‘NOW THAT DRY JANUARY IS OVER – IT’S NOT ONLY TIME TO DRINK WINE BUT ALSO TO GROW GRAPES – WINEGB LAUNCHES ITS NEW ENTRANTS GUIDE

‘NOW THAT DRY JANUARY IS OVER – IT’S NOT ONLY TIME TO DRINK WINE BUT ALSO TO GROW GRAPES – WINEGB LAUNCHES ITS NEW ENTRANTS GUIDE

As the UK wine sector continues to grow, WineGB builds on its strong momentum and launches its New Entrants Guide. This significant 104 page document; ‘Making a success in UK viticulture and wine production’ is designed to give guidance and clarity to members embarking on their wine journey.

Available only to the WineGB membership, the 2026 New Entrants Guide is a thoroughly revised edition, sponsored by NFU Mutual. The newly-designed guide has been dedicated to the memory of Peter Hall, considered one of English Wine’s great pioneers.

It features a new health warning, a focus on sustainable certifications and updates on how to make wine. While the guide is only accessible to members, people can join WineGB as an individual even if they aren’t yet growing or making wine, or if they are simply passionate about the sector and want to be a part of this growing community.

In a digital-only format, the New Entrants Guide features helpful links to access core data and statistics, as well as key WineGB website pages and external assistance. The revised guide includes an emphasis on Business Planning, Education & Training. Regulation, as well as the core sections on Viticulture, Winemaking and, most importantly, Routes to Market. 

The New Entrants Guide is one of many vital resources available to WineGB members via the Knowledge Hub, an extensive and growing library of key industry information.

Nicola Bates WineGB CEO comments; “The new Entrants Guide is an incredibly important and significant document for anyone thinking of starting a vineyard. Making wine is an expensive business, becoming more so with increases in taxes, labour, equipment and bottling costs.  We want to ensure that members enter the sector with their eyes open as it can be as hard as it is rewarding.  A great deal of work has gone into this thoroughly revised and expanded edition, aimed at helping members to make their decision, and ultimately, give them the best chance of success.”