Celebrate English Wine Week at Squerryes in Kent

Squerryes Winery in Westerham is opening a new Tasting Bar giving visitors a place to call in from mid-morning to early evening, with views across the Rosé vineyard and wider estate. Squerryes Tasting Bar will serve Squerryes vintage sparkling wines by the glass or bottle as well as offering a seasonal menu of small plates designed with Squerryes in mind using ingredients drawn from the estate and wider garden of England. Offering a new relaxed dining experience, visitors are encouraged to try the latest vintage wine releases and dine on dishes such as smoked estate venison tacos, burrata with courgette jam, estate lamb köfte salad, Whitstable Bay rock oysters​​, spiced crispy squid and a Beale’s farm charcuterie board with homemade pickles.

Head Chef Seamus said: ‘I’m really excited to pair some of our estate and local produce with some of our wonderful vintage wines to enjoy in our new relaxed Tasting Bar. The menu is inspired by memorable experiences I’ve had in restaurants around the world that still stick with me today and I hope that I can create similar experiences and encourage lasting memories for our diners.’

Visit Squerryes Winery in Westerham during ‘English Wine Week’ which takes place between 15 and 23 June 2023 and enjoy a relaxing day in the countryside surrounded by vines and the beautiful rolling hills of the North Downs in the distance.

Squerryes produces award winning vintage sparkling wine that reflects the unique spirit, rich heritage and the beautiful terroir of our North Downs Estate and during English Wine Week, the Vineyard will be launching their exceptional Brut 2020 and Blanc des Blancs 2017 which will be available in The Cellar Door and The Winery Restaurant.

Wine tasting events will be available to book in advance or why not book a table in The Winery Restaurant or on the terrace to enjoy some of the freshly prepared seasonal dishes together with some of the finest English wines. Squerryes was awarded two AA Rosettes this year by inspectors for its exceptional food offering.

The Winery Restaurant also offers some of the finest English wines by the glass or bottle, selected by Squerryes Master of Wine, Laura Evans. During English Wine Week, Squerryes Brut 2016 Magnum will be available to enjoy by the glass.

Henry Warde, owner of Squerryes said:

‘We are delighted to open our new Squerryes Tasting bar in time for English Wine Week which will offer a Squerryes tasting experience alongside small plates from the Estate kitchen. It’s a great opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the extraordinary rise of the English Wine Industry. At Squerryes we are proud to be producing truly world class sparkling wines from the region. We are also aiming to build one of the best English still wine lists both in our Cellar Door and restaurant so there is no better place to come and celebrate English Wine Week.’

Laura Evans, Squerryes Master of Wine who also chooses the extensive selection of English wines available from the Cellar Door and Winery Restaurant said:

‘There has never been a more exciting time to be involved in the English wine scene, with the quality and selection of wines available now better than ever to the point where they are able to hold their own alongside the rest of the world. Highly skilled and trained viticulturalists and winemakers have brought expertise in the vineyard and the winery on a scale not seen before, and experimentation with different grapes and winemaking methods is yielding some wonderful results, helped by several good summers. The only problem is that demand has also increased significantly and some of the English gems are becoming very hard to get hold of, especially red wines, so buy some while you can!

We are fortunate to be part of the Wine Garden of England, an association of 9 producers making exceptional quality wines in Kent. However, our range of still wines also encompasses wineries in Sussex, Dorset, Norfolk, Gloucestershire and beyond, all taste tested to ensure that we are showing you the best our green and pleasant land has to offer.”

Local produce including meats, cheeses, condiments and hampers can also be purchased alongside English wines from the Cellar Door, including wines from Squerryes’ fellow Wine Garden of England members and other producers recommended and selected by Laura Evans, Squerryes Master of Wine. During English Wine Week, Squerryes Wine Ambassadors will be on hand to discuss and advise on English wines plus visitors will receive a 10% discount off a case of 6 bottles of English still wines.

Vineyard Café

For an impromptu bite to eat and a glass of wine, take a seat in the Vineyard Café as you look out over the vines on the North Downs estate. With select English wine available by the glass or bottle, taste some of the best the country has to offer, including our home-grown signature sparkling wines.

‘Wine Experiences’ are offered all year round, with summer tours and tastings from mid-May to harvest in October. Tours can be booked on Thursday at 4.30pm or Friday and Saturday 11am and 4.30pm and Sundays at 11am.

Tours begin among the vines where guests will learn all about the fascinating history of Squerryes Estate and why John and Henry Warde decided to plant vines on the chalk North Downs known as the gateway to the Garden of England. Having learnt about the spirit of the terroir, discover what makes Squerryes so well placed to make exceptional, award-winning wine in a tutored tasting of 3 of our sparkling vintages.