VISIT Essex is shining a light on the county’s stunning vineyards and award-winning wines.
The latest figures by Wine GB¹ reveals that tourism related visits to UK vineyards have increased by 55% to 1.5 million. The most popular visits are for cellar door sales, guided tours and tastings, venue hire, self-guided tours, places to stay, places to eat and picnic areas.
Essex is now the third largest grower of grapes in the UK and the largest wine producer in the Eastern region. Essex is home to 58 vineyards. The region offers perfect conditions for growing grapes, thanks to its dry sunny climes and geology.
The county is one of the fastest growing, with 469 hectares of vines, up 60% from 2020.
The most popular grapes to be grown in the East are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Bacchus, which are ideal for the area’s geology and sunny dry climate. 2025 was an exceptional year for growing grapes, thanks to an early dry spring and hot weather in June and July. In the UK production was up 39%.
To the north west 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 huge growth. Here the Pinot Noir and Bacchus grapes have become some of the most sought after English wines.
Councillor Jeff Bray, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Heritage at Essex County Council, said: “Essex is now the third largest grower of grapes in the UK, and it shows. People from all over are visiting our fantastic county to get the authentic experience, from vineyard tours and tasting sessions to venue hires and cellar door sales.
“I’m pleased to see the wine industry going from strength to strength in Essex thanks to our unique geology and perfect growing conditions. I encourage everyone to visit Essex and see, and taste, for themselves.”
Lisa Bone, Tourism Manager at Visit Essex, is excited by these new opportunities. She said: “Essex has the perfect climate and geology to grow fine English wine. Vineyards have become a well-known feature of the Essex countryside. Visitors love to flock to our vineyards to enjoy some of the finest English wine and experiences.”
She continued: “Tourism is booming in the vines. We have some of the most amazing stays among the vines. Our vineyards are also running events from music nights to picnics. Of course, they also offer cellar door sales, tours and tastings, but have also become popular venues for hire.”
Vineyards across the county are capitalising on the growing interest in wine tourism by expanding their visitor offer. Many vineyards now offer restaurants and cafes, picnics, weddings, music events, places to stay, cellar door sales, tours and tastings.
The county’s top wine producers, Dedham Vale, Crouch Ridge, Bardfield, Clayhill, New Hall, Tuffon Hall and Saffron Grange, have gathered great reputations and won many awards. 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.
To discover more about the county’s vineyards, head to www.visitessex.com.
