Raise a glass to England’s breweries, distilleries and vineyards this summer
ShareRecent VisitEngland research* shows that the feeling of a cold drink in hand and a visit to a pub garden were amongst the activities most missed by Brits during lockdown, so with a host of alcohol themed celebration days coming up over the summer months there’s no better time to plan a trip around your favourite tipple. Head to a vineyard to mark English Wine Week (19-27 June); say cheers to beer for Beer Day Britain (15 June) and International Beer Day (6 August), or try your hand at crafting your own blend at an English distillery to mark World Gin Day (12 June).
Best for Wine lovers
English Wine Week celebrates the hundreds of vineyards that operate all over England, with events to mark the occasion set to be held at vineyards across the country. Watch this space for updates.
www.winegb.co.uk/events/category/consumers/ or for more vineyard inspiration head to www.visitengland.com/best-vineyards-to-visit-england
Head to a rosé wine festival in London – until 6 June
A three-week Covent Garden piazza takeover for rosé and frosé lovers is underway until 6 June with a host of offers and events to rejoice in over 30 types of pink tipples.
www.coventgarden.london/experience/things-to-do/rose-festival/
Chester Boat will offer wine-tasting cruises for the first time in 2021
Summer 2021
The special sailings, on summer evenings in June, July and August, will be led by an expert from the Wine School of Cheshire. The cruises will be held onboard the Lady Diana, the company’s flagship vessel, which was built for the River Dee and celebrates its 40th birthday in 2021.
Explore a new urban winery in Derby
Opened this month (May 2021) the English Wine project is based in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Derwent Valley Mills at Darley Abbey, near Derby. Headed up by the vineyard tenant from Derbyshire’s Renishaw Hall Vineyard, the new production space will be hosting private tours and tastings on Friday afternoons from May to October – the perfect start to a Derby city break.
www.englishwineproject.co.uk/winery/
Dine in the vines and watch this space for new visitor centre at Hambledon Vineyard, Hampshire
Located in 200 acres of South Downs countryside, Hambledon vineyard will welcome a brand new tasting room and visitor centre by mid-2021, giving guests the chance to savour a range of delicious wines and discover behind-the-scenes stories and techniques from one of Britain’s newest – and most delicious – traditions. In the meantime their ‘Dine in the Vines’ experience is the perfect socially distanced treat, a locally sourced al-fresco lunch accompanied with world-beating English fizz and the chance to add on tasting sessions and tours. Available on selected summer dates from £150 for a table of four.
Celebrate at a Farm Feast event with Charles Palmer Vineyards, Winchelsea
From 4th June, the family-run single wine estate Charles Palmer Vineyards will offer Farm Feast events with unique menus designed by VisitEngland award-winners Vine and Country Tours. Ideal for a special celebration, the evenings will include a seasonal, locally sourced feast served straight from the wood-fired grill matched by wines from the estate together with the chance to tour the vineyard and meet the wine-makers. Priced at £60 per adult and £30 per child. For those looking to make a break of it, Charles Palmer vineyards has teamed up with Oxney Estate and Oastbrook Estate to create Rother Valley Vineyards, all with accommodation and situated in stunning rural Sussex locations.
www.vineandcountrytours.co.uk/events/farm-feast-night-040621/
www.rothervalleyvineyards.com/
Take your pick of wine-themed accommodation
From a hobbit house at Oastbrook Estate Vineyard deep in the Rother Valley to a luxury lodge with two-person jacuzzi bath, barrel sauna and a fully-stocked wine fridge at Tinwood Estate, there is no shortage of amazing vineyard accommodation on offer across the country. New for 2021, Wild Escapes has opened four beautifully designed treehouses at Black Chalk Winery in the Test Valley of Hampshire, an idyllic spot to enjoy walks, wine tastings and some of the finest sparkling in England.
Festival time at Denbies Wine Estate, 4-5 September, Surrey
Nestled in the heart of the Surrey Hills in an area of outstanding natural beauty, Denbie’s Wine Estate will host a food festival from 4-5 September in a landscape of breathtaking views with a wealth of outstanding local food and drink available and high quality wine produced on site. For those keen to indulge, you can stay overnight in the Denbies Vineyard Hotel.
www.denbies.co.uk/denbies-vineyard-hotel/
www.fantasticbritishfoodfestivals.com/denbies
The Grand English Wine Tour with Smooth Red
Bespoke wine travel operator Smooth Red has launched a brand new 11-day Grand English Tour for 2021, taking in wineries across the South of England and including boutique accommodation and private experiences including a river cruise up the Dart for a guided wine tasting and chauffeured tour of Hampshire vineyards. For those with less time to spare other options include a four-day luxury English wine experience in Devon.
www.smoothred.com/destinations/uk-and-ireland/england/
Say cheers to beer
National Beer Day on 15 June delves into the history and heritage of the drink that so many people know and love. Supported by the British Beer and Pub Association and the Campaign for Real Ale, among others, it is a celebration of what is being created at breweries across the nation. For more craft brewery trip ideas head to www.visitengland.com/8-best-beers-london-and-beyond
Stay the night at the New Brewdog Hotel, Manchester
Scottish beer brewing giants BrewDog have announced that they will open their first hotel in England in June, following the success of the DogHouse brand in Scotland and the USA. The 18-bedroom hotel will feature Punk IPA on tap in every room, beer fridges in the showers, a rooftop terrace with fire pit, and will allow guests to bring their pets. Pricing from £220.00 per person, one weekend night.
www.brewdog.com/uk/bars/coming-soon/doghouse-manchester
Refine your palate at a summer beer festival
Beer festivals are a British summer stalwart and they’re back on the cards for 2021. Between 11-13 June, the Bristol Craft Beer Festival will showcase 15 micro-breweries, numerous Bristol-born ales and a growing community of independent pubs and brewery tap rooms in one of Britain’s leading beer cities. The London Craft Beer Festival is coming to Tobacco Dock from 13-15 August with beers from over 100 breweries on offer. Later in the year, the Leeds International Beer Festival (2-5 September) will celebrate craft beers produced through the UK and overseas.
Best for gin lovers
Marked globally on the second Saturday of June and founded in England, World Gin Day celebrates the processes associated with distilling natural grains with juniper berries and other botanicals. With England’s wealth of gin themed experiences though there’s no need to restrict yourself to one day a year of celebration.
Go back to (gin) school with Hotham’s, Hull and Leeds
VisitEngland award-winner Hotham’s Gin School and Distillery is the place to go for serious gin aficionados looking to up their game. Having pivoted to virtual experiences through lockdown, the distillery is now opening up again for in-person gin school sessions at its sites in Leeds and Hull, including the chance to learn about the history, processes and make your own personal blend, with lots of tasting included along the way. Prices from £150 for two people including a bottle of gin to take home; a masterclass; 3 x gin and tonics plus tastings.
Cambridge gin punting anyone?
Rutherford’s Punting is offering gin punting tours from its Cambridge base, with guests enjoying a local Cambridge Distillery G&T as part of their 50-minute punting tour of this historic city. Prices from £170 for a party of four.
www.rutherfordspunting.com/gin-punting/
New gin-spiration in Southampton at Gin and Olive, opening June
Set to open in June above Bar Street, in the Cultural Quarter, Gin and Olive will be home to over 100 gins and other spirits. Food will also be offered, including traditional English fare, sharing platters, and light bites.
Sample independent gins at the Bath Food Festival, 16-18 July 2021
New for 2021 and set in the Georgian splendor of this historical city, the festival offers a vibrant weekend of non-stop feasting and the opportunity to enjoy entertainment, local produce, tempting street food and sample Somerset’s finest cider, craft ales and independent distilled gins. There will also be talks and presentations by MasterChef winner Thomas Frake and Eva Humphries the Wholefood Warrior.
www.fantasticfoodfestivals.co.uk/bath
New gin distillery at Kingsland Locke, Dalston, London
Newly opened apart-hotel Kingsland Locke can count its own microbrewery and gin distillery amongst its many offerings, with KRAFT Dalston, an exciting new food and drink venture formed between German Kraft Brewery, Jim and Tonic Distillery and Le Bab on site.
www.lockeliving.com/en/london/kingsland-locke/living
Head to Herefordshire for G&T Afternoon Tea at The Lemore Estate, Eardisley
Enjoy a G&T afternoon tea as part of a two-night break at the 17th century manor house, The Lemore Estate, a We’re Good to Go accredited rural retreat set in gorgeous Herefordshire countryside on the Black & White Village trail in the northern part of the county. A two night stay in a Manor House room including continental breakfast, the Lemore Afternoon Tea served with delicious local Penrhos gin and tonic (or Prosecco) costs from £249 (based on two sharing). Offer available Sunday to Thursday from Monday 17th May until Thursday 1st July. Free cancellation before 3pm, two days before arrival.
Latest Offers | The Lemore Estate (lemore-estate.co.uk)
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For further press information please contact the VisitEngland PR team:
Louise Ferrall / Claire Keenan / Patrycja Woda
Email: vepr@visitengland.org or visit media.visitengland.com www.visitengland.com
For more ways to Escape the Everyday this summer follow @visitengland on social channels #VisitEngland #EscapeTheEveryday or head to www.visitengland.com/escape
*VisitEngland research https://www.visitengland.com/media-centre/brits-lockdown-longings-revealed-our-taste-buds-set-guide-our-travel-plans