Seven Kentish wineries, Biddenden, Chapel Down, Domaine Evremond, Gusbourne, Hush Heath Estate, Simpsons Wine Estate and Squerryes, have joined forces to form the Wine Garden of England, a new partnership to champion and develop the county’s wine tourism offering.
Already welcoming a combined 120,000 visitors a year to their wineries, the producers are working alongside tourism specialists Visit Kent to make this new ‘family’ of vineyards a wine partnership unlike any other. From the game-changers who are shaping the future of English wine, to stylish boutique wineries and family businesses steeped in tradition, each member of the partnership has many fascinating stories to share, and an incredible experience to offer visitors to the county.
“There are significant wine tourism opportunities ahead for us,” said Mark Harvey, managing director of Chapel Down. “It’s about sharing best practice and having excellent initiatives at county level. The Wine Garden of England is a beautiful motley crew of producers of different scale and personalities. It’s important that regions identify their unique selling points and we are really celebrating the diversity and variation between each of the producers in our group.”
As part of the launch a new website will provide a range of visitor itineraries for recommended day and weekend trips to Kent. The site aims to eventually allow visitors to purchase wines from all the partners, and also create and book days out, building a personalised wine trail around the county.
