English Wine Week 2025: Essex celebrates boom in wine tourism 

Visit Essex is shining a light on the county’s stunning vineyards and award-winning wines this English Wine Week. The tourism organisation marked the occasion at an event at Dedham Vale Vineyard on 10th June.  

Essex is now the third largest grower of grapes in the UK and the largest wine producer in the Eastern region. The county is one of the fastest-growing wine growers, with hectarage up 60% from 2020.  

The latest figures by Wine GB revealed that tourism-related visits to UK vineyards have increased by 55% to 1.5 million visits in just two years (2022/2024).  

Wine GB thinks there is a potential for this to rise to 16 million visits per year, based on the number of tourists expressing an interest in visiting a vineyard. 

Perfect for growing fine English wine 

Essex is home to 58 vineyards. The region offers perfect conditions for growing grapes, thanks to its dry sunny climes and geology.  

To the northwest of the county, its chalky soil is like the Champagne region of northern France. This is ideal for producing award-winning sparkling wines. Whereas the clay soils along the Crouch Valley have seen a huge growth.  

Here the Pinot Noir and Bacchus grapes have become some of the most sought-after English wines.  

Councillor Mark Durham, chair of Visit Essex, is excited by these new opportunities. He said: “Essex has the perfect climate and geology to grow fine English wine. Vineyards are popping up all over the county.  

“I’m also proud that our wine producers are winning so many top awards. The potential to grow wine tourism is staggering, and it’s a challenge we’re happy to support. The future looks very rosé, white and red.” 

World-class Essex wines 

Many Essex wine producers are capitalising on the tourism market by not just offering wine tasting tours and cellar door sales. The boom in tourism has grown from vineyards being imaginative about their offer.

Many vineyards now offer alfresco dining, weddings, floristry classes and jazz events. Winemakers have also seized the opportunity to open cafes, restaurants and places to stay.  

Michael Beeching, vineyard manager at Dedham Vale Vineyard, said that he is excited about the growth in wine tourism.  

“Vineyards provide the perfect setting for people to escape the everyday, enjoy a glass or two of wine and enjoy themselves. We’ve invested in our tourism offer by launching new food and wine events in our woodland pavilion and stunning weddings on our Vineyard Green overlooking the Vines and Lake,” he continued.  

The county’s top wine producers, Dedham Vale, Crouch Ridge, Bardfield, Clayhill, New Hall, Tuffon Hall and Saffron Grange, have gathered great reputations. Some of the top wines are served in exclusive hotels and restaurants in London, such as The Dorchester and the Michelin-starred Galvin Brothers’ restaurants.  

Essex wines are world-class and have won prestigious awards. Saffron Grange’s Classic Cuvee Brut, 2019, was awarded a Bronze Decanter World Wine Award in 2023.  Over in Castle Hedingham, Tuffon Hall’s Pinot Noir Rose, 2020 Beatrice, won a silver in the National Wine GB Awards, and New Hall’s Baccus 2022 Vintage won silver in the 2024 London Wine Competition.  

To discover more about the county’s vineyards, head to the Visit Essex website.

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