British wines are set for a “genuinely superb” vintage this year after plenty of sun and heat over the summer created delicious high-quality grapes, winemakers said. It will be an especially good year for the country’s still wine producers as the grapes are high in sugars, while fantastic winemakers will ensure the country’s sparkling wines will continue to give Champagne a run for its money. Yet yields will be slightly down on last year’s, as grapes are not as juicy because of the little rain over the growing season.
Winemakers Praise Grape Quality
Nicola Bates, CEO of trade association WineGB, said the vintage is “going to be superb, genuinely, genuinely superb. Everyone is quite excited”.
She added: ”The sugars will be higher, our wines are known for being quite acidic in the best possible way. There will be a slightly different style, but we are fully expecting the grapes to be absolutely delicious, especially on the stills. It will be a great year for still wine.”
UK Outperforms France
UK wine producers have fared better than their French counterparts, after severe heatwaves and drought led to the lowest harvest in 30 years. Bates estimated that the UK will produce around 14 million bottles, compared with last year’s 16 million.
There was also an “unprecedented early harvest” for many, starting in mid-August. She said: “It’s been a really interesting year, in lots of ways the weather has been fantastic. However, we also had a really odd start to the season where we had frost, hail and a heatwave all within two weeks.”
While some vineyards have had a hard time, many say “it's likely to be a very strong year”. She said: ”The grapes are coming up very clean, so that means they are likely to be very good and high quality. Because we did not have so much rain, there’s not quite so much juice. So the likelihood in terms of harvest it will be a good one, but it won’t have the sort of yields if compared to 2025, which was the second largest harvest.” As to the future, she added: “Our wines do benefit from the heat and the sun, we are building a very exciting sector.”
Rapid Ripening Challenges Harvest Timing
Lyme Bay Winery makes its wines in East Devon, working with growers across southern England rather than relying on a single vineyard. Head winemaker Clem Yates said: “2026 has been fast. The warm summer has meant that all varieties have ripened much quicker than we’ve ever seen before.”
She added, “Quality is looking really exciting”, but the pace of ripening has also made the timing of harvest especially important. She said: “Possibly not a year for exceptional sparkling wines unless you picked in August, which some people may have done. Some people will have been caught out by how fast the ripening happened this year.”
Golden Era for English Sparkling Wine
And the outlook is bright not just for this year’s vintage, but for decades to come. James Pennefather, CEO of Kent-based winemaker Chapel Down, believes southern England is entering a golden era for sparkling wine, with conditions increasingly rivalling those of Champagne.
“With over half of the 2026 harvest complete, we are expecting a high-quality vintage this year. Yields are likely to be around 10% below the five-year average following spring frost and hot summer weather ahead of the harvest, but this is manageable within our long-term planning. Last year’s harvest was 15% above average, and the quality of both vintages is very good,” he told the Express.
“Southern England also continues to offer exceptional conditions for Traditional Method Sparkling wine, which represents 74% of Chapel Down’s wine sales. With Champagne-like terroir and Kent’s moderating maritime climate, we believe England is entering a multi-decade period of highly favourable conditions for sparkling wine production.
“This strong vintage supports our ambition to produce wines that compete with Champagne and to achieve the equivalent of 1% of the global Champagne market by 2035. Demand for English sparkling wine remains strong, particularly among millennials attracted by its fresh, crisp style and consumers choosing premium sparkling wine to celebrate both the big and little moments.”
