The lodges at Three Choirs are set amidst the vines
With around 400 vineyards around the country, English wine is booming.
Located in some of the most picturesque parts of the country, wine makers have now started converting outhouses and farmhouses into luxury bedrooms so you can sip, dine and stay in beautiful surroundings. Here’s our list of the best vineyard hotels and restaurants.
Denbies is the largest estate in the UK and the original farmhouse has been renovated
Denbies Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast is located in the middle of the Surrey countryside and has been tastefully refurbished to accommodate seven double en-suite rooms.
Full English breakfast is served in the light, airy conservatory, overlooking the garden and 265 acres of sweeping vines and the estate offers tours and tastings all year round.
We recommend trying the Pinot Noir Dornfelder – something of a rarity for English wine as reds are few and far between.
The luxury rooms at Three Choirs Vineyard in Gloucestershire overlook the estate’s rolling vineyards
In Gloucestershire, the Three Choirs Vineyard has developed a unique process of growing modern grape varieties side-by-side with world-renowned grapes, such as Pinot Noir and Bacchus.
In addition to the wine tasting events and an audio tour around the vineyard, there are nature trails with hedgehog and ladybird nesting boxes for youngsters.
Three Choirs in Gloucestershire has one of the best vineyard restaurants in the country
The Three Choirs Lodges are nestled within the vineyards, while rooms in the main house have south-facing rooms overlooking the vine-clad valleys. There is an excellent restaurant on site and the Cotswold villages are on your doorstep.
For dinner you can choose between a cheese and wine tasting, a more formal menu, or a barbecue on the terrace.
Camel Valley has self catering cottages and is the perfect base for a food and wine tour of Cornwall
Heading to the West Country this summer? Camel Valley comprises 82 acres of south-facing slopes off the Camel Trail, which follows the river valley from Bodmin Moor to Padstow and visitors can stay in the self-catering cottages set high on the slopes above the estate.
You can enjoy the stunning views in one of the most beautiful part of Cornwall, while always being but a stumble home after wine tasting in the sunshine.
If you want to get in the mood before your weekend away, why not try out some of the best English wines in the comfort of your own home.
All available at Waitrose Cellar, these bottles are great alternatives to the classic favourites.
For those who enjoy Sauvignon Blanc, Camel Valley’s Bacchus is a great alternative, while champagne lovers should try Leckford Estate’s Brut
And for a dash of pink champagne the English way, Ridgeview’s Fitzrovia Rosé is a lighter home-grown alternative.