Here’s a selection of some of the best, and most unique English wines from all over the South East region, which will add joy to any occasion.

Rosé all day

Summer is rosé season. Versatile and characterful, perfect as an aperitif, seafood accompaniment or pairing a fruity dessert. Here are some southeast rosés we’ve got our eye on.

Rose de Noir sparkling wine from Chartham Vineyard

Chartham Vineyard 2021 Rosé de Noir, £29.95 (Kent)

For those seeking a tradition, high quality sparkling Rosé, this is for you. Traditional method, and 100 per cent Pinot Noir.

This wine is rich with red fruits and has a crisp and refined finish. Perfect on its own or paired with pork and duck.

Wiston Estate 2018 rosé, £54 (Sussex)

Wiston Estate 2018 sparkling Rosé

Looking for something unique? This bold rosé is certainly that. Boasting a range of flavours including dark cherry, blood orange, rose, brioche and marzipan.

This unapologetic Rosé would be the perfect addition to smoked duck or charcuterie. As Wiston puts it – This is a rosé for grown ups!

Kingscote Estate and Vineyard Rosé Brut NV

Kingscote sparkling Rosé, £27 (Sussex)

65 per cent meunier meets 35 per cent pinot noir. The result? A luscious combination of summer fruits, with a touch of acidity.

Here, you’ll experience expressive notes of strawberry and raspberry with nutty shortbread. Enjoy this wine with a fruity dessert or a fruit pairing meat like pork or duck.

Plumpton Estate 2022 Rock Lodge Rosé

Plumpton Estate Rock Lodge 2022 Rosé, £15.95 (Sussex)

Fresh, light and fruity. This is a Rosé that screams summer. Rich with strawberries, raspberries and cherries. This is wine that can be enjoyed on its own or with nibbles in the sunshine.

Alternatively, top up with soda water and fresh strawberries for a refreshing summer cooler

Captivating whites

White wines have fast become a staple of English wine production. Perfected techniques and a changing climate mean there’s now something for everyone. Whether you’re a fan of a Marlborough sauvignon or French champagne – We’re confident you’ll find a new favourite on this list.

The Mount Vineyard 2023 Flint Key Bacchus, £25 (Kent)

The Mount Vineyard 2023 Flint Key Bacchus

This is a fantastically unique Bacchus. Peach and hedgerow permeate the nose whilst stonefruit and rhubarb fill the palate.

Fruity, herbaceous and full of character, this summery tipple would be the perfect accompaniment to a summersalad, pork or poultry

Balfour Winery 2023 Sage’s Ortega

Balfour Winery Sage’s Ortega, 2023, £25 (Kent)

Looking for something a little different? This fantastic Kent wine uses a lesser-known grape – Ortega. Fantastic in cooler climates its versatility is showcased in this fruit-forward white.

Juicy pineapple character meets citrusy acidity. The result is this vibrant summer beverage, great with seafood, pasta and salads.

Gusbourne Estate wild ferment chardonnay

Gusbourne Estate 2022 wild ferment Chardonnay, £35 (Kent)

Familiar and yet completely inventive. This unique take on a classic chardonnay provides the drinker with an ensemble of pear, apple and beeswax on the nose, transforming into a palate of roasted nuts, popcorn,citrus and white pepper.

This wine is great with poultry, pork and salad.

Albourne Estate 2023 Bacchus

Albourne Estate 2023 Bacchus, £17.95 (Sussex)

An excellent choice for lovers of a Marloborough Sauvignon. This complex wine wine is bursting with citrus and tropical fruits, punctuated by a gentle herbaceous undertone.

Despite some palate variation dependant on the vintage this is a consistently great wine. Fantastic with poultry, seafood and pasta.

Paint the town red

Though English whites and rosés have been in the spotlight of British wine production for some time, English reds are now making a name for themselves. From Merlot to Pinot Noir, the UK is now producing red wine to rival any French Cabernet or Argentinian Malbec.

Bolney Wine Estate 2021 Point Noir

Bolney Wine Estate 2022 Pinot Noir, £30 (Sussex)

Silky and luxurious, this is an award-winning wine. Those who drink it will be transported through the British countryside by rich flavours of blackcurrant, fig and cherry, highlighted by a hint of white pepper.

This is a drink best enjoyed with creamy goats’ cheese and game.

Bluebell Vineyards 2020 Ashdown Merlot

Bluebell Vineyard Ashdown 2020 Merlot, £28.40 (Sussex)

Smooth, well balanced and delicate. This is a light-medium bodied merlot. Notes of plum, blackcurrant, cherry bakewell and vanilla begin on the nose, transforming into a palate of rich blackberry jam and cooked cherries.

Oaked for 19 months, this is the perfect accompaniment to beef, risotto and game.

Biddenden Vineyard’s 2023 Gribble Bridge Dornfelder.

Biddenden Vineyards 2023 Gribble Bridge Dornfelder, £16.75 (Kent)

Looking for something truly unique? Look no further – A light red, fruit forward with a good acidity.

This is a wine that can be served chilled, making it a perfect summer drink for red lovers. Fantastic with Mediterranean foods, this wine is the perfect addition to any summer barbeque.

Ridgeview Sparkling Red Reserve

Ridgeview Sparkling Red, £55 (Sussex)

Winner of the 2023 Wine GB pioneer trophy. This wine encapsulates all the creativity of English vineyards. Highly aromatic, with notes of blackberry, cherry and vanilla.

Sweet, luxurious and lightly spiced, this is a sensational barbeque pairing.

A little extra sparkle

Sparkling wine is a staple of English vineyards – Here’s some extra sparkle to add to your next celebration.

Court Garden Sparkling Blanc de Noirs.

Court Garden sparkling Blanc de Noirs, £32.25 (Sussex)

An extra dry, long aged, sparkling wine. This Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier blend produces a refreshing, flavourful tipple. It has just the right level of acidity.

With flavours of apple, citrus and a hint of stone fruit. It’s an exciting change from your average prosecco.

Nyetimber Classic Cuvée

Nyetimber Classic Cuvee, £42 (Sussex)

A consistent award winner – and Nyetimber’s signature wine. Intense yet delicate, elegant yet complex. With succulent notes of apple and honey.

This quality wine is a signature blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Great on its own as an aperitif or paired with creamy pasta, cheese or summer salad

Chapel Down – Kit’s Coty ‘Coeur de Cuvée’

Chapel Down 2016 Kits Coty Coeur de Cuvée, £129 (Sussex)

Searching for a showstopper? Something high end? This sparkling wine has been the winner of four Wine GB awards including ‘Top Sparkling Wine’ in 2024.

Rich, elegant and complex – This is the embodiment of class. Fresh apple and toasted nuts meet well integrated oak resulting in a rich palate with incredible purity.

Artelium Blanc de Blancs

Artelium Blanc de Blancs 2018, £48 (Sussex)

Winner of the 2024 Decanter awards this wine is elegant and a true reflection on the time put into its creation.

Predominantly Chardonnay, it’s rested on its lees for four years, resulting in a sumptuous, creamy concoction. Citrus, apple and pastry notes are complimented with vivacious acidity.

Rathfinny Blanc de Noirs 2020, £55 (Sussex)

Rathfinny 2020 Blanc de Noirs.

A sparkling tipple with notes of red fruits – A love letter to the Pinot Noir grape. Traditionally made, with a long aging period.

Rathfinny have spent years honing their craft – and it shows. Classic and classy, this wine would pair fantastically with Asian flavours, venison and duck.

This selection isn’t all the Southeast has to offer. If we’ve missed any bottles or vineyards don’t hesitate to comment. One things for sure, there’s no shortage of exciting wines – I can’t wait to see what England produces next.

Emma Cruickshank

Emma is a literature, TV, and film enthusiast. When she’s not writing, she can normally be found out in the Sussex countryside, walking her dog Herbie, or in a restaurant drinking an overpriced cocktail and dreaming up ideas for her next literary endeavour.

The post Some of the best English wines from the South East appeared first on Silver Magazine.

English wine isn’t just delicious, it’s an ethical choice too. It has a low carbon footprint due to its on-site vine-to-bottle method. And many vineyards focus on small-batch, sustainable harvests. They also compost, avoid herbicides, encourage healthy biodiversity, and focus on renewable energy.

While some may think of us English folk more as wine drinkers than makers, in the last 20 years English wine production has become an exciting new force. While climate change remains a very real anxiety, the rising temperatures have meant that we’ve had many more locally produced bottles to drown our sorrows with.

Grape ripening issues have become a thing of the past and the warmer, sunnier climate has opened a door to English red wine production. The limestone-chalk soil and warm climate of the South East mirror the ideal environment for bubbly famously found in Champagne. Because the prices for land in England are much lower, English producers can excel with their consumer-friendly prices. With the number of vines planted growing each year, let me take you through our top picks.

Red

Made from the skin, seeds, and stems of black grapes to achieve its rich red-purple colour, red wine arguably accrues the highest praise. Higher in bitter tannins than any other, it is recommended served at room temperature and as we say at Silver, the older the better.

Black Ewe Pinot Noir Precoce Vintage 2018

Black Ewe Pinot Noir Precoce Vintage 2018, £45

The unpredictable climate of the South West means that each wine has a character of its own. The beautiful fields of Trevibban Mill in Cornwall have cultivated a pinot noir with aromas of cherries, figs, prunes, and vanilla. The company has been highly celebrated not just for achieving such a full palate but for their sustainable approach. With earthy hints of dark chocolate, pepper, and tobacco, this English wine pairs nicely with beef, lamb, or gruyere.

• Vegan
• On-site production
• Small batch

Giffords Hall St Edmundsbury 2021, £15.50

Giffords Hall St Edmundsbury 2021

Suffolk’s Giffords Hall has produced a Pinot Noir with a lick of Rondo resulting in a colourful fusion of peppery cherry and ripe plummy notes. With hints of blackcurrant, vanilla and cedarwood spice, the softness on the palate is extremely appealing.

• Mixed blend
• Best-selling

White

For me, there is nothing better than a crisp, cold glass of white wine. Ranging from dry to sweet with fruity and floral aromas, white wine is made from both white and black grapes fermented without the skins to achieve its signature pure, naked colour.

Oastbrook Estate Vineyard Pinot Blanc 2022, £21

Oastbrook Estate Vineyard Pinot Blanc 2022

Awarded a gold medal at the IEWA 2023 for their Pinot Blanc, Oastbrook Estate presents a mouth-watering palate of apple, pear, and honeysuckle with a hint of white peach and nectarine; the perfect partner for fish or chicken on the BBQ this summer.

• Sustainable
• Organic

JoJo’s Bacchus Seyval Blanc Blend, £20

JoJo’s Bacchus Seyval Blanc Blend

JoJo’s vineyard is situated on the chalky slopes of the Chiltern Hills, Oxfordshire. Their first wine, a Bacchus-Seyval blend, is a  vibrant and expressive white wine that was released at the end of September 2022. With elegant notes of quince, apple blossom and white peach, the light white wine is fantastic with seafood, chicken or garden veg.

• Handcrafted
• Sustainable
• Small batch

Rosé

Made with black grapes fermented for less time and perfect with light bites and nibbles, rosé is a crowd magnet. Its pink, blush colour leaves a dry taste in the mouth with notes of berries, citrus or tropical fruits.

Winbirri Vineyard Pinot Noir Rosé 2021

Winbirri Vineyard Pinot Noir Rosé 2021, £19

The team at Winbirri Vineyard in Norfolk have expertly crafted a Pinot Noir Rosé with aromas of cherries, strawberries, and cream. Perfect as an aperitif or with fresh seafood, passion is at the heart of this wine. Its quaffable nature tastes as good as it sounds.

• Vegan
• World-class

Gusbourne Estate English Rosé, £25

Gusbourne Estate English Rosé

Similarly, the Gusbourne Estate spread across Kent and West Sussex, boasts a leading collection of Burgundian grapes that thrive in the unique microclimate of the South East. They produce smaller volumes of intensely flavourful fruit that have cultivated an English rosè that is zesty and juicy. The raspberry and redcurrant notes are finished with hints of blossom and ginger for a decadent English summer.

• Hand-picked
• Sustainable

Sparkling

Dunesforde Blanc de Noir 2018, £35

Dunesforde Blanc de Noir 2018

The southeast may be the English wine hub, but that doesn’t mean you can’t look further afield for top-notch vino. The 2018 Dunesforde Blanc de Noir is a charismatic sparkler that won gold at the IEWA. With a vibrant fruit purity of red apple and cranberry, it leaves a youthful yet modern expression. Some may say the weather isn’t ideal, but as one of the most northerly vineyards, Dunesforde has bought the vineyards of Tuscany to Yorkshire proving there isn’t a shortage of homemade booze up north.

• Supports local communities
• Environmentally friendly
• Limited reserve

There is an abundance of excellent bubbly in Britain. Sussex-based Ridgeview’s Blanc de Blancs 2018 edition or Fox & Fox’s Blanc de Noirs are among the many of our award-winning wines. But it was important to me to travel a little closer to home for this next one.

Pebblebed Sparkling Rosé, £29

Pebblebed Sparkling Rosé

From what started as a local community project to 22 acres today, Pebblebed Vineyards in Devon is a thriving wine-growing region. Its unique terroir and warmer summers help the grapes to gently ripen and produce wonderfully fresh aromas. Their Pebblebed Sparkling Rosé is crafted using the Champagne method for delicate red berry and rose petal flavours. Balanced with a fresh acidity, it has the wonderful fresh aromas that make English wine so special.

• Supports local communities
• Mixed blend
• Sustainable

Dessert

Sweet in taste, dessert wines pair perfectly with cheesecakes, vanilla or chocolate puddings, crème brulee – you name it! Perfect for when you never want your meal to end…

Hattingley Valley Entice Dessert Wine 2022, £25

Hattingley Valley Entice Dessert Wine 2022

As well as boasting a range of award-winning sparkling wines, the Hampshire-based Hattingley Valley entice you with an elegant dessert wine that has intense aromas of peach and elderflower. Its crisp acidity balances perfectly with the natural sweetness to give a pure, lasting honeyed finish.

• Vegan
• Individually tested
• Sustainable

Fortified

Made with grapes using the fermentation process, fortified wines have spirits added to them to increase its alcohol content – sounds like a recipe for a party to us. They were originally developed before the days of refrigeration to preserve wine on long journeys.

Sacred English Amber Vermouth, £19.95

Sacred English Amber Vermouth

My favourite is vermouth because it is flavoured with herbs and spices. You can get either dry (white) or sweet (red) vermouth that ranges from dry and floral to sweet and spiced. While vermouth usually originates from Italy or France, the Sacred English Amber Vermouth produced in Highgate, London was crowned the world’s best vermouth in 2019. With delicate floral and sweet orange notes, it is best served on the rocks or in a classic spritz.

• Handmade
• Organic botanicals

Non-alcoholic

L.A Brewery Sparkling English Blush, £10

Ok bear with me – we all know that alcohol-free wine is generally disgusting, right? But finally, there are some great AF options

L.A Brewery Sparkling English Blush

available for those who like a tipple without the topple. L.A Brewery in Suffolk brings you a sparkling English blush that finally offers a chance for your mind and body to reset. Inspired by summer sunshine, it combines seasonal florals with a hint of rhubarb for a crisp kombucha that is delicately dry with a floral fizz for everyone to enjoy.

• Transparent list of ingredients
• No hangover – say no more

Jukes London Tasting Box, £41

Or if you are looking for something more on the still side, look no further than Jukes, London. Their organic apple cider vinegar-based drinks are made with all-natural ingredients. You can enjoy a taste of their full range with The Tasting Box. It is an ultimate

Jukes London Tasting Box

sensory experience that includes two white, two red and one rosé that take you from citrus and herbal to deep and spicy to dry and refreshing.

• Vegan
• Low calories
• Planet-friendly

Read more: 6 of the best alcohol free spirits around

Selecting great wine

At the end of the day, if you don’t really know wine but you want a great glass of something, here are three things to look out for:

Reflect on the flavours you enjoy

Turn to the back of the bottle and consider the flavours YOU enjoy – do they match?

The more details the better

Is there information on the region, valley and grapes listed on the back?

Don’t let price dictate your choice

Discounts can often be a great opportunity to find a good deal in wine. They don’t mean the wine is of a lower quality or won’t taste great. Sometimes a bottle may be on sale because it is not in season or has been sitting in the store’s inventory for a while. In that case, consider the flavours and occasion, then allow price to be a secondary consideration.

Beth Pratt

Beth is one of Silver’s interns. She loves reading and studying literature. Entering her final year of university, Beth still finds time to dance, swim, and have a pint with friends. Her favourite hobby is going to coffee shops, if you can call it a hobby!

The post English wines that should be on your radar appeared first on Silver Magazine.