What the wine tourist saw

Lucy Thomas is an independent wine tourism specialist who has visited over 60 English & Welsh vineyards. Here Lucy explains the trends she has seen in 2025.

So far this year I’ve been to 25 vineyards across Britain and taken part in a huge variety of activities and experiences. What I’ve witnessed is collaboration, collaboration, collaboration. There are plenty of inspired joint ventures between vineyards and local businesses, food vendors, artists and artisans all over the country that are shaping the way wine tourism is developing in the UK.

Regional collaboration

Regional wine trails and collectives are on the rise. With the most well-established ones operating in Kent, Hampshire and Surrey, this year marked the launch of Rother Triangle as part of Sussex Winelands and new collaborations in less well-known wine making regions including East Midlands Wine Trail and Malvern Hills Vineyards. Whilst some regions have a vast array of vineyards and are compact enough to have tour operators, it’s helpful for the independent wine tourist to be inspired by what’s on offer in a geographical area to encourage multiple vineyards visits.

Collaboration between local businesses

This year I’ve experienced some innovative collaborations that have really added value to me as a wine tourist. One of the highlights of my summer was a day organised by Walk Works who designed a 13km walk between four vineyards in the Chiltern Hills (JoJos Vineyard, Stonor Valley, Oaken Grove and Fairmile Vineyard). It was a beautifully curated day, supported by Tamsin of Wine Curious, that attracted a wide range of people to enjoy the countryside and amazing wines.

The opportunity to partner with a local business to combine wine tasting with another much-loved activity is great for reaching a wider audience. ‘Yoga in the vines’ has grown in popularity and I’ve seen an increasing number of wellness and wine themed events. Creative workshops are on the rise too. A vineyard setting provides artistic inspiration (at least that’s what I’m hoping as I embark on bottle painting at a vineyard next month). I’ve seen pop-up sauna collaborations at a couple of vineyards this summer and one of the most unique and exciting events to catch my attention is ‘Herd it on the grapevine’ where you can combine a wine tour and tasting at Laurel Vines in Yorkshire, with a highland cow safari at the neighbouring farm.

Not everything needs to take place at the vineyard. As people seek out experience-based tourism activities there may be opportunities to take the wine to them. Flower fields were popular this summer and I saw a fabulous ‘Sip & Snip’ event at Gingerly Green Flower Farm in Kent with Simpsons Wine providing the onsite tasting.

Food and wine collaborations

Visiting food trucks are a staple of many vineyard social events and allow variety that encourages people to keep returning. Excitingly more areas are recognising vineyards as part of the local independent food and drink scene. As part of Taste Worcestershire Astley Vineyard hosted a paired tasting with Macneil Smokehouse, and this year’s Vale Food Trail in the Vale of Glamorgan included Tair Gafr Wines and St Hilary Vineyard.

Beyond the fabulous collaborations, opposite are a few other observations.

People like getting hands on

There’s something magical about vineyard life that makes people want to get involved. How many other types of agriculture can invite people to undertake unpaid work and get such an overwhelming response? I’ve met lots of first time volunteers this year, many of whom heard about the opportunity having attended a tour or tasting or by word of mouth from someone who had helped previously. Make the most of these fantastic ambassadors.

I’ve also been the proud owner of an ‘adopt a vine’ package at Kerry Vale Vineyard in Shropshire. All the hints paid off and my family presented me with the perfect birthday gift – a vine of my own for the year. It has been a great way to feel connected to the vineyard. I’ve seen first-hand the enthusiasm and pride these initiatives foster and how they help grow knowledge and understanding about grape growing and wine making.

Experiences that involve some kind of interactivity capture the interest of even the most seasoned vineyard visitor. The Dosage Tasting at Rathfinny Wine Estate in Sussex was a fun, hands-on way to learn about the sparkling wine making process and the impact of different levels of sugar. If your wine is being made onsite, a barrel tasting never fails to make an impression.

Growth in corporate events

Vineyard event spaces can be great for off-site meetings, team building events and company socials. With the interest in our wine sector continuing to grow it’s the perfect venue for forward-thinking companies. I’ve also noticed more organisations getting involved with volunteering, giving staff the opportunity to spend a day working outdoors with colleagues to improve wellbeing. I even met someone whose corporate volunteering policy allowed them to help with time-critical agricultural tasks and they definitely returned to work re-energised.

You may be hiding in plain sight

One of the most frequent things I hear people say on tours is ‘I just live down the road and I never knew this was here’, so it’s highly likely you have many more potential visitors on your doorstep. As someone who proactively looks for vineyards I always find this surprising, but you may find that people in your local community, neighbouring towns and villages still don’t know you are there. I’ve met people who won their tour in a local school raffle and couldn’t wait to tell their friends, which is a pretty low-cost way to raise your profile. I’ve also seen vineyards offering community days with mini tours & tastings which is another great way to engage with the locals.

With tourism providing a vital source of income for many vineyards, it’s good news that almost any experience pairs well with a glass of wine. Please keep making connections, pushing boundaries and giving me more reasons to visit and spread the word.