How an Essex valley became one of the UK’s most exciting new wine regions

English wine grown in Crouch Valley is fast becoming globally renowned – even the French are taking notice

It was a Thursday afternoon spent basking in the sunshine, strolling through rolling hills and expansive plains laced with fruit-bearing vines. Surely I must have been dispatched to Tuscany or Bordeaux but no, this was the scene a mere 20-minute drive from Chelmsford, Essex.

While the unassuming city might be better know as the stomping ground for the cast of The Only Way is Essex, with ITV cameras a frequent sight, the surrounding area could soon have another claim to fame as an emerging capital of English wine, which is on the up.

At the International Wine Challenge this week, English wines won more gold medals than ever, claiming 25 prizes, up from 10 in 2025. Sam Caporn, a master of wine, singled out Crouch Valley in Essex as an exciting new region for wine production.

Situated along a cluster of quaint villages, the valley is full of precisely planted vineyards. I visited New Hall Wine Estate, the first to arrive in the area. The earliest vines were planted in 1969 and, once the grapes were harvested, the owners made their first wine in a saucepan.

Things have come a long way since. “We produce about 250,000 bottles a year,” said Becki Trembath, 35, the general manager of New Hall wine estate.

The wine made on its land from grapes grown outside All Saints Church, which sits atop the vineyard, were drunk during the sealing of the Magna Carta, New Hall Wine Estate claims.

While Trembath’s grandparents established the vineyard decades ago business has exploded in recent years. “People know a lot more about English wines. Since Covid-19, people want to know where their products come from. They like to try and buy local,” she said.

They aren’t the only local players, with nearly 30 growers now in the valley. “Sales are going up but it’s competitive out there,” said Trembath. “This is such a great area to grow grapes. We have very low rainfall through the summer, which allows us to ripen the fruit for a longer period compared to somewhere more north or south.”

The valley has been identified by researchers as a location that could soon bear even sweeter fruit for wine producers as the climate crisis leads to higher UK temperatures. The area has become so renowned that even the French are taking notice, with winemakers from Burgundy scoping out plans to buy land in the valley.

English winemakers are also courting international buyers. “We’ve had people come from Canada, America, New Zealand and Australia,” said Anna Vine, 42, cellar door manager at New Hall. “People are suddenly starting to realise that we have vineyards in the UK.”

The winery produces red, white, rose and sparkling wines but the valley is best known for still wines because the “microclimate is absolutely perfect” for it, said Andy Hares, 50, the vineyard and estate manager.

He worked in Bordeaux, which is considered a world premier wine production destination, before returning to the UK to work in Crouch Valley.

“England’s been making wines for hundreds of years but traditionally it wasn’t particularly good,” he said. Hares blames this on trying to emulate wines from countries like France or Germany but, “over the last 10 to 20 years, we’ve developed our own style,” he said.

In particular, English wines: “tend to be really aromatic and normally quite young” with a real “fruit focus”, he said.

I tried a trio of wines to see how English wines hold up. First up was a Bacchus white wine (£17.75) which was smooth and very fruity, followed by a limited edition Bacchus Fume white wine (£23), which was aged in oak. This one was smooth with touches of vanilla for a deep flavour. Last, my personal favourite, was the sparkling Bacchus white wine (£23), which tasted like a pimped-up prosecco, crisp and full of fresh undertones of berry.

But wine production is not all fun and games. Aside from low rainfall and sunnier skies, Crouch Valley is also popular because it is fairly frost resistant, which can ruin a year’s harvest in a matter of minutes. “We’ve heard stories of people losing 60% to 70% of their crop,” said Hares.

The grapes are flowering but come September, harvest will begin. While Crouch Valley is well known in wine circles, for those nearby or travelling through the area, these vineyards still remain a mystery.

Hares said: “People drive past and go: ‘What is this?’ We forget that people don’t even know we exist.”