Kent is a county in southeast England known colloquially as the Garden of England thanks to its historical importance for growing cereal crops, hops and fruit. With the increase in vineyard plantings however, things are changing quickly and Kent has already become one of the leading areas for top-quality wines in the UK. Below, we discuss why this is, give you the big names to look out for and suggest what else you can do while you’re there...
Despite evidence dating back to Roman times showing that winemaking practices have been common in England for over 2000 years, the buzz surrounding the exciting rise of English wine is actually pretty recent. The big success story here is sparkling wine made in the traditional method (now officially known over here as the ‘classic method’), with ‘new’ grape varieties i.e. Chardonnay. Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier; the grape varieties famous for making the great sparkling wines of Champagne. Before this practice took off, Kent and the rest of England were working more with still wines made with the aromatic, Germanic varieties that did better in the cold, such as Madeleine Angevine, Rondo and Bacchus.
Why is Kent wine doing so well?
So why the new grapes and the success with wine in Kent particularly? Fruit growing temperatures and conditions in Kent have always been excellent and the soils, particularly those under the North Downs in the north of the county, share the same chalk ridges as the famous region of Champagne in France. This discovery led to trialing out the Champagne grapes mentioned above and to great success. Climate change has also meant that in the right conditions, grapes are able to ripen just that little bit more than they used to, which makes all the difference for wine production. Add to this the modern techniques by winemakers who have travelled the world and improved disease control and you have a recipe for success - so much so that we are even seeing famous Champagne houses snapping up land, such as Domaine Evremond, owned by the Taittinger family, who have planted vines down in Faversham.
There are now over fifty wineries in Kent alone and the area is quickly becoming a real destination for fine wine production and gastro tourism, the latter helped by the picture perfect villages, cottages, landscapes and oasthouses of the county. If you’ve seen the film ‘The Holiday’, you’ll know exactly what we mean. A group of these wineries have also got together to support each other and boost the reputation of Kent wine under the title ‘Wine Garden of England’. These are Biddenden, Gusbourne, Balfour at Hush Heath Estate, Chapel Down, Domaine Evremond, Simpsons and Squerryes.
Beer and Spirits
Drinks lovers will also note that Kent also has a strong association with growing hops for beer and we can still see some of these oast houses dotted around the county, though they are more often used as posh housing nowadays. Distilleries are also popping up, with some offering some fantastic experience for visitors, such as Copper Rivet over in Chatham that offers distillery tours and tastings and also has a new cocktail bar and fine dining restaurant on site.
Notable wineries of Kent
Of the fifty or so wineries dotted around the county, there are several that stand out. While these names will change over time with new ones being added regularly, these are the need-to-know producers currently making a splash and well worth a visit:
Gusbourne
Balfour at Hush Heath
Simpsons
Biddenden
Woodchurch
Herbert Hall
Squerryes
Chapel Down
Mereworth
Look out for Domaine Evremond too; the Taittinger family project, recently planted.
Gusbourne
Location: Appledore, Kent
Gusbourne and its head winemaker Charlie Holland have been turning heads all over the vinous world as their vintage sparkling wines gather inordinate amounts of awards. Even their first releases in 2006 (Gusbourne Brut Reserve and Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs), which were released in 2010, commanded attention immediately. Since then, the English wine world has watched in awe as the team crafts the vintages every year, adding new cuvées and styles to their repertoire. The winery now produces several white and rosé sparkling wines as well as an impressive range of still wines, each with their own personality. This is a real, fine wine producer of Kent.
On Site Experiences
Tastings & Tours
Guided and self guided tours with wine tastings are available from £25 pp.
Food
While there is no restaurant or café at Gusbourne per se, picnics are available to buy and consume overlooking the stunning Boot Hill vineyard at the top of the estate. You can however, also pre book an extended tour and tasting which includes a 3 course lunch for £95pp or for something less formal, try the discovery tour, which involves a tasting and a casual lunch for £75 pp. Locals say to try the Ferry Inn in Oxney or The Woolpack Inn in Warehorne for great pub grub if the tasting lunches don’t work for you. Also, make sure you pay a visit to Miss Mollett's High Class Tea Rooms in Appledore if you’re staying there.
Accommodation
None on site but there are several very pretty Air BnBs down the road in Appledore, about 30 mins walk away through the vines.
Kiddie friendly: No.
Dog friendly: Yes outside, or possibly inside if clean and very well behaved.
Address: Kenardington Rd, Appledore, Ashford TN26 2BE
Tel: +44 (0)1233 758666
Website
Balfour at Hush Heath Estate
Location: Near Stapleford, Kent
The 16th century Hush Heath manor is the home to Richard and Leslie Balfour-Lynn who acquired the 400 acre estate that surrounds it in 2001 after it came up unexpectedly in an auction. The couple had the foresight to plant grape vines alongside some of the apple trees and now, twenty years later, they are producing award-winning sparkling and still wines alongside their beers and high class ciders that are made just like their fizz. With their new terrace called ‘The View’ and its sweeping views across the estate, it’s a lovely spot for a tasting with a sharing platter.
On Site Experiences
Tastings & Tours
At Hush Heath, you can do simple guided and self-guided walks around the estate culminating in a tasting or you can upgrade the offering to include sharing platters at The View. They offer several types of other experiences, including self-tutored tastings, masterclasses, wine and dine experiences and corporate and private events where they pick you up from the station!
Food
There’s no restaurant or café at Hush Heath as such, but sharing platters of cold cuts, cheeses and other local products are available on the day.
Accommodation
The Balfour family own several gastro pubs with rooms in the area (and elsewhere), the closest of which is the Goudhurst Inn five minutes drive away. They also own the Tickled Trout in Farleigh, the Woolpack on Tenterden high street, the Ship Inn in Rye and The Windmill in Hollingbourne, all a bit further away.
Kiddie Friendly: Yes on the terrace and in The View. Under 10’s are not permitted on the winery tour.
Address: Hush Heath Estate, Five Oak Ln, Staplehurst, Tonbridge TN12 0HT
Tel: +44 (0)1622 832794
Website
Simpsons English Wine Estate
Location: Canterbury
Run by veteran winemaking couple Charles and Ruth Simpson, this estate is tucked away on the chalky slopes of the North Downs, sheltered from the weather by stunning English woodland. A relative newcomer on the English winemaking scene, Simpson’s first wine releases of traditional method sparkling wines in their sleek, dark packaging impressed from the off and they’ve gone on to produce some serious still wines too from the same Champagne grapes, including one that’s, unusually, made from 100% Pinot Meunier.
On Site Experiences
Tastings & Tours
Simpsons offer weekday and weekend tours and tastings as well as sought-after, Friday Sunset Sessions with food platter.
Food
No restaurant or café, but platters are available on the Friday sunset sessions.
Address: The Barns, Church Lane, Barham, Canterbury, Kent, CT4 6PB
Tel: +44 (0) 1227 832200
Website
Biddenden Vineyards
Location: Biddenden
Biddenden is Kent’s original vineyard, dating back to 1969 when the first vines were planted on the Barnes family’s orchard farm. Unlike many of the other new wineries in Kent, Biddenden doesn’t just focus on the three Champagne grapes for its wine but celebrates eleven different grape varieties, including what we could now call the ‘heritage’ English grapes such as Bacchus, Ortega and Huxelrebe. A true location for quintessentially Kentish produce, Biddenden also produces cider, juices and sells a range of local produce. If you want to know Kentish wine, you should start here.
On Site Experiences
Tastings & Tours
Self guided tours and wine tastings are available 7 days a week and group bookings for up to six people are available Weds-Sat.
Shop
As well as wine, cider, beer and gin, Biddenden has a shop that stocks a wide range of local and regional products and snacks, such as cheese, meats and condiments from independent and artisan producers.
Address: Biddenden Vineyards, Gribble Bridge Lane, Biddenden, Kent. TN27 8DF.
Tel: +44 (0)1580 291726
Website
Woodchurch
Location: Woodchurch
Woodchurch is a relatively new, family-owned winery located on the edge of the picturesque village of Woodchurch in Kent, overlooking the ancient Romney marsh down to the English channel. Established in 2009, their vision is to create some of the world’s finest sparkling wines with a hand-made approach in their state-of-the-art winery and minimal intervention.
On Site Experiences
The cellar door shop and new terrace bar are now open again and they serve wines by the glass with some free tastings. There’s no need to book ahead for this.
Tastings & Tours
Guided tours with four wines are available for £20 per person, lasting about an hour and a half.
Food
Cheese and Charcuterie boards are available too, 11am - 4pm but it’s wise to pre-order.
Address: Susan's Hill, Woodchurch, Ashford TN26 3RE
Tel: 01233 860276
Website
Herbert Hall
Location: Marden Tonbridge
Herbert Hall is the name of a colourful character who was also a tenant farmer who arrived in the village of Marden at the end of the 19th century and worked on the ten-acre site to the west of the village. On the estate, he grew hops, apples, pears and plums and his farm has remained in the Hall family for three generations. It was in 2007 however that his great grandson, the now winemaker Nicholas Hall, chose Herbert’s original site to plant a vineyard with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. Today, with fellow winemaker Kirsty Smith, he now produces vintage, English Sparkling Wines with a focus on organic viticulture and meticulous fruit selection.
On Site Experiences
Tastings, Tours & Food
The Herbert Hall bar is open on Saturdays 12pm-8pm and Sundays 12-6pm during the summer, but is currently weather dependent. The bar also serves beers, cider and soft drinks, as well as still wines, their own sparkling wines, and charcuterie and cheeses.
Address: Poultry Farm, Plain Rd, Marden, Tonbridge TN12 9LS
Website
Squerryes
Location: Westerham, Kent
The Warde family motto, which can be seen above the door at Squerryes Court, reads ’Licet Esse Beatis’, which means: ‘it’s permitted to be joyful’ and this is a place that embodies that perfectly. Located just outside Westerham at the foot of the North Downs, the family have lived here for eight generations over 300 years, with Sir Patience Warde one of the first generation, trading wool from the Estate with the French for red wine. Fast forward centuries later and the family turned down offers from a Champagne house to buy some of their land. It was the right decision as now, Squerryes is making a solid name for its vintage, sparkling wines in their own right.
On Site Experiences
Tastings & Tours
Squerryes offer tours that culminate in tastings that include their signature Brut release, the Rosé and Blanc de Blancs. Tours run on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays every weekend through to October.
Food
Squerryes is a great choice for when you want to make a day of it, with a tour, then a tasting and a proper lunch or dinner in The Terrace restaurant or The Bottle Store restaurant. There is Al Fresco dining at The Terrace between April and September and you can look forward to small, seasonal dishes and sharing plates with select cuts of prime meat and seafood, created by their estate chef, Alexander Baillieu.
Private Hire & Weddings
You have found your perfect location for a party or a wedding. Squerryes Court has featured in many a period drama and could be the perfect backdrop to your big day. The winery space is also available to hire.
Address: Squerryes, Beggars Lane, Westerham, Kent, TN16 1QP
Tel: 01959 562345
Website
Chapel Down
Location: Tenterden, Kent
Chapel Down might well be the name in English wine that you are most familiar with as they were one of the first to go big and get ‘out there’ in mainstream shops and restaurants. Located just outside Tenterden and pretty close to Gusbourne and Woodchurch, this is a great location to start an English wine tour, especially as there are some great pubs with rooms nearby. Chapel Down themselves also offer a range of experiences, from guided tours, wine tastings and full-on masterclasses, to lunch at their restaurant ‘The Swan’. There are also accommodation packages you could look at with their partner hotels.
On Site Experiences
Tastings & Tours
You can do guided and self guided tours around their vineyards and herb garden. There are various options from simple tours and tastings to full, deluxe tour packages. Cheese and wine tastings are also available.
Food
Chapel Down boasts a two AA Rosette and Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants specialising in modern British cuisine and locally sourced seasonable produce.
Lease the vines!
Chapel Down also has a vine lease programme where you can buy or gift someone their very own Bacchus vines and create personalised wines. There are also events for the leaseholders to attend and you are able to visit your vines at any time to see how they are coming on.
Address: Chapel Down Winery, Small Hythe, Tenterden, Kent TN30 7NG
Tel: 01580 763033
Website
Mereworth Wines
Location: Mereworth, Kent.
Mereworth is a pretty ancient Kentish site that even gets a mention in the Domesday book! The area, like much of Kent has a long history of growing fruit and hops and now, Mereworth has its own winery, swapping hops for grapes. It’s a new winery on the scene but is already making a splash with its first vintage of 2018 sparkling wines winning prestigious awards already. It’s rapidly becoming a serious destination for wine lovers thanks to its calendar of events such as their Indian wine supper and their Champagne Vs England sparkling wine tasting.
On Site Experiences
Tastings, Tours & Food
Mereworth Wines runs tours and tastings, with an option of masterclasses and wine-and-cheese pairings too. Check their website for their events too.
Address: Brewers Hall, Tonbridge Rd, Mereworth, Maidstone, ME18 5JD.
Tel: 01622 817795
Website
Places to stay in Kent for your wine tour
The Woolpack Inn, Warehorne.
Tickled Trout in West Fairleigh
Woolpack, Tenterden high street.
The Ship Inn, Rye.
The Windmill, Hollingbourne.
The Oxney Barns, Oxney.
Shepherd’s Huts, Oxney.
Want to know more about English wine? Here are some need-to-know producers to seek out. Or you could try this article for the best UK vineyard hotels. Or this one for the best places to drink English wine in the UK!