Let’s start with the numbers, because they are remarkable. The Food Standards Agency confirmed in March 2026 that UK wine production in 2025 reached 124,377 hectolitres. This is the equivalent of more than 16.5 million bottles, an increase of 55% on 2024.
White wine production alone surged by more than 131%.
The WineGB Harvest Report, authored by Stephen Skelton MW, called 2025 “a mast year” and for good reason. Growing degree days reached 1,051 against a five-year average of 1,008; average potential alcohol rose from 9.47% to 10.48%; tartaric acid levels edged down from a 10-year average of 10.47 grams per litre to 10.22.
Taken together, these indicators point not just to quantity but to a qualitative step-change.
Exceptional conditions
The conditions behind this were exceptional: an early, dry spring that brought forward budburst; then a June and July in southern England of sustained, record-breaking heat, with four separate official heatwaves.
Regarding grape varieties, Bacchus yielded 9.5 tonnes per hectare against a five-year average of 6.75; Solaris came in at 7.20 tonnes per hectare against 4.20; and Pinot Noir at 5.90, fractionally ahead of its historical norm. The result was a good-sized harvest though with quality indicators that could surpass even that banner 2023 crop.
The number of vineyards registered with the FSA grew to 1,158, a 4.3% increase on the previous year, with 4,357 ha of active vines now in production.
More than 10,000 people are now employed across the sector, and the industry is valued at approximately £14 billion. These are not hobbyist statistics. This is a serious agricultural and economic force.
The continuing rise of English still wine
The Real Review’s Top Wineries of Great Britain 2026 rankings, on which this article is based, reflect the same momentum, but with a subplot of the stealthy but increasingly undeniable rise of English still wines.
You can read about the rankings in a separate piece on the runners and riders in 2026 but the most significant underlying trend is the still wine story. The most recently available bottle production figures from WineGB showed that, in 2024, still wine made up 31% (around 3.3 million bottles) of the total (10.7 million), with sparkling accounting for the remaining 69%.
Essex: the new still wine heartland
Essex – in third place for total hectares planted – is no longer a surprise but its emergence as the heartland of English still wine is accelerating. The Crouch Valley, in particular, is drawing serious attention. Its proximity to the River Crouch offers protection from frost and cold winds; its clay soils retain moisture and nutrients; and its microclimate is among the sunniest and warmest in the UK.
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