September in the vineyards is harvest time. At Wraxall Vineyard near Shepton Mallet in Somerset, teams of pickers work hard to gather the fruit, and lucky visitors can dine at tables laid between the vines for a harvest supper under the stars. This is a new kind of British minibreak: a wine weekend in the West Country, built around one destination vineyard, good food, relaxed accommodation and the chance to linger among the rows of grapes.
From early September, Lexa Hunt, co-owner with husband David Bailey, says Wraxall becomes “caretaker to the vines”, sending weekly grape samples and waiting for the winemaker’s call to pick. On harvest days, friends, locals and guests all muck in, working their way down the rows and filling bins that are whisked off to be pressed within 12 hours of the first bunch being cut.
“We start early with coffee and bacon sandwiches, hand out snips and buckets, and everyone heads into the vines together,” explains Lexa. “Guests are welcome to join in, too. You don’t have to pick all day – even an hour spent picking a few rows is enough to feel part of it. By mid-afternoon, the grapes are on a lorry to the winery, and we celebrate back at the vineyard with a big shared meal and plenty of our wine.”
This year, Wraxall plans to take things a step further with a harvest dinner: sharing plates, accompanied by a glass of Wraxall Classic Cuvée, served family-style and laid out between the vines. It echoes the parties held in the 1980s, when previous owner and opera singer Astra Blair entertained among the vines.
“September evenings here can feel almost Tuscan, with the setting sun casting a golden glow across the landscape. I love pouring a glass of our pale-pink sparkling wine, then taking it out to the terrace,” says Lexa.
For years, UK vineyard tourism was defined almost entirely by Kent and Sussex. Chalk seams run under the Channel from Champagne, so these counties had the natural advantages of the right climate and classic grape varieties to create traditional-method sparkling wine. Now, English fizz has become so well regarded that champagne houses are buying land and bottling their own UK cuvées. But while the South East has been polishing its image, offering slick cellar doors and tours, further west in Somerset, small family-run vineyards have been experimenting not just with winemaking styles, but with how to turn a visit into a whole weekend of food, landscape and relaxed hospitality.
In the South West, vines grow in clay and limestone soils; heritage varieties such as Bacchus sit alongside pinot noir and Chardonnay; and the wines often show the red-apple, orchard-fruit character of this cider-making landscape. Vineyards here are often smaller and more personal, too.
“Making English wine is expensive; many small producers quickly discover that the only viable way to sell it is through tourism, turning their vineyards into places to stay, eat and take it all in,” explains Lexa. “Visitors can enjoy two or three days built around one main vineyard, with comfortable accommodation on-site, great food and a patchwork of farm shops, cheesemakers, bike tours and country pubs filling the gaps. Pomposity is not something we do here!”
The Old Winery Cottage at Wraxall, one of three cottages guests can stay in, sits beside the original winery building and looks straight across the vines. Inside, it is airy and bright, with high, beamed ceilings, stylish farmhouse furniture and luxurious Commune bath and body products. In the two shepherd’s huts, guests can light the firepit and watch the sun go down over the hills. “On cooler nights, we light the woodburner indoors; it’s cosy, informal and exactly how English wine should be enjoyed,” says Lexa.
Vines were first planted here in the 1970s, in an early wave of English viticulture. Wraxall produces around 14,000 bottles a year; a pale-pink pinot noir and a classic cuvée are made using the traditional method, with brioche and pastry notes alongside English orchard fruit. The still wines include an early pinot noir rosé and Bacchus, increasingly made with oak fermentation to give depth.
These can all be sampled at on-site restaurant The View, perched in the heart of the vines, which serves Somerset cheeses alongside West Country charcuterie; seasonal lunches such as Barber’s Cheddar and cider rarebit; lamb shoulder with pickled red cabbage and wild garlic; and a very good Guinness cake. It also hosts regular supper clubs, steak nights and pizza evenings.
Exploring Somerset is encouraged, Lexa explains. “One of my favourite things is to treat the weekend like a DIY food market tour. Head to Wells market on Saturday to pick up cheese and bread; maybe detour to Westcombe to see the cheese caves. If you’re up for it, join one of the local bike routes that link cider producers, cheesemakers and vineyards. There’s even a loop that brings guests from The Newt hotel via cheese, chutney and cider before they roll in here for a tasting and lunch.
“Then come back to your cottage, cook supper and eat outside with a bottle from the vineyard. Nearby, Bruton and Frome have great places to eat, including At The Chapel and other independents, which pair brilliantly with our wines and make a great contrast to vineyard suppers. And never underestimate the charm of a village pub. Our local is the excellent Manor House Inn at Ditcheat.”
Durslade Vineyard in Bruton shows another side of Somerset wine culture. Set within a 1,000-acre farm, it produces small runs of pinot noir, Chardonnay, pinot meunier and Bacchus. Vineyard manager Will Patton explains how striking it is to see wildlife flourishing here, with regular sightings of dormice, otters, beavers and birds including red kites, goshawks and kestrels. Red and white roses at the start of each row of vines are a nod to its Swiss owners, Hauser & Wirth. A tasting room within the vineyard is in the offing and, for now, visitors can try the wines at Da Costa restaurant, which sits among meadows and sculpture gardens as part of the wider farm and arts centre.
Other vineyards are dotted across the county and beyond. “Wine tourism here isn’t about ticking off five vineyards in a day, but I do recommend choosing at least one other to visit,” says Lexa. “Langham in Dorset is about an hour away and shows a different side of West Country wine, with larger-scale events and festivals. Or you might head to Fenny Castle, just a couple of miles from us, where owner James makes tiny quantities of award-winning wine and still sells most of it at local markets. It gives you a sense of just how diverse and characterful this region’s vineyards really are.”
Wraxall Vineyard stays from £110 per night in the shepherd’s huts and £145 per night in the Old Winery Cottages, with a minimum two-night stay.
4 more vineyards to discover
Sandridge Barton, Devon
A contemporary winery, shop and live music space among the vineyards near Totnes. Book ahead for tastings, vineyard and winery tours, and lunch at its excellent Roam restaurant. There are also three self-catering cottages if you fancy staying the night.
Langham Wine Estate, Dorset
A single-estate vineyard near Dorchester, known for low-intervention sparkling wines made from classic champagne varieties. Book ahead for vineyard and winery tours, tutored tastings and lunch at Smiths Kitchen; its events calendar also features live music.
Camel Valley, Cornwall
One of Cornwall’s best-known producers, Camel Valley’s traditional-method sparkling wines have helped lead the charge for Cornish fizz. Book ahead for a Grand Tour and Tasting, where a winemaker talks guests through the vineyard year, the winery process and a tasting that begins with Cornwall Brut.
Aldwick, Somerset
A family-run vineyard and events estate tucked into the North Somerset countryside, close to Bristol and Blagdon Lake. Book ahead for public or private vineyard tours and tastings, available seasonally, with wines also sold online.
