Independent retailers are “powerful ambassadors” for the English and Welsh wine sector and stocking a selection of these wines can also help draw in a slightly younger demographic, according to WineGB’s CEO, Nicola Bates.

Speaking to Drinks Retailing at the annual WineGB trade tasting event in London, Bates said: “Each wine retailer has a chance to be a real advocate for certain local producers and to be able to really drive forward the growth of their local patch. There’s something to be said for having those ambassadors. It’s really powerful. It’s also a key way in being able to draw in that slightly younger demographic.”

Wine tourism in the UK is growing, driven in part by a trend for experiences and education, which works well for younger and emerging wine drinkers. Wine retailers who stock a selection of wines from local vineyards or who work with local producers to offer in-store tasting events, can help grow awareness and sales by appealing to these emerging English wine explorers.

“At every single touch point it is reinforcing that message that we are a top-quality wine producing nation,” said Bates.

Getting behind English Wine Week is another important area for retailers to think about in advance, she said. “We know it increases sales. It’s working together to have that whole journey from vineyard to wine shop and supported by exports. Everything is reinforcing each other. So, the more that premium wine shops are willing to put their energy and support into having a good range of English wines for people to try and taste, then the more likely it is to help existing vineyards and the industry as a whole.”

This year’s WineGB annual tasting event took place this week in London and was its biggest yet, comprising 80 producers showcasing more than 350 different wines from across England and Wales. This reflects the rapid growth of the industry, which has grown by more than 500% in production terms since 2005.

When asked about the effects of climate change on the English wine sector, Bates said: “We are in a position now to grow grapes in a way we’ve never been able to before, and the last few years will show some brilliant high concentrated flavours, but it is a challenge for UK vineyards as well. We had a late frost, hailstorms, and a heatwave within a two-week period. That sort of variability is very difficult to manage. We understand how critical it is for the sector to be sustainable and we have the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain certification programme. We’re setting up for a long-term sustainable industry and that’s our objective as an organisation, to help that grow.”

The changing climate will also change what the industry might potentially look like in 20 or 30 year’s time, she added.

“People are putting vineyards in places like Yorkshire and Scotland so what will the industry look like in 20 or 30 year’s time? I would love it if in 30 year’s time there were people from Scotland who said they only drink Scottish wine. What a statement piece. It might seem farcical today but 30 years ago you didn’t come across many people who knew much about English wine, but we now have people who are utterly loyal to drinking English sparkling in particular.”

WineGB news roundup

Producers from across England and Wales showcased their wine portfolios, with many displaying new releases and innovations. Here’s a snapshot of a few highlights from this year’s event:

• Black Chalk has recently added to two new sparkling wines to its now eight-strong portfolio. The newcomers including HiDE 2021, a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, and the producer’s first intentional single vineyard sparkling wine from its most distinctive site; and Eighty Nine Point Six 2020, which was introduced at the start of July 2026. The latter is a Blanc de Blanc and Black Chalk’s first wine to be bottled in magnum format.
  
  
• The Weyborne Estate in West Sussex has launched Wayward, a limited-release range that marks a shift away from its signature Oriana style – in this instance with no barrel fermentation and with longer ageing. The debut wines – Wayward No.1 Brut and Wayward No.1 Demi-Sec – come from the “distinctly rebellious” 2020 vintage, with just 1,000 individually numbered bottles.
  
  
• Nyetimber is set to release its Blanc de Blanc 2018 on 23^rd September this year. The wine is described as having a delicate balance of warm citrus and baked pastry notes, with an elegant, focused finish, “making it one of our most enduring and celebrated expressions”, according to the producer. It will be available from Nyetimber’s website and Lay & Wheeler before rolling out to other retailers.
  
  
• Stopham Estate in Pulborough introduced its first red wine, a 2025 Pinot Noir, at the tasting event. The newcomer completes the Stopham Pinot trio of wines (alongside the existing Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc). The launch represents “an exciting milestone” for the producer, as it expands its boutique portfolio into premium English still red wines. Head winemaker, Simon Woodhead, said: “We are extremely proud to introduce this Pinot Noir to our lineup. While Sussex is famous for sparkling and white varieties, our unique terroir and our warm summer in 2025 has allowed us to craft a still red wine with exceptional elegance, structure, and character.”
  
  
• Simpsons’ Wine Estate launched the eighth edition of Gravel Castle Chardonnay (2025) and Rabbit Hole Pinot Noir 2024, which won the Best English Pinot Noir at the most recent Wine GB Awards.
  
  
• Denbies Wine Estate, which is celebrating its 40^th year in family ownership, showcased the diversity of its portfolio with innovative wines such as its Noble Harvest Botrytis Ortega 2025, Orange Solaris 2023, and While Orange Solaris 2024; alongside better-known varietals such as its Chardonnay 2023.
  
  
• Roebuck Estates recently launched its first Blanc de Blancs (2019), a 100% Chardonnay sparkling wine that has spent more than five years ageing on the lees before being released. The wine was bottled in June 2020 and disgorged in August 2025.