the national Trade tasting
WineGB hosts the National Trade and Press Tasting, an annual event that that showcases the largest number UK wines to the buyers and communicators who shape the nations palates. We bring together producers from across the UK so the trade can taste the nation in one venue.
2025 – biggest yet
WineGB celebrated its biggest National Trade & Press Tasting on Monday 8th September at 8 Northumberland Avenue, Trafalgar Square, London. With over 80 producers and 500 trade and press visitors in attendance, the new and improved tasting showcased the incredible quality and diverse range of wines now produced within the British Isles.
Set out over two floors within the elegant setting of 8 Northumberland Avenue in central London, the day featured a full programme of events including a Riedel masterclass, focused seminars and several key award announcements.
In its new and improved format, the WineGB tasting will see the addition of focused seminars and masterclass. The new seminars supported the themed tasting tables with Charlie Holland of Jackson Family Wines addressing Taste the Terroir and Melania Battison will examine the Rise of the Reds. There were dedicated masterclasses from Riedel who has partnered with Hundred Hills to showcase the perfect glass for our native sparkling wines.
Themed tasting tables
Winegb Award winners
The WineGB Awards Trophy Winners were showcased. The cream of the crop from 2025s awards, which saw a record number of entrants with more still wines than sparkling.
taste the terroir
Did you taste the difference?
Taste the Terroir featured both still and sparkling, white and rosé wines made from grapes grown on chalk, clay, sand, and other soil types to showcase the UK’s diverse terroir. white and rosé wines made from grapes grown on chalk, clay, sand, and other soil types to showcase the UK’s diverse terroir.
Rise of the reds
What’s your view of our reds?
The tasting encouraged visitors to sample the wide variety of still red wines now produced in England and Wales, from Pinot and beyond.
3 Award winners
TRade Ambassadors
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.
Vintners’ UK Wine Apprenticeship
Adrian Crookendale from Saffron Grange Vineyard was awarded the Vintners’ UK Wine Apprenticeship.
Photography Competition
“Sunset over the Vineyard – Bantham Vineyard” by Manon Fosburgh was crowned the winner of the 2025 WineGB Photography Competition.
The winning image was selected through WineGB’s annual photography competition, which invites members to submit entries across ten categories, including the seasons, winemaking, tourism and hospitality, harvest, sustainability, and bottles. After an internal vote by the WineGB team, a top 10 from each category was shortlisted and shared across our social media platforms for public voting. Engagement was measured through likes, comments, and messages, with over 1,000 votes cast in total. The five most popular photos were then presented to the WineGB board for the final decision. The chosen image, taken in one of our members’ vineyards in South Devon, beautifully captures the essence and natural charm of an English vineyard, making it a standout representation of our industry.
2024 Trade Tasting
Held at the iconic Battersea Arts Centre the WineGB National Trade Tasting took place on 4 September 2024. Over 75 producers met with more than 700 visitors including the media, distributors, on and off trade.
This had a unique sustainability focus with ‘The Green Room’, in conjunction with Marks and Spencer. SWGB members had their own dedicated tasting with the audience. As well as hosting our press briefing showing the rapid increase in export over two years, we held a panel discussion on ‘adding value through sustainability for the UK wine industry’. Thanks to the insight from our speakers:
Sue Daniels, Winemaker and Senior Technologist, Marks & Spencer
Luke Harbor, Group Beverage Director, THE Pig Hotels
Ruth Simpson, Co-Founder, Simpsons’ Wine Estate
Patrick Schmitt MW, Editor-in-Chief, The Drinks Business
Chair – Anne Jones, Sustainability Ambassador, WineGB
The briefest of trade tasting’s history
One of our predecessor associations, the English Wine Producers, started holding tastings in the late 1990s. Each year they grew until it became the WineGB National Trade Tasting. Held first at RHS Lindley Hall in 2018 it’s a story of growing rapidly beyond the venue. In 2023 we moved to the iconic Battersea Arts Centre where in two short years we outgrew it.