6 English Wines That Caught My Attention at WineGB
There is so much happening in English wine at the moment, and what I love is the variety.
It’s not just English sparkling wine anymore. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc are all showing what they can do here, and I’m always interested to see which wines make me stop and take notice.
I recently spent some time tasting at WineGB, and these are six wines I came away thinking about.
I have to start with these.
Wayward No.1 is a new release from The Weyborne Estate in West Sussex, and I absolutely loved it.
The Brut started with almost pineapple on the nose, then became increasingly savoury as it opened up. It has real complexity and impressive length, but what I particularly liked was how well it worked with food.
It’s the sort of English sparkling wine I’d happily put on the table rather than save for a special occasion.
The Demi-Sec is a different style, with a little more sweetness, but still plenty of freshness.
This was another favourite.
The Sunken Stones Sauvignon Blanc 2025 is mineral and citrusy, with ripe gooseberry and a little more power than you might expect.
It reminded me of Sancerre, but with its own English character.
I’m always interested to see what English Sauvignon can do, and this is a very good example. Bright, elegant and absolutely delicious.
English Chardonnay can be incredibly varied, and this is a richer, more textural style.
The oak adds complexity without taking over, and there is a lovely balance between the richness and freshness.
It’s definitely one I’ll be remembering, particularly if you like Chardonnay with a little more weight.
Newick Wine Estate’s 2025 Pinot Noir showed some really exciting potential.
Pinot Noir is one of those varieties I’m always interested in tasting from England because it can show so differently depending on the site and vintage.
This is one I’ll be keeping an eye out for when the 2025 vintage is released.
Pinot Blanc isn’t a grape I think gets enough attention, so I was particularly interested in this.
The 2025 from Oastbrook had lovely weight and texture from time on lees, while still keeping that freshness.
It’s a good example of the variety of grapes being explored by English producers, and exactly the sort of wine that makes tastings like this interesting.
And I can’t leave out Rabbit Hole Pinot Noir from Simpsons Wine Estate in Kent.
Bright, fresh and full of lovely blue fruit, it’s a very attractive expression of English Pinot Noir.
It’s another reminder that England can make really enjoyable still red wines, not just sparkling.
So, what did I take away?
Quite a few wines to revisit, actually.
And that’s exactly what I like about tastings like WineGB. You go in thinking you know what you’re going to find, and then a few wines catch you by surprise.
For me, these six showed just how much variety there is in English wine now, from sparkling and Sauvignon Blanc to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc.
Have you tried any of these?
And which English wines are you thinking about at the moment?
Elizabeth Hawthorthwaite
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