When we moved out of London nine years ago, I was quite sure we’d relocated to a village in the Sussex countryside. But every summer, as the climate warms and the fields are increasingly replaced with vines, I feel I am living in Tuscany. There are four vineyards within walking distance of our house; on balmy evenings, sitting with a glass of rosé on a vineyard terrace, as the sun drifts behind the downs and vines flicker in the breeze, I feel I should see medieval hilltop villages shimmering in the haze.As the number of vineyards rises – the Food Standards Agency listed 1,158 in 2025 – many offer experiences beyond tours and tastings. Now, along with sipping vintages, you can settle in for a gourmet supper, browse the work of local artists and stay in luxury lodges, as well as get involved in the harvest. Others offer wildlife walks, alfresco yoga sessions, musical nights and evening DJ sets.‘Since 2022, we’ve experienced a near 70 per cent rise in visitors,’ says Helen Power of Simpsons’ Wine Estate in Kent, ‘with a growing appetite for guests seeking vineyard tours and gastronomic evenings.’ According to the Food Standards Agency, Britons guzzled through 16.5 million bottles of wine in 2025 – and the UK is now home to more than 1,000 vineyards that each offer something a little differentAccommodation ranges from cosy bell tents at the Oastbrook Estate (oastbrook.com) to the Rathfinny Estate’s Flint Barn B&B (rathfinnyestate.com), which has all the touches of a chic, boutique hotel. And vineyards are no longer restricted to the south of England; Yorkshire has its own wine trail linking ten wine estates. And the new UK Vineyard Guide App (ukvineyardguide.co.uk) brings together more than 1,000 vineyards with guides, maps and listings to help plan a tour.‘English wine is entering an exciting chapter,’ says the head of Wine GB, Nicola Bates. ‘More people are buying UK wines than before, and they’re doing so because they genuinely love what they’re tasting.’According to the Food Standards Agency, we drank 16.5 million bottles in 2025, with production up 55 per cent on 2024.With this summer set to be one where staycations are the best option for many, a visit to a vineyard – or stay – is a nice replacement for a tour in France or Italy.Or, rather, the perfect time to pop to your nearest vineyard and raise a glass to the world’s fastest-growing wine region.It’s English Wine Week this week, which, says Bates, ‘is the perfect moment to shine a light on the incredible progress and ambition of our wine industry’. Our pick of the bunch… Artelium, East Sussex Est Sussex’s Artelium is where wine and art come together… At this spectacular vineyard, visitors can expect creative workshops and specialised tastings Wine and art come together at this beautiful vineyard, where the restaurant terrace looks to the South Downs. Alongside tours and tastings, there is a focus on local ‘makers’, with exhibitions, creative workshops, and a growing sculpture garden – where ‘Fire and Vine’ nights are held with barbecues and tastings (artelium.com).Tinwood Estate, West Sussex Tinwood Estate in West Sussex features eight high-end lodges boasting private decks and secluded hot tubsA vineyard with accommodation is the dream set-up; no designated driver, and just a short stagger from the restaurant to bed. Tinwood has eight luxurious lodges with private decks and hot tubs. Modern British tapas is served in the restaurant with breakfast hampers delivered to your door in the morning (tinwoodestate.com). From £285 a night, sleeping two.Sandridge Barton, Devon Sandridge offers far more than just delicious Sharpham wines; it is a vibrant hub for live music, DJ sets, art exhibitions, and wellness workshops Highlights include a historic 1850s boathouse on the River Dart (pictured), alongside two larger houses sleeping eight and 12Wellness workshops, art exhibits, DJ sets and live music – a visit to Sandridge is about more than the delicious Sharpham wines. There are three lodges, including an 1850s boathouse by the River Dart, with two more houses sleeping eight and 12. Dinners at Roam restaurant focus on seasonal produce from local farms (sand ridgebarton.com). A four-night boathouse stay for four is from £1,450.Three Choirs, Gloucestershire Gloucestershire’s Three Choirs was among the first to offer vineyard stays and now features high-end lodges dotted across the estate The vineyard produces a curated selection of both still and sparkling English wineOne of the first vineyards to offer accommodation, Three Choirs now has luxurious lodges dotted among the vines. The vineyard produces sparkling and still wines, and is on the Malvern Hills Vineyards route, with five others to try nearby (three-choirs-vineyards.co.uk). Vineyard View doubles from £165.Ryedale Vineyard, North York Moors Pictured: Ryedale Vineyard, North Yorkshire: Sons Kit (left), Business Manager, and Jack (right), the Winery Manager The family-run estate prides itself on a fully hands-on approach, with all production, from harvest to bottling, carried out by hand. There are also two charming bedrooms in the 500-year-old farmhouse (pictured) Guests can get involves in numerous wellness activities on site One of the UK’s most northerly vineyards, Ryedale unfolds across the south-facing slopes of the Yorkshire Wolds, with all aspects of production – from harvest to bottling – carried out by hand. There are two charming bedrooms in the 500-year-old farmhouse (ryedalevineyards.co.uk). Doubles from £150.Simpsons’ Wines, Kent Steeped in nearly 200 years of British history, Simpson’s offers a deeply personal and charming feel Unwind this July and August at the site’s Sunset Sessions for a guided tour and graze on a sharing platter of delicious, locally sourced bitesThere’s a lovely, personal feel to Simpsons’, especially when you join one of their Friday night Sunset Sessions held in July and August with tours and a platter of locally sourced nibbles (simpsonswine.com). Doubles at the nearby Pig at Bridge Place from £145 (thepighotel.com).