6 wine festivals, harvest celebrations, and food-and-wine events — with dates, tickets, and travel tips.
Festivals worth planning a trip around.
Sussex — the epicentre of English sparkling wine — hosts this celebration of its chalky-soiled vineyards along the South Downs. Producers like Nyetimber, Wiston, Ridgeview, and Rathfinny pour their award-winning blanc de blancs and rosé fizz. Vineyard tours, sabrage demonstrations, and local charcuterie make it a quintessentially English affair.
View festival detailsThe annual WineGB Awards ceremony and public tasting in London brings together the best of English and Welsh wine under one roof. Award-winning producers showcase their latest vintages to trade professionals and enthusiasts alike. It's the single best opportunity to taste the breadth of British winemaking, from Sussex sparkling to Welsh Bacchus.
View festival detailsA nationwide celebration of English and Welsh wine, coordinated by WineGB. Over 150 vineyards across England open their doors for tastings, tours, and special events. The week highlights England's world-class sparkling wines — increasingly compared to Champagne — along with still Bacchus, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. It's the best way to explore England's booming wine scene.
View festival detailsThe Garden of England opens its vineyard gates for a weekend trail linking over 20 Kent wineries. Visitors follow self-guided routes through the Weald and Downs, sampling still and sparkling wines at each stop. Chapel Down, Hush Heath, Biddenden, and Gusbourne are among the participating estates. Local food producers, live music, and vineyard picnics complete the experience.
View festival detailsAll 6 festivals organised by month.
Sussex Wine & Sparkling Festival
Arrive early to taste Wiston's reserve bottlings and Rathfinny's library vintages—both producers hold back limited bottles for the festival only. Bring a wine cooler bag; the South Downs' chalk terroir produces delicate, complex bubbles that degrade quickly in summer heat.
WineGB Awards & Public Tasting
Attend the trade morning session (book separately) for unrestricted producer access and quieter tastings; the afternoon public session becomes crowded quickly. Seek out award-winning Welsh producers like Ancre Hill and Glyndwr—their Bacchus and Pinot Noir are undervalued collector's items gaining serious critical momentum.
Target smaller producers in Sussex and Kent who offer vineyard tours only during Wine Week; Three Choirs and Ridgeview book up immediately but Bolney and Gusbourne rarely do. Visit midweek rather than weekends to access winemakers directly without crowds.
Three Choirs Vineyard Open Day & Festival
Book the guided vineyard walk at dawn before crowds arrive—the Severn Vale's microclimate and limestone soils are far more apparent in morning light. Reserve lunch at the restaurant in advance and pair it with their Reserve Bacchus, which often outperforms their marketed flagship sparkling.
Pre-book tastings at Chapel Down and Gusbourne online to skip queues, then use the trail's flexibility to visit smaller stops like Rathfinny's sister estate and Biddenden's experimental Orthogonal Pinot Noir releases. Purchase a picnic pack from a Tenterden deli before starting—vineyard visits sell out of food quickly.
Skip the main pavilions and head straight to Hambledon's smaller tasting room where they pour reserve bottlings not available at the main event. Time your visit for Saturday morning to catch smaller growers like Tinwood Estate before crowds arrive.