The vineyards in south east England are among the warmest vineyards in the country. The south east England region has the most vineyards of all the regions of England. The facilities found at the south east England vineyards include shops, restaurants, accommodation and venue hire. Some of the vineyards welcome families and dogs and some have disabled access. Listed below are some of the wine counties in south east England.

1. Sussex
2. Kent
3. Surrey
4. Hertfordshire
5. London

1. Sussex

Sussex is the county with the largest vineyard area with a total area of over 569 hectares. Sussex produces around a quarter of the total wine in England. Sparkling wine from Sussex has often been compared to Champagne and has received many awards for its quality.

East Sussex

The vineyards in East Sussex cover an area of over 248.5 hectares. Many of the vineyards in East Sussex are open to the public for wine tasting and tours. The vineyards in East Sussex produce sparkling white wine, sparkling rosé wine, still white wine, still rosé wine and still red wine. Visitors to the vineyards in East Sussex may benefit from the facilities such as shops, accommodation, restaurants and function rooms. Some of the vineyards in East Sussex welcome families and their dogs, and they also have disability access.

West Sussex

The vineyards in West Sussex cover an area of over 321 hectares. Many of the vineyards in West Sussex are open to the public for wine tasting and tours. The vineyards in West Sussex produce sparkling white wine, sparkling rosé wine, still white wine, still rosé wine and still red wine. Visitors to the vineyards in West Sussex may benefit from the facilities such as shops, accommodation, restaurants and function rooms. Some of the vineyards in West Sussex welcome families and their dogs, and they also have disability access.

2. Kent 

The vineyards in Kent cover an area of over 378 hectares. Many of the vineyards in Kent are open to the public for wine tasting and tours. The vineyards in Kent produce sparkling white wine, sparkling rosé wine, still white wine, still rosé wine and still red wine. Visitors to the vineyards in Kent cany benefit from the facilities such as shops, accommodation, restaurants and function rooms. Some of the vineyards in Kent welcome families and their dogs, and they also have disability access.

3. Surrey

The vineyards in Surrey cover an area of over 152.8 hectares. Many of the vineyards in Surrey are open to the public for wine tasting and tours. The vineyards in Surrey produce sparkling white wine, sparkling rosé wine, still white wine, still rosé wine and still red wine. Visitors to the vineyards in Surrey may benefit from the facilities such as shops, accommodation, restaurants and function rooms. Some of the vineyards in Surrey welcome families and their dogs, and they also have disability access.

4. Hertfordshire

The vineyards in Hertfordshire cover an area of over 4.3 hectares. There are few vineyards in Hertfordshire that are open to the public for wine tasting and tours. The vineyards in Hertfordshire produce sparkling white wine, sparkling rosé wine, and still white wine. There are at least two vineyards in Hertfordshire that have accommodation. At least one of the vineyards in Hertfordshire welcomes dogs, and has disability access.

5. London

The vineyards in London cover an area of over 4.7 hectares. Some of the vineyards in London are open to the public for wine tasting and tours. The vineyards in London produce sparkling white wine, still white wine, still rosé wine and still red wine. There is a shop at one of the vineyards in London but the vineyards do not have as many of the facilities available as in other counties in England. One of the vineyards in London welcomes families and their dogs, and there are also some with disability access.

How big is the south east England vineyard area?

The south east England wine area is over 1108.8 hectares. The area of the South East England vineyards cover over half of the total vineyard area in England.

Are the vineyards in south east England open to the public?

Yes, there are many vineyards in south east England that are open to the public. Some of the vineyards in south east England welcome families and their dogs. There are also some vineyards in south east England that have disabled access.

What are some of the facilities that can be found in south east England vineyards?

There are many facilities available for visitors at the vineyards in south east England.  Some of the facilities that can be found at the vineyards in south east England are listed below.

1. Accommodation: There are a variety of different accommodation types at the vineyards in south east England.
2. Café/Restaurant: Visitors can enjoy a meal to accompany the locally produced wine at some of the vineyards in south east England.
3. Winery: Visitors can tour some of the wineries and sample the wines at the vineyards in south east England.
4. Shop: Locally produced wine is available at the shops of the vineyards in south east England.
5. Function Room: Function rooms are available for weddings and corporate events at some of the vineyards in south east England.

Are there any wineries in south east England?

Yes, there are many wineries in south east England. Many of the wineries in south east England are located at the vineyards. Many of the wineries in London do not have vineyards. Some of the wineries in south east England are listed below.

1. The winery at Stopham Vineyard and Winery
2. The winery at Carr Taylor Wines
3. The winery at Kingscote Estate
4. The winery at Ridgeview Wine Estate
5. The winery at Davenport Vineyards
6. The winery at Biddenden Vineyards
7. The winery at Bolney Wine Estate
8. The winery at Off The Line Vineyard

Do the vineyards in south east England have wineries?

Yes, many of the vineyards in south east England have wineries. Some of the vineyards in south east England with wineries are listed below.

1. Stopham Vineyard and Winery
2. Carr Taylor Wines
3. Kingscote Estate
4. Ridgeview Wine Estate
5. Davenport Vineyards
6. Biddenden Vineyards
7. Bolney Wine Estate
8. Off The Line Vineyard

Which vineyards in south east England have shops?

The shops at the vineyards in south east England provide visitors with the opportunity to buy the locally produced wines. Some of the most popular vineyards in south east England with shops are listed below.

1. Kingscote Estate
2. Biddenden Vineyards
3. Bolney Wine Estate
4. Greyfriars Vineyard
5. Stopham Vineyard and Winery
6. Sedlescombe Organic Vineyard
7. Davenport Vineyards
8. Chapel Down 
9. Ridgeview Wine Estate
10. Carr Taylor Wine Estate

Are there any wine tasting and vineyard tours in south east England?

Yes, there are many wine tasting and vineyard tours in south east England. The vineyard tours in south east England offer visitors an opportunity to learn about the winemaking process from growing grapes to bottling the wine. The tasting sessions in south east England give visitors the opportunity to try the locally produced wines. 

Tinwood Estate in West Sussex, runs a popular Vineyard Tour and Wine Tasting experience. Visitors have an opportunity to tour the estate and try 3 glasses of the locally produced sparkling wines. The Vineyard Tour and Tasting experience is a public group tour that is  available for all the family and costs at least £21 per person.

Denbies Wine Estate in Surrey, also runs popular tours of the vineyard as well as separate wine tasting experiences for all the family. The outdoor vineyard tour includes a train ride through the vineyard and costs at least £9.95 per adult. The indoor winery tour is designed to complement the outdoor tour and includes a cinema experience explaining more about the wine making process and will include 1 glass of sparkling wine. The indoor tour cost at least £14.95 per person.    

What are the things to do at the vineyards in south east England?

There are many activities that visitors can do at the vineyards in south east England. Some of the things that visitors can do at the vineyards in south east England are listed below.

1. Outdoor cinema: One of the vineyards in West Sussex has an outdoor cinema event in the month of September.
2. Music festival: There are many music events hosted by the vineyards in south east England. 
3. Pop up restaurants: Some of the vineyards in south east England have special evenings with local caterers to provide visitors with fabulous meals with wine pairing.
4. Yoga: Yoga surrounded by the vines is available at least at one vineyard in south east England.  
5. Venue hire: Visitors can host their own special events with venue hire available at some of the vineyards in northern England.

What is the geography and climate of the south east England wine region?

The geography and climate of the south east england wine region is ideal for making sparkling wine. There are many south facing slopes and warmer temperatures which make for ideal conditions for growing specific grapes. 

The geography of the south east England wine region is characterised by the chalky hills of the North and South Downs. These hills found in Surrey, Sussex, and Kent have similar soil conditions to the Champagne region. The geographical conditions in south east England are ideal for growing grape varieties such as chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier.

The south east of England is among the warmest, driest, and longest sunshine hour regions of the country. This helps the grapes to ripen early which makes for a better quality wine. The south part of the region benefits from cool evenings because of the sea breeze and this helps create an acidity in the grapes which benefits sparkling wine varieties. 

What are the major grape varieties in south east England?

The major grape varieties grown in south East England are those used to make sparkling wine and others that are adapted to withstand the varying climate that is found in the country. The major grape varieties in south east England are listed below.

1. Pinot Noir
2. Chardonnay
3. Pinot Meunier
4. Ortego
5. Bacchus
6. Pinot Gris
7. Pinot Blanc
8. Regent
9. Rondo

What wines are produced in south east England?

The vineyards in south east England produce a great variety of many different wines. The wines produced in south east England are listed below.

1. Sparkling white wine
2. Sparkling rosé wine,
3. Still white wine
4. Still rosé wine
5. Still red wine

Are there any vineyard stays in south east England?

Yes, there are some vineyard stays in south east England. Vineyard stays in the south east of England are a great way to relax, unwind and enjoy locally produced wine. There are many different types of accommodation at the south east England vineyards, including camping, guesthouses, apartments and hotel rooms. Visitors can find accommodation suitable for families and others suitable just for couples. Accommodation costs at least £145 a night at the vineyards in south east England.

Are there any restaurants at the vineyards in south east England?

Yes, there are some restaurants at the vineyards in south east England. Listed below are some of the vineyards in south east England with the best restaurants. 

1. Denbies Wine Estate
2. Rathfinny Wine Estate
3. Kingscote Estate
4. Bolney Wine Estate
5. Chapel Down