England’s vineyards are no longer just a curiosity, but contenders on the international wine stage. Once the preserve of Champagne or Napa, fine sparkling wines (and increasingly impressive stills) are now in full flow from Kent, Sussex, Devon and beyond, putting the UK firmly on the global wine map. With this boom has come a new breed of vineyard hotel: places where pet-nats are poured right in the cellar, you’ll dine on locally sourced produce and wake up to rolling rows of vines just outside your window.
Mr & Mrs Smith’s collection of UK wine stays is expanding as fast as the vineyards themselves, offering romantic boltholes, gourmet getaways and eco-minded escapes. Whether you’re chasing a biodynamic bottle in East Sussex or pairing sea views with Chardonnay in Devon, these stays prove that world-class wine country is now closer than you think.
Tillingham
East Sussex
Since its inception in 2017, farm estate Tillingham has evolved into a destination for natural-wine aficionados. Winemaker and regenerative-farming expert Ben Walgate’s vision for the 70-acre former hop farm was to build a landmark British destination for a biodynamic, poly-cultural approach to winemaking. Here, orchards, gardens, and woodland coexist alongside the vineyards, encouraging soil health and ecological balance. The result is an output of around seven annual variations of wine made through a minimal-intervention philosophy: no chemical input, spontaneous fermentation and minimal sulphur. These wines are full of natural character, from cloudy, sparkling Col Fondo to skin-contact styles like the stand-out Qvevri Dark Chardonnay. They’re packed with flavours of orchard fruit and bright minerality, while maintaining a light, low-alcohol balance.
After several glasses, you’ll be ready to retire to your Tillingham yurt for some romantic stargazing and a nightcap around the fire pit; or else fall into your king-sized bed in the more deluxe private rooms to awake to a view of rolling hills all the way to the horizon line. But one doesn’t have to stay the night at Tillingham to enjoy the food and wine. Visitors to nearby Rye — with its quaint antique shops and rugged harbour — can stop for lunch at the laidback wood-fired pizza restaurant, goats grazing nearby as you eat. Or book a table at Upstairs at Tillingham, where a glass of Col’23 Pink, a fruity, sparkling elixir bursting with summer berries, is advised (by me) on arrival. Follow with farm-to-table small plates or fish fresh from the nearby coastline.
Pairing notes: the vineyard tour
It would be easy to visit Tillingham and skip the wine tour. After all, the hotel looks out over the vines, and you’ll likely have sampled one of their sparkling summer wines from the moment you step into the elegant barn. This would be to miss a generous and dynamic 90-minute tour, plus four glasses to sample, as your knowledgeable guide leads you through the grounds explaining Tillingham’s combination of ancient and modern wine wisdom. Then, inside, to where the magic (and science) happens. If you think you’ve been on enough wine tours in your time, think again: techniques here harness maceration, natural fermentation, and a fair bit of experimentation, making for a novel experience.
Lympstone Manor
Devon
If there’s one trend that’s been growing as fast as natural wine in the UK over the last five years, it’s the revival of the outdoor bath tub. Picture yourself, glass of wine in hand (made using grapes sourced from a few hundred feet away), as you soak in the views from outside a suite or shepherd’s hut at Lympstone Manor in Devon. The end-of-day relaxation is welcome, as there’s a roster of activities on offer at this 11-acre vineyard: bikes to borrow, a tennis court and a heated, outdoor swimming pool for a vine-side swim that might convince you you’re in Tuscany. At least for a few hours, until you visit the very English landscape gardens or try your hand at croquet on the lawn.
When chef-founder Michael Caines first visited the Georgian property in 2014, it occurred to him that many great wines are grown riverside, from the Loire to the Rhine. Why not on the Exe Estuary in Devon? The burgeoning local wine scene and south-facing slopes were promising. By the end of 2018, 17,500 Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay vines had been planted. Cut to today, and Lympstone serves up their own Classic Cuvée, Triassic Pinot and Isabeau Rosé (named after Caines’ daughter). These wines have won awards at major competitions like the International Wine Challenge and International Wine & Spirits Competition. The estate even makes spirits — try the Lympstone Manor Estate Gin, or Eau de Vie de Marc, distilled from grape pomace and offering floral, cinnamon, and cherry flavours. Time your visit to early October to catch the harvest and with it a series of celebratory events, including the Harvest Lunch, where you’ll get a chance to pick your own grapes, secateurs provided.
Pairing notes: hiking in Dartmoor
‘Hiking,’ a friend once said, ‘is American for walking’. Others will argue that — at the very least — it requires an incline. Whatever your stance, there are plenty of hiking, walking and rambling opportunities just a short drive from Lympstone. My pick is the rugged moorlands of Dartmoor National Park, under an hour’s drive away. The Jurassic Coast is also close: a World Heritage site that runs from Exmouth in East Devon to Studland Bay in Dorset with dramatic cliffside views of the South Coast. Just don’t drink too much wine beforehand.
The Pig in the South Downs
Arundel
Like all good Pigs (there are now nine in this family of boutique countryside hotels), the South Downs edition is rooted in rustic elegance and prides itself on supporting homegrown produce. It was perhaps inevitable, then, that its owners would turn their hand to winemaking, choosing a region with free-draining chalky soils (the same seam of chalk that runs through Champagne in northern France), a reasonably mild climate and a long, temperate growing season. In fact, The Pig long stocked UK-produced wines on their menus before handing over duties to winemakers Dermot and Ana Sugrue, who planted Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and a few rows of Gamay on the South Downs property in 2019. By 2023, these became the Alpaca Block wines, named after the alpacas that once grazed the same fields.
While staying at The Pig, one can enjoy the fruits of the Sugrues’ labour, alongside menus that change twice daily within the exposed brickwork and glass walls of the Victorian greenhouse restaurant, set within the kitchen garden. The 25-mile menu sources its ingredients from within that radius, from the on-site nuttery and mushroom house, say, or else foraged from the sprawling grounds. Dine on the outdoor terrace for a far-reaching view of the vineyards before passing out in your four-poster bed — a customary experience at The Pig, which prides itself on its laidback elegance.
Pairing notes: Arundel Castle and gardens
You’ve been languishing on the terrace at The Pig, swilling your Chardonnay (with a subtle oak influence and notes of lemon curd, honey, walnut and lime). Meanwhile, your kids are growing irritable. Arundel Castle is thankfully just around the corner — and has been for 1,000 years. Explore state rooms filled with fine art, armour and historic furnishings, or run amok in the rose gardens. If you time your visit right, you might catch a jousting tournament celebrating the property’s Norman heritage, or the Arundel Festival of the Arts, held each summer.
More grape escapes: the best vineyard hotels beyond the UK
Spicers Vineyards Estate, Australia
This bucolic manor house and estate has a 350-strong wine list, including their own Small Harvest label, and a luxurious spa on-site, all nestled within the Hunter Valley, just two hours from Sydney.
Les Sources des Caudalie, France
Here, the buildings resemble a rural French village, and the minerals from regional wines can either be found in bottles and barrels, or infused into facials, scrubs, and massages at the spa. There’s also a two-Michelin-starred restaurant and three pools to soak in as the sun sets. What’s not to like?
The Madrona, California Wine Country, US
Executive chef Patrick Tafoya draws on his travels to take diners at The Madrona on a culinary world tour, but with local-to-California ingredients. Enjoy the caviar and onion dip or grilled, local black cod, before moving on to a vintage bottle of Napa Valley, own-grown Madrona Ranch wine.
L’And Vineyards, Portugal
A destination hotel in Alentejo, east of Lisbon, L’And offers expert-led wine tastings and horseback rides through vine-ribboned countryside.
Quench your thirst for tipsy adventures with our full collection of hotels in top wine destinations