The Wine Down

This summer, the best wine festivals are in the UK – hurrah! You don’t have to travel to Paris and beyond for wine fairs when there are some corking events taking place closer to home, writes Rosamund Hall.

‘Wine fairs and festivals are easily one of the greatest ways to immerse yourself in all that is wonderful about wine’ (Rosamund Hall).

Have you ever visited Chartres in France? I hadn’t until recently, but a much-needed pitstop during a long drive with a three-year-old meant we found ourselves wandering around its staggering cathedral, feeling completely insignificant. I love how large-scale Romanesque cathedrals will do that to you. While I should’ve been marvelling at the flying buttresses, I confess I was completely distracted by the constant stream of people with boxes of wine under their arms: was this the wedding at Cana 2.0?

Upcoming Wine Festivals in the UK

  • The Wine Circuit

    Battersea 6-8 June, Battersea Power Station

  • Wine Car boot

    14 June 2025, Coal Drops Yard, London

  • Vin Vivant

    14 June, The Briggait, Glasgow

  • Winelands

    22-29 June, Lewes, East Sussex

  • Bedrock

    6 July, Master Shipwright's House, Deptford, London

  • Loki Summer wine & spirits fair

    12 July, Millennium Point, Birmingham

Organised by Birmingham’s highly respected Loki wine shop, this promises to be a mammoth drinks event with over 250 wines available to try. What a great opportunity to expand your knowledge and enjoy some world-class drinks.