5 steps that made the biggest Trade Tasting to date
How did WineGB manage to buck the tube strikes to have the biggest UK Trade and Media Tasting to date? We looked at the stats and speak to the guests to find out why 2025 was so special.
80+
Producers showcasing their wines
500 +
Guests including the media, trade and educators
4
Masterclasses and seminars
16
Winners
1. location, location, location
Were it not for its central London location, it is perfectly possible that the National Trade & Press Tasting on Monday 8th September 2025 would have been a wash out. As with the growth of the sector, we outgrew the wonderful Battersea Arts Centre, home of the tasting for two years. We landed right in the heart of London, at 8 Northumberland Avenue, just a minutes walk from Trafalgar Square. Set over two floors within the elegant setting of 8 Northumberland Avenue in central London, we were able to accommodate producers, the Frank Knight business hub, masterclasses, seminars and awards.
“We are absolutely delighted with the success of this year’s tasting, the calibre of visitors, and the storytelling through the masterclass and seminar programme. It ensured that there was much to celebrate at our community event of the year and renews our confidence in what we can achieve working together as a sector. This trade tasting put our Create New Traditions – Drink English and Welsh Wines campaign front and centre, and we have certainly made a new tradition of this year’s showcase.”
Nicola Bates, WineGB CEO
2. producers
With over 80 producers showcasing hundreds of wines from across Britain’s seven wine regions, there was a lot to see and sample throughout the day. There were over 20 new producers exhibiting at the Tasting for the first time from across the UK.
Many visitors made a beeline for the tables belonging to our trophy winners. This included the first producer ever to be awarded 99 points for a wine at the WineGB Awards, Langham Wine Estate in Dorset. Other were there to seek out the newest producers on the scene with their first vintages to share, such as Abingworth Vineyard in Sussex and Vyn Dene in The Chilterns.
“The trade fair is a great opportunity to showcase our wines to a wider audience and our peers. We had great feedback about the wines and thought there was a good mix of industry somms, buyers and MWs interested in discovering East Anglian Wines.”
Exhibitor Laura Robinson, from Burn Valley Vineyard
“It was fantastic to see such a strong turnout — a true testament to the resilience and dedication of the UK wine community. The tasting was a brilliant celebration of British winemaking, highlighting an impressive range of styles from bold new producers to the well-established names we all know and admire. A huge congratulations to everyone involved — an event that perfectly captured the diversity and evolution of Wines of Great Britain.”
Helena Martin, MD of Schenk Family UK
3. storytelling
Taste the Terroir with Charlie Holland
Rise of the Reds with Melania Battison
Riedel masterclass with Hundred Hills
We wanted our guests to leave with more insight and understanding of our wines.
Charlie Holland of Jackson Family Wines gave an insightful seminar; Taste the Terroir, examining the main soil types of English vineyards. “Of all the things important, soil is one of them”. Charlie commented that despite his extensive experience from around the world, he believed the Crouch Valley to be one of the most unhospitable place to plant vines. However, this region is now leading the way in still wine production and Charlie believes there is great potential in the UK to grow noble grape varieties with our climate and landscape which is important to help sell wine.
Melania Battison delighted her seminar audience with her examination of the ‘Rise of the Reds’. Melania was one of the judges at this year’s WineGB Awards and apparently tasted red grape varieties she had never heard of which shows the growing diversity of red wine production within the UK.
Melania went onto look at some of the highlights she had discovered from Divico, Caberet Noir and Pinot Noir Précoce which she likened to Beaujolais Cru wines. Despite these growing success stories it is sadly too early to speak about regionality, but this will come, and Pinot Noir will be the leading light.
Riedel hosted a masterclass in conjunction with Hundred Hills in which attendees were given a taste of the workshop conducted by Maximilian Riedel in 2023 to find the best glass for English sparkling wine. 2 beautiful wines from Hundred Hills were tasted in the masterclass from a selection of 6 Riedel glasses to illustrate the importance of choosing the right one. In the original workshop 12 glasses were used, and the winning glass to show English Sparkling wine at its best was the Riesling shape in the Veloce range, the same glass that selected for our trade tasting!
“While it’s not the easiest time to be selling wine, there was a lot of buzz and positivity at the tasting. I tasted some amazing wines, and with what looks like a really good 2025 vintage on the way, I’ve got bright hopes for the future of GB wine.”
Wine writer Jamie Goode
“It was impressive to see so many people in attendance, especially independent restaurants and retailers which is where we need to encourage GB Wine sales. It certainly opened up my repertoire of GB Wines and to be introduced to so many new names”.
One of the highlights of the tasting was the launch of the inaugural WineGB Trade Ambassador scheme, designed to spotlight the exceptional work being done across the on and off-trade to champion English and Welsh wines. WineGB shortlisted 20 candidates from over 70 applications, with the final 14 Ambassadors chosen by members of WineGB’s Sales and Marketing Working Group. The selected group represents a vibrant cross-section of the industry – from independent wine bars and Michelin-starred restaurants to national retailers – all united by their passion and commitment to English and Welsh wines.
Other important announcements on the day included the winner of the 2025 WineGB Photography Competition: “Sunset over the Vineyard – Bantham Vineyard” by Manon Fosburgh (see end).
Adrian Crookendale from Saffron Grange Vineyard was awarded the Vintners’ UK Wine Apprenticeship.
“The industry is clearly in good shape, and everyone was optimistic in spite of the challenges we are all facing. Also well done to everyone who ignored the Tube strike, it was good to see so many key industry figures there.”
Ian Harris MBE from the Vintners’ Company
“I thought it was great. There were so many producers and there was such a fantastic energy to the event – so much interest, pride and enthusiasm.”
Sam Caporn MW
5. The guests
From international wine journalists and broadcasters to content creators and wine influencers, sommeliers, buyers and other industry professionals, 500 visitors joined us for the tasting. They contributed to the buzz of the event and palpable positivity surrounding this fast growing sector.
As well as meeting with producers on the trade stands, attendees were able to explore themed focus tables including the 2025 WineGB Trophy Winning Wines, Rise of the Reds and Taste the Terroir Still & Sparkling. Positioned away from the main exhibition spaces, in the Salon and Knight Frank Business Hub, these quieter areas enabled members of the trade and press to taste a good cross section of the country’s wines away from the crowds and for business to happen.
