The growth of English wine: could these vineyards be your next investment?
As England’s wine scene continues to mature, two exceptional estates - Bantham and Firle - are opening their doors to investors seeking a taste of its success
This year marked Britainās warmest summer on record, creating promising conditions for what could be an exceptional 2025 vintage. Itās another step for a nation rapidly establishing itself as a serious contender on the global wine stage. According to , export volumes grew 35% in 2024, now accounting for 9% of total sales.
This success forms part of a wider story - the remarkable rise in both the volume and quality of UK wine production that has accelerated over the past two decades. āThis growth has been driven largely by pioneering brands such as Nyetimber and Ridgeview, which recognised early on that Englandās climate and soils were ideal for producing world-class, traditional method sparkling wines,ā explains Will Banham.
The report shows that the number of vineyards in England and Wales has now reached 1,104, with plantings up 510% since 2005. āMore recently, interest has been shifting towards still wines, particularly in East Anglia, where warmer microclimates and favourable topography produce riper grapes and more characterful wines,ā Will adds. With sales of still wine rising by 10% last year, it highlights further potential for growth and investment across the sector.
51ĀŅĀ× Viticulture: supporting a thriving industry
Will is a Partner in 51ĀŅĀ×’s Viticulture team, the first property consultancy in the UK to offer a dedicated, full-time service for the wine industry. Alongside colleagues Ed Mansel Lewis and Bertie Gilliat-Smith, they provide end-to-end expertise spanning land identification and acquisition, vineyard brokerage, and strategic demographic and placemaking advice to drive sales and profitability for UK vineyards and wine businesses.
This approach is supported by innovative tools such as 51ĀŅĀ×’s pioneering vineyard mapping technology, which harnesses demographic and tourism data to help producers understand their potential customer base and attract visitors. As more vineyards diversify into hospitality and direct-to-consumer experiences, such insights are becoming key to improving profitability and securing long-term growth.
Bantham Vineyard: a rare vineyard opportunity in South Hams
Strong tourist footfall makes Bantham Vineyard a particularly compelling prospect - a rare chance to acquire a vineyard in the picturesque South Hams. āItās perfectly positioned in one of the UKās premier holiday destinations, with Bantham Beach attracting around 60,000 car visits each year and creating valuable passing traffic right on the doorstep,ā says Will.
He notes that the relative youth of the vineyard is another key advantage. Planted in 2021, it already produces a boutique collection of wines, including its award-winning 2024 Pinot Gris, with scope to significantly expand the range if desired, particularly focusing on still rosé. “We often see established vineyards struggling to drive sales volumes because they’re holding several years’ worth of stock without a clear marketing strategy,” Will explains. “Bantham, by contrast, offers an opportunity where there is a clear potential customer base to sell wine directly to, creating a positive cash flow very quickly.”
Together, these factors make Bantham Vineyard attractive both to lifestyle buyers drawn to the area’s charm and to hospitality or leisure businesses seeking to expand their offering. “It’s the ideal scale for those looking for a vineyard that’s commercially viable yet remains a manageable investment,” Will adds.
A different model: establish a co-branded wine in partnership with the Firle Estate
Set in the heart of the South Downs, the Firle Estate carries an extraordinary pedigree and a rich cultural legacy. Home to the Gage family since the 15th century, the Estate became intertwined with Britain’s artistic heritage when, in 1916, it let Charleston Farmhouse to artists Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell, who moved in with their friend David Garnett. The farmhouse soon evolved into a hub of the Bloomsbury Group, a circle of pioneering artists, writers, and thinkers, including Virginia Woolf and Roger Fry, who were frequent visitors.
Today, Firle Estate is offering an opportunity for a wine producer to enter into a long-term joint venture to establish a vineyard across an 11.36-hectare site. This rare arrangement marks the second project of its kind managed by 51ĀŅĀ× for a landed estate, following a collaboration with Blenheim Palace in 2024.
āThe interesting aspect of these opportunities,ā explains Will, āis that there has always been a shortage of suitable viticulture land for sale in the UK, as much of it is held by long-established rural estates that would rarely consider an outright sale. Partnering with an estate such as Firle gives producers access not only to prime land but also to a ready-made audience through its weddings and events business, and the potential to develop a winery venue on site.ā
The Estateās timeless British charm is also an invaluable asset. āIt offers an instant sense of history and heritage that would otherwise take years to build,ā Will adds. He expects strong interest from international wine brands, reflecting a broader trend of European and US investment in the UK wine industry as it continues to mature.
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