Wine & Cheese Tour
3 Vineyards, 12 wines, Lunch, and a Whole Lot of Fun!
from £135p/p
WINE & CHEESE WERE MADE FOR EACH OTHER
from £135 p/p
Day Trips that Depart from Central London
"The journey from London to Kent was pleasant enough in the luxury coach also helped by the stunning views as you leave the city. The wine tasting was excellent, lunch was generous and the cheese pairing a great experience. Justin and Nicola make great hosts, very knowledgeable and passionate about what they do which makes for a great day all round, highly recommended " - Andy (posted on TripAdvisor)
What to expect from your English Wine & Cheese Tour
Bringing together the perfect match of English Wine & English Cheese, this is simply a delicious day out filled with award winning wines and cheese glorious cheese.
Join a group of fellow wine lovers for this day to remember, you’ll visit two vineyards in the morning with a guided tasting at each, followed by a delicious picnic lunch and for the grand finale we will introduce you to 6 of our favourite English Wines paired with 6 our favourite English cheeses.
A great day out for wine and cheese lovers.
"We were planning a trip of just over a week to London and in searching for day excursions we came across wine tasting tours. We were intrigued as we had no prior knowledge of any wine industry in England. We had a lovely day trip out to wine country." - Emily (TripAdvisor)
READY TO BOOK YOUR WINE TOUR?
History, Background and Live Narrative
Your wine tour will depart promptly from central London, the English Grounds near London Bridge Station so please arrive for 8:45 to ensure a prompt departure at 9:00am. The day will be loaded information as your wine exploration journey will take about 1hr 40minutes to arrive at the first vineyard. Not to worry, we provide a live narrative on the way down that gives you more context about the English wine industry, plus you’ll get to enjoy the scenic English countryside views along the way. Our English wine tour guide is an expert in the industry, who will tell you about the history of English wine since the Roman invasion, the significance of the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and explain who are the movers and shakers in the English wine industry since the birth of modern English wine that started in the 1950s. You will learn about yield and production levels, what grape varietals are grown and even how much money it takes to start a vineyard in England.
We bring together the perfect pairing of English Wine & Cheese with our truly fabulous English Wine & Cheese Tour.
You’ll visit two contrasting vineyards in the morning for a guided tasting of their range of award winning English wines and learn all about the wine making process from grape to glass.
After our second stop you can enjoy a delicious locally sourced picnic lunch and have free time to wander amongst the vines and look in the shop.
Then for the afternoons grande finale we’ll pair 6 of our favourite English wines with 6 of our favourite English cheeses, a truly delicious day out!
- Sample an array of award winning English Wines
- Tutored tastings at vineyard
- Learn about the cheese making process at Silcocks Dairy
- Delicious picnic lunch, plus a glass of English Wine
- Pairing of 6 English wines and cheeses
- Our fun and informative expert Wine Tour Guide for the day
- Return travel from London in luxury mini-coach
OUR ENGLISH WINE & CHEESE TOUR
Wine Tour Duration: Approximately 8 hours from start to finish
Departure Point: English Grounds, SE1 2HU (opposite London Bridge)
Example Itinerary English Wine Tasting Tours
9am Collection London Bridge
11am Arrive Wayfarer Wines
- Guided Wine Tasting in the vines
- Time for some shopping
12.30pm Arrive Woodchurch Wines
- Guided Wine Tasting
- Beautiful views across the vineyards
- Lunch: Delicious Picnic lunch of seasonal local fayre.
2.50pm Back on the bus for the next Vineyard
3:00pm Arrive Silcocks Farm
- Guided Wine Tasting of 6 English Wines paired with 6 English Cheeses
4.15pm Back on the bus
6.15pm Arrive London Bridge (approximate timing depending on traffic)
Where do you pick up from in London?
We pick up guests from central London at a bus stand in front of Southwark Crown Court. The pick up point is on the south side of the Thames River near London Bridge Station, which has both Tube and Overground trains. Departure Point: English Grounds, SE1 2HU (opposite London Bridge)
What is exactly included on this wine tour?
- Our fun and informative expert English Wine Tour Guide for the day
- A Welcome Drink on the coach
- Sample an array of award winning English Wines (12 wines)
- All tasting fees are paid for in advance with the vineyard
- Guided Wine Tastings, sometimes by the producer
- Delicious locally sourced lunch, served with a glass of English Wine
- Goodie Bag – Souvenir Branded English Wine Tasting Tours Jute Bag
- Bag of English Crisps and a bottle of Water
- Return travel from London in luxury mini-coach or van (Mercedes)
- Air-conditioned for transport for your comfort
- Learn how to taste wine like a pro
Do you have vegetarian options for lunch?
Of course we do. We make all attempts to meet all dietary requirements, including vegetiarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and more. We use food partners, pubs or cafes, to provide excellent quality food for our guests. If you have booked a wine tour, you will receive a lunch order form by email for your food requirements. The lunch order form (web form) will give you a chance to state any dietary requirements or food allergies which we will pass onto the food provider. Keep in mind that most pubs or cafes will not guarantee a nut free restaurant.
How big are the groups on the wine tours?
Our group size can vary from week to week but our maximum public tour group is less that 26, but most of the time we average groups of 12 - 18 guests. Don't worry, everyone loves wine so its easy to make friends! Wine something that connects us all.
Can the tour get cancelled?
Weather is something that we love to discuss in England but it never stops us from "carrying on". We advise guests to dress appropriately and if necessary wear or bring jackets or jumpers, practical shoes, perhaps an umbrella if rain is forecasted. We do try and venture into the vineyard and are outdoors at times. On rare occasions we may have to cancel a tour due to low group sizes, but this very rare. We require at least 4 people to run a tour.
What vineyards will I visit on the day?
Vineyards are always subject to change from the stated schedule. All vineyards are booked in advance but occasionally last minute changes do happen. Due to customer feedback we have started visiting smaller vineyards where you will have a chance to possibly meet the producer. We may visit a larger producer also. Keep in mind that all English vineyards are small in relative "wine production" terms.
How sustainable are we as a wine tour operator?
We have a Green Tourism badge and by offering group travel in a coach we are more sustainable than a self-drive wine tourist. Because we travel in and out of London our coaches have to be extermely clean for emission standards as London now has an Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ). Most of the coaches we use are Euro4 or Euro6 standard! We hope to move to electric coaches in the near future but coaches are heavy things to move around at present and the technology needs to advance so that we can been even more green. Our souvenir jute bags are reusuable and we recycle as much as possible. We are always trying to find new ways to be more sustainable.
What type of wine will I try on the day?
If you only drink big bolshy reds...then English wine probably isn't for you! (;-) But if you have a place in your palette for award winning sparkling wine, delicate whites, dry rosé and pinot noir reds then you will love English wine. Our wine region is a "cool climate" which means we have higher acidity which makes us fantastic at making sparkling wine and predominantly we grow mostly Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Nearly 70% of everything we produce is sparkling wine. England started its wine industry growing Germanic wines in the 1950s and some vineyards still have those grape varietals today so when possible we try to make sure that you get to try some of those wines which are of interest. We don't have restrictions on what grapes we can grow here so we are different than France or Italy (old world) wine regions and we encourage guests to try new wines and come explore with us.
Is this tour for experienced wine connoisseurs?
We cater to different levels of wine education on our tours. If you want to discuss English oenology or viticulture in more depth our tour guides can definately help to answer your questions. We try to keep the information on the day informative and presented at a level for all but please do ask questions if you want a more detailed answer. We love curious minds!
What type of coaches or vans to you use?
Our coaches are new or late models within a couple of years old. London emission standards requires us to continuously update our coaches. We partner with reputable coach companies on a contractual basis to keep a high standard of vehicle. All of our coaches have leather seats, full air-conditioning and heating, and we have reliable well-trained drivers. If we use a mini-van for groups of 8-people or less, then our vehicle is a Mercedes-Benz, full leather, with air-conditioning.
Wine tour guides or coach drivers?
We offer wine tour experiences verses a coach operator that offers wine tour journeys. Our wine tour guides are experts in English wine so we chaperone verses chauffeur and also provide the education and history regarding our wine industry.
What is your cancellation policy?
In short, all sales are final and we don't offer refunds. We have this policy because once a seat is sold we have to remove it from inventory, which we could have sold that seat to another customer. Its sort of like buying a seat at the theatre, if you don't make the show its rather unfortunate. But, we do understand that unforeseen circumstances arise and we generally do allow people to change their tour date for a small fee but please refer to our detailed terms and conditions for more information. Alternatively you could find someone to take your place on the wine tour.
Are you fully insured?
Absolutely. Europe and the UK loves regulation to protect consumers and as we provide services directly to the public we must have proper insurance. We carry specialist insurance specifically as a wine tour operator for both our general public liability and mini-van insurance coverage (small private wine tours). Our contracted coach operator has insurance, the food providers have insurance, the vineyards have insurance. No wonder those underwriters in the beautifully woven pinstripe suits look so good around Leadenhall Market in London!