WineGB’s flagship event welcomed its largest-ever audience on Monday 7th September bringing together 80+ producers, alongside buyers, hospitality professionals, journalists, tourism representatives and industry and government colleagues to taste wine and explore the opportunities shaping the sector’s future.
With the industry continuing to evolve rapidly, this year’s tasting, supported by headline sponsor London City Bond, provided a timely snapshot of the breadth and ambition of English and Welsh wine – from established producers and award-winning wines to emerging varieties, new visitor experiences and innovation in winemaking.
At the heart of the event more than 350 wines were available to discover from across England and Wales with everything from traditional method sparkling wine the UK has become renowned for to varieties rare the country, such as Albarino, Cabaret Jura, and Sauvignon Blanc.
As the industry embarks on the 2026 harvest, the tasting illustrated how the sector is building a broader proposition around the bottle – through hospitality, tourism, innovation and experiences – while continuing to raise the profile and reputation of wine made here in Britain.
The day’s programme looked beyond the bottle, with a panel discussion exploring the relationship between wine and hospitality and how the two sectors can work together to create compelling consumer experiences.
Building the Future of UK Wine Through Hospitality discussed how restaurants, hotels and other hospitality businesses can help introduce consumers to English and Welsh wines and create new occasions for them. The discussion, chaired by Richard Siddle, reflected an increasingly important commercial opportunity as producers look to build awareness, increase listings and strengthen connections with consumers.
The Riedel Sensory Masterclass offered another perspective on the tasting experience, exploring the relationship between glassware, aroma and perception and demonstrating how the way a wine is served can influence how it is experienced. For an industry increasingly focused not just on what is in the bottle but on how consumers discover, taste and engage with wine, the session provided a practical reminder of the importance of the complete experience.
Attention also turned to wine tourism and the role vineyards can play in supporting wider regional economies, with the Unlocking the Economic Power of Wine Tourism: How to Leverage the Cellar Door Experience for Regional Growth panel exploring how vineyards and wineries can become more effective visitor destinations, creating reasons for people to travel, stay longer and spend more locally and creating opportunities for vineyards to become important contributors to regional visitor economies.
The conversation also underlined the importance of collaboration between producers and destination organisations in developing stronger regional tourism propositions and connected directly with WineGB’s Back British Vineyards campaign. The campaign, which calls for greater support for the UK’s growing wine industry and highlights the contribution vineyards and wineries make to rural communities, champions a proposed duty relief on wine sold through the cellar door to deliver around £6 million in savings to UK vineyards to reinvest.
Nicola Bates, WineGB CEO said: “The new venue at Old Billingsgate has enabled more producers to present more English and Welsh wine to more members of the press and trade and really showcase the scale of this growing industry. Our flagship event is about community and giving our members a voice but it’s also about collaboration.
“We expanded our programme this year and introduced panels on hospitality and tourism to explore how the sector can work with hospitality professionals, tourism organisations and government colleagues to support UK wine through wine tourism.
“This feeds into our Back British Vineyards campaign launched this year, which calls for tax relief on bottles sold at the cellar door so vineyards can reinvest back into their business for long-term continuous growth.
“It was a superb event and the buzz around the room really demonstrates how far English and Welsh wine has come as a sector and the retail and hospitality buyers who are championing our producers and helping to drive our growth.”
Susie Barrie MW added: ”What a terrific day it was! So many familiar faces – and quite a few new ones too – pouring such a brilliant and diverse array of wines. There was definitely something for everyone in Old Billingsgate yesterday, and crucially plenty of space for what is now an impressively large tasting.”