign supreme, but not all bubbles are created equal. This excellent supermarket bubbly – a blend of 55% Chardonnay, 42% Pinot Noir and 3% Pinot Meunier from Kent and West Sussex – offers a persistent, creamy mousse and a snappy, bright acid line. Made using the meticulous traditional method (à la Champagne), whereby a second fermentation is painstakingly initiated inside each bottle, it was aged for over 4 years on its yeasty lees and delivers enticing green apple, bready notes and citrus zing. Hello fish and chips.

2. Balfour ‘1503’ Classic Cuvée Brut NV, Kent. £22 (mix 6), Majestic, 12%

Chardonnay, Pinots Noir and Meunier meld in this crisp, appetising, local bubbly, packed with toasty orchard fruit and citrusy flavours. Made by winemakers Owen and Fergus Elias at leading producer Balfour Winery on the picturesque Hush Heath estate, it’s ideal for picnics. Stretch, sip, and enjoy yoga on the estate on July 13 (£50, includes yoga class and wine tasting).

3. Chapel Down English Sparkling Rosé NV, Kent. £25, Tesco, with Clubcard (until 14.07), 12%

This gorgeous sparkling local rosé – a canny blend of Chardonnay, Pinots Noir, Meunier, Blanc and Précoce – overflows with red berries and citrus charm. Pairs wonderfully with an English cheeseboard, fruit puddings, or canapés. Finishes long and fine. Summer in a glass. 

4. Nyetimber Sparkling Rosé NV, West Sussex. £34 offer at Waitrose until
1 July, 12%

Made by two talented Canadian winemakers at trailblazing, award-winning Nyetimber Estate, this brilliant pink bubbly dazzles with its impeccable balance, fine-tuned energy and finesse. Red fruits, delicate spice and notes of brioche make it the ideal pour for salmon, guinea fowl, or served solo as a posh aperitif and special treat. The bend is equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with a soupçon of Pinot Meunier. Delectable drinking. 

5. 2017 Wyfold Vineyard Brut, Oxfordshire. £38 /£30.40 subscription, Laithwaites, 12%

This racy, satisfying and multi-layered traditional-method sparkling wine from a tiny vineyard in Oxfordshire’s Chilterns melds the just-creamy aspect of Chardonnay with notes of patisserie, summer fruits, citrus and peach. An outstanding release aged on lees for five years. Superb. 

Two Still Standouts:

6. 2023 Simpsons’ Wine Estate Rabbit Hole Pinot Noir, Kent. £25, The Wine Society / £32, simpsonswine.com, 13%

From Barham in Kent, this classy, well-crafted, medium-bodied Pinot Noir was matured for six months in old (80%) and new (20%) French (75%) and American oak barrels. Gently spicy, savoury and replete with forest floor and red fruit flavours, it matches mushroom linguine/risotto, salmon and picnic fare. Delicious! Serve slightly chilled.

7. 2022 Danbury Ridge Wine Estate Chardonnay, Essex. £37.99-£40, Grape Britannia / Berry Bros & Rudd, 13.5%

Seeking an English Chardonnay with flavour, texture and site-driven X-factor? Look no more. This textbook, gastronomic Chardonnay from the country’s top still wine producer in Essex’s warm, dry Crouch Valley, exudes both substance and style and was aged for twelve months on its lees in 228L Burgundian oak barrels. Whilst not cheap, it’s exceedingly good, with a long and effusive finish. Seamless in delivery and marvellous for scallops or creamy seafood. Stunning!

Find a vineyard near you: 
winegb.co.uk/our-producers

Explore English Wine Week events at: 
winegb.co.uk/events/english-wine-week-2025

Follow James on Instagram @quixoticwines