Kent vineyards to support in English Wine Week
Kent wine sits up there with the very best – and what better time to celebrate it than in English Wine Week? Top up your glass – and try our recommended standout sips – from one of these local vineyards.
As we’re lucky enough to live in the Wine Garden of England it would be rude not to support local and celebrate English Wine Week (Sat 17 – Sun 25 June 2023) by buying a bottle (or two) of the best in Kent. Share with friends! Or not, we won’t judge.
Yotes Court, Mereworth
What? Not big and flashy, but bijoux and super stylish, is this magnificent Manor House, Vineyard and Cellar Door, led by progressive and sustainable values. All transformed with care from a tired house with an overgrown garden and a fruit farm in need of investment.
Where? Sitting pretty in the Garden of England on a stunning sloping site looking towards Bidborough and Tunbridge Wells, between the picturesque villages of West Peckham and Mereworth in Kent.
How do I try? Visit for a tour and a guided tasting in the Tasting Room, pick up a bottle at Cellar Door or shop online via their website.
Stand out sip: Floral, fruity and with a zesty refreshing finish, ‘On the Nod’ Bacchus 2021, is the perfect sipper to celebrate English Wine week. Fun fact: Virgin Atlantic are serving this wine in upper class for the whole month of June and it’s the first English still white wine to be flown long haul. Oooh!
The Mount Vineyard, Shoreham
What? The Mount is a beautiful, boutique vineyard featuring 10 acres of vines within its 100 acre plus estate of orchards and meadows, all nestled in a glorious corner of the Kent countryside. Producing a range of award-winning wines and served with the best of British produce & stone-baked pizzas from their Courtyard Bar & Restaurant.
Where? Nestled in picturesque Shoreham village just outside Sevenoaks, and just a short stroll from the station with great access across Kent and to London.
How do I try? Their Ten Acres gift shop offers DIY wine flights, book a tasting experience (available all year around) up in the restaurant or enjoy a bottle with lunch. You can also pick up bottles, gorgeous gifts and local luxury goods from their tractor shed converted to a beautiful boutique.
Stand out sip: Their Sparkling White 2018 has just won gold in the Independent English Wine Awards 2023 and swiftly sold out! But fear not, their Bacchus 2021 was awarded bronze with its elderflower nose, vibrant green apple flavours and crisp, dry palate. This tipple makes for a perfect aperitif on a hot summer’s day, enjoy!
Balfour Winery, Staplehurst
What? Family-run wine estate, Balfour Winery is set within 400 acres of Kent countryside. From expert-led winery tours and guided wine tastings; to stunning vineyard walks and nature trails within ancient oak woodland, it’s the perfect day out! Don’t forget to grab a table within their impressive, state-of-the-art winery and tasting room ‘The View’.
Where? Down the A21, past Royal Tunbridge Wells and continue down the country back roads towards Staplehurst.
How do I try? You can buy direct from the vineyard themselves or from their website.
Stand out sip: You have to try one from their brand-new range of still English wines with Nannette’s Rosé (a pale pink blend of the three main champagne grapes), Liberty’s Bacchus (a slightly oaked, more sophisticated style of this English staple) and Luke’s Pinot Noir (a light, summer fruit flavoured red), these will sure sell-out asap.
Gusbourne, Ashford
What? Did you know that the original Gusbourne Estate in Appledore, near Ashford, dates back to 1410? The de Goosebourne family crest was made up of three geese and even now, every bottle of wine crafted at Gusbourne carries the same goose crest. Explore the estate yourself on one of their tours or enjoy a day dining between the vines and have one of their picnics for two.
Where? Located on a hill at Appledore, just 15 miles from the must-visit medieval coastal town of Rye just over the border in East Sussex.
How do I try? You can buy direct from the vineyard themselves or from their website. Their wines are also available widely throughout Kent in shops and restaurants, as well as throughout the rest of the country.
Stand out sip You can’t go wrong with the Blanc de Blancs 2018, made using hand-selected Chardonnay, it’s elegant and fresh and has won not 1 but 3 awards! Including Best in Show at Decanter World Wine Awards 2023.
Biddenden Vineyards, Biddenden
What? Kent’s original vineyard, producing award-winning wines, ciders & juices. Originally home to a 40-acre apple orchard, the Barnes family started to diversify the farm in the late 1960’s and so Biddenden Vineyards was born! They run Private Tours and Self-Guided Tours (May – Sept) and the Vineyard Shop is open year-round so there’s no excuse not to visit.
Where? You’ll find them just outside the pretty village of Biddenden on Gribble Bridge Lane.
How do I try? You can buy direct from the cellar door at Biddenden, where their full range of wines, ciders & juices are available, or online via their website.
Stand out sip: We’d recommend picking the limited edition, Gamay Noir 2022. It’s a light red with high fruity aromas and taste along with a striking colour. It not only won the Gold Award at the 2023 Independent English Wine Awards but it was also voted Top Red Wine in the same prestigious competition.
Woolton Wine, Canterbury
What? Woolton Farm in Canterbury is a right rural hidden gem… Visit for its wonderful cider and award-winning wines, eat local produce while you sip and then stay in one of three holiday cottages or book a bell tent in The Barn Garden. There’s a shop, vineyard and cider garden to stroll around, tours and tastings. Then there’s the rustic restaurant, The Barn, which serves the very best local produce plus a brilliant selection of accommodation so you could even make a weekend of it.
Where? Located just outside the historic city of Canterbury and a short drive to Whitstable (20 min), Margate (30 min) and the coastal towns of East Kent.
How do I try? You can buy direct from the vineyard themselves or from their website.
Stand out sip: The perfect wine to accompany British summers and alfresco dining, Woolton Bacchus 2019. It has a fragrant nose delivering green apple, mown grass and pear notes leading to a deeply flavoured, vibrant, fresh and dry palate of apple, apricot and lemon with hints of tropical fruits and a long, zingy finish.
Woodchurch Wine, Woodchurch
What? Award-winning Woodchurch produces the highest quality grapes and the finest English sparkling wine. The vineyard shop is open on weekends from 11am until 5pm.
Where? On the edge of the picturesque village of Woodchurch. Set on hills looking south over the Romney Marsh to the English Channel.
How do I try? Buy from their website online.
Stand out sip: Their Classic Brut 2017 has recently won gold at Decanter World Wine Awards 2023, IEWA 2023 and Taste of Kent Awards Finalist 2023 – phew! It’s a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes – all grown exclusively on their single vineyard estate.
Terlingham Vineyard, Folkestone
What? Terlingham Vineyard is a boutique, natural vineyard making unique, award-winning wines – and now a gin too! They don’t use any artificial pesticides, fertilisers or herbicides and encourage the natural wild grasses and flowers that grow amongst the vines. They do everything in the vineyard by hand with traditional processes.
Where? Nestled in the heart of the Garden of England of Hawkinge near Folkestone.
How do I try? Their lovely selection of both still and sparkling wines are all available from their website.
Stand out sip: Available to pre-order but coming to the website soon is their 2022 Bacchus that scooped Silver at the IEWA with elderflower, rose and lime zest on the nose with crunchy peach and a long orchard finish on the palate.
Simpsons, Barham
What? Nestled in the sunny, sheltered slips of the North Downs of Kent, you’ll find Simpsons Wine Estate. Charles and Ruth Simpson began their adventures in winemaking in 2002, at the stunning Domaine Sainte Rose in the Languedoc, France. They established Simpsons’ Wine Estate on the other side of the Channel in 2012 and are going from strength to strength in their production of high-quality English still and sparkling wines.
Pop along to one of their Vineyard and Winery Tours or try a Tasting Experience. Here at Muddy we love the sound of their Sunset Sessions, where you can spend a hazy summer evening on the Estate with a beautifully prepared picnic provided by Macknade filled with delicious local produce.
Where? In the picturesque village of Barham, off the A2 just outside Canterbury with its beautiful cathedral and city centre.
How do I try? Buy via their website and some wonderful local stockists, restaurants and bars too!
Stand out sip: We’d recommend giving their brand new wine releases The Roman Road Chardonnay 2022 and Rabbit Hole Pinot Noir 2022 a go. Both as elegant as they are iconic in the Simpsons’ range. Place your orders asap as these warm summer evenings continue, cin-cin!
Chapel Down, Tenterden
What? Meet one of the UK’s largest wine producers. Chapel Down is a beautiful site, walk past gleaming new tanks and presses, their swanky new deli bursting with local produce and view their tasting room called The Wine Sanctuary. Take a guided tour with a tutored tasting of their award-winning range of sparkling and still wines and have some lunch in their smart on-site restaurant, with two AA Rosette and Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant, The Swan.
Where? Head down the A229 and via the pretty Kentish villages of Benenden and Rolvenden to arrive at Chapel Down near Tenterden.
How do I try? Buy from their website.
Stand out sip: Their Kit’s Coty Coeur De Cuvée 2016 caused a stir at the International Wine Challenge 2023 winning gold alongside their Grand Reserve 2018. It’s 100% sparkling chardonnay sourced from their 100-acre Kit’s City vineyard made from the best hand-harvested fruit.