The weird experiences taking over English vineyards, from ice baths to a hobbit house
When it comes to a mini-break from the general gloom and doom of the news, many of us are turning to the booming UK vineyard scene for some much-needed fun and fizz.
According to the first wine tourism report from the industry association Wines of Great Britain, 1.5 million people visited UK vineyards in 2023, a 55 per cent increase from 2022. Vineyards represent a bright spark of economic news, with over 1030 vineyards listed in 2023, a rise of 9.2 per cent in a year.
Climate change is shifting the wine axis – the south of England now has a similar climate and terroir to Champagne, and is attracting investors from more established regions grappling with heat and drought.
This year the first English sparkling wine from major French house Taittinger, Domaine Evremond, will go on sale, and one of Portugal's top wine producers has teamed up with Britain's oldest fine wine merchant Berry Bros to buy Hambledon vineyard in Hampshire.
Meanwhile, UK-produced wines received their highest medal count yet at the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards.
With their bucolic countryside setting, fine food and wine and boutique operations grounded in the local community, UK vineyards are the perfect day out or weekend away. The result is they're increasingly competing to attract visitors, and boost revenue, by differentiating themselves from each other with unique and unusual experiences.
From wine barrel saunas to ice baths, wine slides, yoga in the vines, steam train wine trips, nature trails, sundowner safaris, treehouses and e-bike tours, there's something for everyone who wants to experience a little more than a traditional tour and wine tasting.
Here's our choice of the best.
Experience a breathwork and ice bath retreat
Tillingham Wines, East Sussex
If you're going to plunge yourself into an ice bath, it helps to do it in a picturesque location like Tillingham Wines, whose vines and farmland occupy 70 acres of lovely High Weald East Sussex countryside.
Just 15 minutes from the bustling Cinque Port town of Rye, the winery attracts a cool set of switched-on locals and trendy 'down from Londoners' who come for the green Michelin-starred sustainable restaurant, Upstairs, and to stay in the chic bedrooms designed by local art and interiors firm, McCully and Crane. Wine is produced organically and biodynamically.
In the summer a converted barn offers pizza and live music, and new for this year is a Creative Art & Wellbeing Program, with a series of events including the Wim Hof breathwork and ice-bath retreat, led by Belinda Raphael.
Belinda was personally trained by 'the iceman' Wim Hof himself, famous for his extreme adventures and heavy breathing protocols to withstand the cold.
Arriving the day before the workshop, I enjoyed a tasty dinner at 'Upstairs' sampling locally sourced food and Tillingham wines (the Pet Nat PN 23 was my favourite), then spent a pleasant night in one of the bedrooms, waking up to a gentle bleat from the lambs in the next-door field.
Feeling sufficiently bolstered by food and wine, I was ready for the retreat, which consisted of lots of science about why we should all be embracing the cold, and a session experiencing 'breathwork' – a way of deep continuous breathing which left me feeling like I was floating on the ceiling. After a healthy lunch (with homemade kimchi made on-site), and a bit more breathing, it was time for the ice bath plunge. With Belinda Raphael's encouragement, it felt surprisingly manageable and uplifting. I even embraced Wim Hof's silly horse stance moves to warm up.
I left Tillingham on a high, resolved to return for more wine and well-being. The Wim Hof day retreat costs £95, including lunch. Book via Tillingham Wines.
Sign up for a sundowner safari tour
Wiston Vineyard, West Sussex
Set in the South Downs National Park just above Worthing, the ancient Wiston Estate has been owned by the Goring family since 1743. As well as an award-winning sparkling wine served by British Airways in club class, the estate owners have dreamed up a popular twist on the traditional vineyard tour.
Between May and September, guests can sign up for the 'Sundowner Safari and Dinner'. Arriving at 5pm on a Friday, the tour starts with a visit to the barrel hall and the traditional Coquard press – a massive medieval-looking structure from the Champagne region, one of the few in England.
Then after a quick tasting of non-vintage wines, guests climb aboard the vineyard trailer and bump along the chalk road over the scenic South Downs and through Wiston Estate, to the original vineyard, where they can taste the vintage wines al fresco.
If the British weather plays ball, guests climb back on the trailer to enjoy the sunset over the hills and partake in a five-course set dinner al fresco (or indoors) at the Michelin-listed Chalk restaurant, which our Telegraph critic gave five stars last year. The sundowner safari costs £125, book via Wiston Estate.
Live like a hobbit at Vineyard Hollow
Oastbrook Vineyard, East Sussex
If you're a Lord of the Rings fan, and you want to immerse yourself in nature with a home that looks like it's come straight out of the Shire, then check into Vineyard Hollow, a retreat fit for Frodo carved by local craftsmen out of a bank at Oastbrook Vineyard.
Vineyard Hollow has an earth-covered grass roof, round wood windows and a large round oak front door. Inside the cosy hobbit feel continues with wood beams, curved doorways and a vaulted ceiling decorated with stars.
Fortunately, there are mod cons too, with two ensuite bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, and a hot tub outside, where you can enjoy a sip of the Oastbrook wine and a view of the vines.
The vineyard is owned and run by America and Nick Brewer. America hails from Brazil and every summer she hosts a Brazilian-style summer party with a live Samba show, barbecue and music.
Unlike many UK vineyards, the sheltered microclimate of the local Rother Valley, near Bodium Castle, lends itself to making still wines as well as sparkling.
Vineyard Hollow costs from £300/night, full details are on the Oastbrook website and bookings here.
Slide down a 'Fruit Chute'
Simpson's Winery, Kent
Just outside Canterbury, Simpson's Wine Estate was founded in 2012 by Ruth and Charles Simpson, who honed their craft during a decade making rosé at their Domaine in the South of France.
Since then they've built a strong reputation and received several awards with their Blanc de Noirs 2018 winning 'Best English Sparkling Wine' at the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships 2022, and their Railway Hill Rosé winning a gold medal at the WineGB 2024 Awards.
They also claim to be the only winery in the world to offer a helter-skelter slide installed in the new 'Glass House' tasting room. Anyone joining one of the tasting experiences can add to their tipsiness by finishing with a flourish and exiting down this 'Fruit Chute' which leads from the tasting room to the winery below.
Several experiences are available, with tickets for the summer sunset sessions launching this week. Prices from £25, bookings at Simpson's Winery.
Hop on an e-bike tour
White Heron Estate, Herefordshire
The White Heron Estate is found in an emerging wine region, the scenic rolling hills of Herefordshire near the Welsh border, where a warming climate is now allowing for wine cultivation.
The estate already has a long history of drink production, as the home of British Cassis, the liquor made from blackcurrants grown on the farm for 140 years. The vineyard was planted during the pandemic and the second sparkling wine harvest was just last year.
New this year, the E-bike guided tours are a great way to experience the countryside and far-reaching views of the Brecon Beacons. Groups of up to 16 are taken through the vines, blackcurrant fields, cider apple orchards and woodland. Bikers stop several times en route to hear about the history of the 4 th generation family farm, as well as to sample the end-produce of the fruits grown on the estate including White Heron Estate Sparkling Wine, British Cassis and Ribena.
The tour finishes with an optional al fresco barbecue or local lunch around an oak table overlooking the vines. The estate is also introducing three-day e-biking holidays and you can stay on the estate if you're travelling from further afield. E-bike tours start from £50 per person and can be booked at White Heron Estate.
Mix it up with jazz and fizz
Hambledon Vineyard, Hampshire
Hambledon Vineyard in the Hampshire South Downs National Park has the distinction of being the UK's oldest commercial vineyard.
Started by Francophile Major-General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones in 1952, the wines were served aboard the QE2 and exported around the world. A change of ownership led to the vineyard falling into disrepair in the 1990s, but since the 2000s its fortunes have turned around, and in a vote of confidence the vineyard was bought in 2023 in a joint deal between wine merchants Berry Bros. & Rudd and Port aficionados Symington Family.
In February a high-end new restaurant helmed by chef Nick Edgar, formerly of Le Manoir Aux Quat Saisons, was opened in a specially designed converted barn with high ceilings, exposed oak beams, and windows with views of the vines.
In the summer, Hambledon Wine Estate will also open its doors for 'Jazz and Fizz' – a civilised afternoon of music, food and sparkling wine. The event will kick off with the Brazz Breakout Jazz Orchestra, and feature singer Amy Baker. There will also be a selection of food stalls to pair with your Hambledon sparkling wine. Tickets cost £37.50 and include a glass of sparkling and a deckchair. Book at Hambledon Vineyard.
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