Where to go for the best wine experiences in Britain
Pull on your walking boots because we're going on a wine tasting trail across Britain. There are nearly 400 commercial vineyards in England and Wales and despite the climate, Britain produces some of the best wine in the world; with around one third of all British wine being classified as quality. To discover the best wine in Britain read this guide and plan your wine tasting trail today.
Wine tasting trail: Cornwall, England
Travel to this idyllic corner of Britain to discover one of the best wineries in the country — Camel Valley Vineyards. Grown in beautiful surroundings next to the Camel River, their wines are stunning and the Camel Valley Vineyard grand tour is a fantastic opportunity to sample some of the most delectable of these wines. On your tour you will be led by a wine maker through the vineyard and shown the wine making process. Then you will enjoy a relaxed wine tasting session where you will sample a minimum of four wines. Watch out for the Cornwall Brut, this vineyard's most famous wine. The emphasis at the Camel Valley Vineyard is pleasure, fun and relaxation and you will have an unforgettable day out exploring this winery.
Wine tasting trail: Pembrokeshire, Wales
Cwm Deri is the perfect winery to visit if you want to enjoy a family day out. Not only can you explore the wine making process with a vineyard walk, you can also have fun and meet the local animals at one of the vineyards best attractions: pets corner. Your children can pet chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, goats and sheep, whilst you taste Cwm Deri's excellent selection of wines. Unlike other wineries, Cwm Deri is also a great vineyard because of their in-depth wine production tutorials. The tutorials lead you through the bottling room where you can see the hydro-press (the machine that squeezes the grapes) at work, see the fermentation tanks and the bottling of the wine.
Wine tasting trail: Devon, England
Soft rolling hills, a rich, terroir soil and sheer dedication sets Sharpham Vineyard in Devon apart from its competitors. Taking a tour through this peaceful and charming vineyard will be an educational experience, even for the expert wine connoisseurs. Sharpham offers self-guided tours as well as guided tours. After you've wowed your taste buds and trekked through the beautiful grounds you can relax in the café and indulge in a little award-winning cheese. Another must-see winery in Devon is Yearlstone. This charismatic vineyard is Devon's oldest winery and offers an excellent tour, with a tasty lunch, a meeting with award-winning winemaker Juliet White and at the end of the tour you will receive a complimentary bottle of wine.
Wine tasting trail: East Anglia, England
East Anglia boasts superb beaches, quaint villages and the infamous Norfolk broads, so a trip to the east is well worth a trip, even if you only visit the one vineyard. However, once in East Anglia there are a number of striking vineyards including Bruisyard, Cavendish Manor and Shawsgate wineries. One spot you should definitely plan to take a taste-tour through is Wyken Vineyards in Stanton. This ancient site was once occupied by the Romans and it is now used to produce award-winning wine. One wine you should ask to sample is the Wyken Bacchus, which won the award of the best wine in East Anglia.
Wine tasting trail: Monmouthshire, Wales
Experience the best of Wales by visiting the Surgarloaf Vineyard in Monmouthshire. Nestled against the foot of the Sugar Loaf Mountains, this peaceful winery offers self-guided tours so you can relax and stroll through the vines at your own pace. Or if you'd prefer a little more direction and company you can opt to join in on the guided tours and sample some of the wines along the way. The added bonus of visiting this winery is that there are on-site holiday cottages where you can stay. Plus the vineyard is located next to some of the best countryside in Britain — the Brecon Beacons.
Wine tasting trail: Somerset, England
If you want to experience quirky and quintessential England you should head to Somerset. This beautiful region is also home to Dunkery Vineyard; the largest vineyard in Somerset. Despite being the largest vineyard in this beautiful county and producing award-winning wine, the Dunkery Vineyard offers tours for groups at a ridiculously cheap price and you can enjoy a great day out on a budget. You even get to sample three to four wines. Also, if you're a fan of red wine then this is the winery for you as Dunkery Vineyard specialises in dark red wine, which is unusual for England as the majority of wines produced here are white.
