Our Mission
WineGB represents, leads, and supports the sustainable growth of the Great British wine sector
We aim to achieve this through education & training, working with government and regulatory authorities, developing trade opportunities, making our wines and our vineyards sustainable, pushing the boundaries of our knowledge through research, and using key indicators of industry performance to drive our policies. Read more below.
Education & Training
For the vineyards and wines of Great Britain to achieve their full potential, we believe in the fundamental importance of continually improving wine quality by developing knowledge and expertise within the industry.
- We have produced an outstanding programme of webinars and technical conferences, with content across all activity in the growing of grapes and the production and marketing of our wines.
- We partner with the UK’s wine centre of excellence, Plumpton College, to drive excellence and produce future generations of industry leaders and experts.
- We work together as a whole industry to showcase and teach best practice.
- We created the WineGB Awards, which is now recognised as the most comprehensive wine tasting competition for English and Welsh Wines.
Government Relations
Our mission is to lobby government to create the best possible conditions for wine producers in this country to achieve their goals.
WineGB has its own All-Party Parliamentary Working Group (APPG), whose role is to promote and support the interests of wine producers in Westminster.
We work collaboratively with key Westminster departments such as Defra, DBT, DIT and the Treasury, and lobby ministers on industry consultations such as the Excise Duty Review and Deposit Return Scheme to ensure the best results for our members and the industry.
As the authorising body, WineGB administers the English and Welsh PDO and PGI wine quality schemes and advises government departments on trade agreements and legislation.
Trade Development
WineGB represents the interests of our members by developing both the domestic and international markets. We raise awareness, educate the trade, connect with consumers and organise producers to work together and showcase our world-class wines.
- We represent British wineries at export trade shows and conferences in target markets.
- We have created a set of best practice guidelines to help increase wine tourism and the benefit of direct engagement with consumers that this brings.
- We connect with the decision makers in on- and off-trade through seminars and promotional activities to grow awareness and increase opportunities for members in the domestic market.
- The annual WineGB Trade and Press Tasting provides a powerful platform for our producers to showcase their excellence to a wide audience of trade buyers, journalists and influencers.
Sustainability
WineGB recognises that our industry has a shared responsibility to minimise our impact on the environment due to the climate change emergency, and maximise our contribution to environmental conservation and biodiversity. Our vision is to become a world leader in sustainability amongst wine regions, which we aspire to achieve through our sustainability policy. WineGB’s Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (SWGB) certification scheme is also available for those producers wishing to demonstrate the very highest standards of environmental sustainability
We have also created the WineGB Carbon Calculator for members to log and benchmark their carbon outputs. This will enable us to report on our carbon footprint as an industry and to set evidence-based targets in support of governmental net zero goals.
Research & Development
Grape growing and winemaking in Great Britain are still very much at an early stage of their development by comparison with most established wine regions. We have to ensure that the decisions taken and advice given to producers for long-term planning are based on the best possible scientific evidence. We have therefore established an R&D Working Group comprised of industry experts from both this country and around the world to guide our programme. We also work closely with the viticulture and winemaking division at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) and are supporting their research projects.
- A programme plan has been established to work on those areas where relevant research into viticulture and winemaking has already been undertaken.
- We are working with educational and research establishments, such as NIAB, to collate and drive research projects which will have long term and tangible benefits for our industry.
Industry Statistics & Insights
As grape growing and wine production increases in Great Britain, it is vitally important to understand the data behind that growth, both in terms of hectarage, production and sales. This data allows us to plan and inform producers as well as allowing us to benchmark in areas such as yield and best practice in the commercial elements of our industry like tourism and exports.
- WineGB undertakes an annual survey to capture data on production, grape growing, sales, tourism, and employment.
- The results of this data are shared with our members and with other stakeholders in an annual report on the state of the industry. The results are also used to determine our strategy and areas of focus.
- We work with insights companies to share reports on consumer behaviour and demographics and distribute the reports to our members.
Our Ethos
Our members are the experts in growing grapes, making wine, and running wine businesses in the UK. We are empowered by their knowledge, and our strength lies in coordinating this expertise to the benefit of all our members.
We harness this expertise by using Management Advisory Committees (MACs) that gather diverse groups of experts to advise the Executive Team and Board on prevailing matters, who use that information to guide strategy and activities. All members are encouraged to participate in the MACs, which cover a diverse range of subjects:
- Viticulture
- Winemaking
- Sustainability
- Research & development
- Diversity & inclusion
- Export
- Tourism
- Marketing
- Regulation
To extend the breadth of expertise offered to members, we also partner with other industry and adjacent bodies, companies and institutions to maximise membership value.
We fundamentally believe diversity, in all its forms, strengthen us and our industry.
Find out how our organisation is structured and managed:
Work with us as a Partner or Patron: