Welsh Wine
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A Strong 2025 Vintage Marks the Start of the UK Growing Season
WineGB has launched its 2025 Harvest Report alongside the updated 2026 Green Book as vineyards enter a new growing season. The report highlights 2025 as an outstanding year for UK viticulture, driven by favourable weather conditions. An early, dry spring followed by exceptional summer heat led to the earliest and ripest grape harvest recorded in the British Isles. Production rose significantly, with a 39% increase on 2024 according to WineGB data, while Food Standards Agency figures show an even larger 55% rise, totalling over 16.5 million bottles. The quality of the crop also improved, with higher ripeness levels, increased potential…
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Welsh Wine Showcase
In early March ’26 I went to a Welsh Wine Showcase in London. It was a small, focused tasting with 7 producers showing 28 wines, with a few Welsh cheeses alongside. Despite the modest line-up, I came away with a higher-than-usual proportion of wines to be highlighted: St Hilary Sparkling White Wine 2023 11.5% £37.50From Cowbridge, this is a traditional method blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. It comes from a low intervention, natural winemaker, with a natural ferment and no filtering or fining. It feels very Champagne-like, with a generous autolytic pastry character despite only 12 months…
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WineGB Trade and Press Tasting
At a time when France, Spain and Italy are reducing their vineyard areas, Britain, though far smaller, is expanding. Over the past year registered vineyards have risen by 74 to reach 1,104, while 25 new wineries have been added, bringing the total to 238. The planted area has grown from 4,209 hectares to 4,841 hectares, an increase of around 15 per cent, and there are now 99 different grape varieties recorded across the country. WineGB, the national trade association representing Britain’s vineyards and wineries, has had to adapt to this growth too. Their annual London tasting had outgrown its previous…
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New WineGB Industry Report 2025
The new WineGB Industry Report 2025 highlights continued resilience and growth in the English and Welsh wine sector, despite economic pressures and regulatory challenges. The number of vineyards has risen to 1,104 and wineries to 238, with land under vine expanding to 4,841 hectares, a 510% increase since 2005. Kent remains the leading county for plantings, followed by West Sussex and newly, Essex. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir continue to dominate, with 99 grape varieties now grown in the UK, including emerging plantings of Grenache, Tempranillo and Viognier. Although 2024 saw the lowest average yield since 2016 due to challenging weather,…
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WineGB Awards 2025
The ninth edition of the WineGB Awards marked a significant milestone, with still wines surpassing sparkling wines in both entries and total medals awarded for the first time. Still wines made up 54% of the entries and won 161 medals, compared to 151 for sparkling wines. However, sparkling wines continued to dominate in terms of gold medals, claiming nearly two-thirds of them, despite a strong performance from still Chardonnays. The 2023 vintage was the most commonly submitted and successful, reflecting a strong year, with 88 medals awarded. The oldest wine entered dated back to 2009, highlighting the ageing potential of…
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UK Vineyard Visits
Wine tourism is rapidly becoming a major trend in UK travel, with over 1.5 million visits to vineyards and wineries recorded in 2023, marking a 55% increase from 2022. In response, WineGB has released the Visit a Vineyard Guide 2025 (pdf), a comprehensive resource promoting the diverse and distinctive experiences available across the country. There are 300 vineyards and wineries in the UK currently open to the public, offering everything from tours and tastings to fine dining, cellar door shops, on-site accommodation and vineyard picnics. Unique attractions include winery slides, wine trains, festivals, and wildlife walks, showcasing the variety of…
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WineGB Trade and Press Tasting
The WineGB Trade and Press Tasting, in early September 2024, offered an impressive selection, showcasing over 300 wines from 80 producers. The event featured individual exhibitor stands, regional vineyard association stands and themed tasting tables. English sparkling wine has reached an exceptional level of quality, frequently rivalling and occasionally surpassing some of the finest Champagnes. Although I tasted a some traditional method sparkling wines, my primary interest lay in exploring the wines outside this well-established category. I wanted to see how English sparkling wines are evolving and also to investigate what still wines were on offer, particularly those made with…
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WineGB Awards Winners
The eighth WineGB Awards saw a record-breaking number of entries and gold medals, with wines from 33 counties across England and Wales receiving accolades. Over 350 medals were awarded: 177 for sparkling wines and 174 for still wines, with a significant increase in gold medals for still wines compared to 2023. Notable categories included Classic Cuvée Non-Vintage/Multi-Vintage, Classic Cuvée Vintage, and Rosé for sparkling wines, each securing six golds. The top still wines were Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, each with five golds, followed by Bacchus with four. Gold medals were awarded to wines from 10 different grape varieties, including the…
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WineGB Trade & Press Tasting
On the 5th of September 2023, I went to the annual WineGB Trade & Press Tasting, where 312 wines from English and Welsh producers were on display. The event had separate stands for individual exhibitors, stands that represented regional vineyard associations with smaller commercial producers on display and special tables emphasising the diverse wine styles now being produced in Britain. Additionally, there was a dedicated tasting table presenting the Trophy winners from the WineGB Awards 2023. I sampled many wines and these are the ones that particularly caught my attention: The award winning wines I tried were the Digby Fine…
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WineGB Industry Report
The wine industry in England and Wales has been experiencing great growth, as evidenced by the recent WineGB Industry Survey (PDF). The WineGB Industry Survey received 155 responses, capturing 91% of wine production in Britain. This comprehensive data provides a clear snapshot of the current state of the industry and its potential for future growth. Consumers are increasingly seeking more locally produced and environmentally friendly wines, a demand that English and Welsh wines are distinctively poised to fulfil. Viticulture, the cultivation of grapevines, is now the UK’s fastest-growing agricultural sector. The industry currently employs around 2,300 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers,…
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Did You Know?
Nearly a third (32%) of UK consumers say they have already used AI for alcoholic drinks advice. More
Among socially active wine buyers, 37% have bought a wine recommended online. More
In 2026, 72% of consumers now think wine knowledge is essential to appreciation, up 20 percentage points on 2025. More
Rías Baixas wines reached more than 107 countries in 2025 and exports represented 31 per cent of the denomination’s total sales. More
Light Strike Can Cause Wine Degradation in Just One Day. More
People actively adjust their wine choices depending on who might see them. More
In the UK, 73% of Alcohol is Bought From Retail Rather Than Hospitality. More
UK wine production reached 124,377 hectolitres that year, meaning the UK accounted for roughly 0.05 per cent of world output. More
For Crémant, grapes must be harvested by hand and the wines must undergo at least nine months’ ageing before release. More
In 2024, the UK was the second-largest export market for Champagne globally, after the United States. More
Local UK bottling of wine represents about 40% of imported wine. More
Around 1% of people, typically severe asthmatics, have a sulphite sensitivity. More
A large 80% of Australian wine arrives in the UK in bulk. More
Only about 0.02% of Australia’s landmass is dedicated to vineyards. More
In 2024, New Zealand produced only 1% of the World’s wine. More
In 2024, the US imported 37% of World production of Pinot Grigio and the UK was is in second place at 27%. More
In 2024, the UK was South Africa’s largest export market, with 40% of total exports. More
In 2024, the United Kingdom imported 22.3 million bottles of Champagne, a decline of 12.7% compared to the previous year. More
Larger Champagne producers source grapes from as many as 80 different vineyards throughout Champagne. More
Champagne houses and growers collectively produce around 300 million bottles annually. More
In 2025, the Champagne region was home to about 2,124 Champagne houses and approximately 19,000 growers. More
Provence is one of the leaders in the conversion to organic viticulture, with 61% of vineyards certified. More
8% of the South Africa’s grape production is Fairtrade-certified. More
Up to 80% of wine aroma compounds come from grape skins. More
Glycerol is the third-largest component of most dry wines after water and alcohol which is why they so often feel ‘smooth’ or ‘silky’ in the mouth. More
Humans are more than 400 times more sensitive to bitter than sweet. More
Humans can detect the earthy molecule geosmin at about 100 parts per trillion and camels are so sensitive to it they can locate damp ground from roughly 50 miles away. More
During the phylloxera crisis of the nineteenth century, 90% of Europe’s vineyards were destroyed. More
In 2025, for La Vieille Ferme, also known as “The Chicken Wine”, sales surged by 49.4% to £110.8 million. More
In 2025, in the UK, Yellow Tail held the top position with sales, marking a 9.8% increase over the previous year. More
In 2024, the UK was the second-largest wine importer in volume and value. More
In 2024, the UK was the fifth-largest wine-consuming country globally. More
In 2025, global wine consumption continued its downward trend, estimated at 214.2 million hectolitres, the lowest since 1961. More
In 2025, online alcohol sales had a 20% increase in value over five years. More
In 2025, the number of UK vineyards rose to 1,104 and wineries to 238, with land under vine expanding to 4,841 hectares, a 510% increase since 2005. More
Moët Hennessy alone commands nearly 46.66% of the Champagne market, with the top three producers together holding about 61%, and the top five controlling over 72%. More
In 2024, the Champagne market was worth roughly €3.92 billion. More
In the marketing year 2023/24, white wine accounted for roughly 55% of Spain’s output, whereas red and rosé together made up about 45%. More
In the UK, 92% of wine is consumed within 48hrs of purchase. More
The majority of wines, 95%, use commercial rather than wild yeast. More
Between 0.5 and 10 litres of water, per litre of wine, are needed for cleaning during winemaking. More
Machine harvesting can achieve up to 100 tons of fruit per day vs 1 ton for a human. More
In Germany, 2025 was the smallest wine vintage since 2010. More
The majority of vineyards, 90% in 2019, are farmed with heavy chemical interventions. Only 6% are organic. More
90% of low and coastal areas in south Europe and California will no longer be able to produce good wine by the end of the century. More
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