celebrating yorkshire – a confident thriving wine region
English Wine Week offered the perfect moment for the WineGB Head of Marketing & Comms to head north and experience one of the country’s most distinctive and quietly powerful wine regions: Yorkshire.
Yesterday, Kirsty visited five vineyards across the region, each one showcasing the depth, diversity and assured identity that Yorkshire wine has built for itself.
What was witnessed was a region standing tall.
a region with scale and strength
Yorkshire is home to 16 commercial vineyards, a number that reflects not just growth but long‑term commitment and proven success. From the largest, most established estates to the smallest producers, Yorkshire’s wine community is thriving.
One of the vineyards had planted just four years ago and released its first bottles last week – a reminder that even the newest entrants are joining a region with strong foundations and a clear sense of direction.
a remarkable diversity of grapes
Yorkshire’s vineyards are defined by their diversity. Across the region, growers are cultivating more than 20 grape varieties, each chosen with purpose and confidence.
- Bacchus and Pinot Noir anchor many plantings
- PIWIs are embraced for sustainability and resilience
- Yorkshire may even host the most northerly Cabernet Franc planting in the world (no source available)
- And Solaris has become a genuine regional USP – expressive, reliable and increasingly celebrated
This breadth isn’t experimentation is a reflection of Yorkshire’s maturity as a wine region: understanding its microclimates, leaning into its strengths, and producing wines with clarity and character.
tourism at the heart of regional success
Tourism isn’t just an add‑on for Yorkshire’s vineyards – it’s a cornerstone of their success. The region has become a destination for wine lovers seeking authenticity, landscape and quality.
From cellar‑door tastings to vineyard tours and events, Yorkshire’s producers have built a tourism offering that is polished, professional and deeply inviting.
a leading force in english wine
English Wine Week made one thing abundantly clear: Yorkshire is established, confident and thriving. Its vineyards are producing distinctive wines, its growers are ambitious, experimental and collaborative, and its identity is stronger than ever.
English Wine Week was a brilliant reminder that you don’t need to travel far to find exceptional wine. Yorkshire’s vineyards are producing distinctive, confident, cool‑climate wines — and they’re doing it with a sense of place that’s unmistakably their own.
Massive thank you to Peter Kirk from Towthorpe Vineyard along with Ian Sargent, Regional Director and Chairman of WineGB Midlands & North and the team at Laurel Vines, along with Dunesford Vineyard, Yorkshire Heart and Goosebeck.