Celebrating English Wine Week at Darts Farm

This week (20th-28th June), we’ve been raising a glass to English wine and the quietly evolving industry which has been making its mark on the world stage.

With over 1,100 vineyards now across the UK, it’s safe to say the competition for our Pebblebed wines has never been fiercer. But then again, neither has the quality.

Why English wine is actually rather good

English Wine Week celebrates the quality and excellence of English wine, which has gained recognition internationally. Our evolving climate has benefited the southern region with chalky soils that mirror the growing conditions Champagne enjoyed 30 or 40 years ago – and English producers are starting to show it. In fact, during a 2025 blind tasting in New York, 67% of participants preferred English Sparkling Wine to Champagne according to Wine GB, a result that would have been unthinkable a decade ago!

The Southwest: A place like no other

The Southwest is a distinct and characterful corner of the English Wine map. Our oceanic climate, warm summers and rich soils produce vigorous vine growth, though what really sets our English wine apart is what lies beneath.

Our Vineyard sits on the historic and distinctive Budleigh Pebblebed heathland - ancient pebble-rich soils unique to the area, formed around 240 million years ago during the Triassic period, notable for its thick layers (up to 30 metres deep) of well-drained, acidic, low-fertility soils. The combination of this unique terroir, higher sunshine hours and gentle slopes creates a fantastic microclimate for producing elegant, characterful wines with minerality and crispness!

Our award-winning Pebblebed Wines:

The excellence of our Pebblebed wine hasn’t gone unnoticed. We’re so proud of our winemaker, Alex, who recently led Pebblebed to four awards at this year’s Independent English Wine Awards:

Silver – Pebblebed Red 2022

“Blackcurrant on the nose. Tobacco and intense blackcurrant, tannic. Well-made and balanced. Lovely”

Silver – Pebblebed Rosé 2023

“Jewel pink hue, with strawberry and redcurrant. Clean and textural, and well-integrated. A savoury, more gastronomic style rosé”

Bronze – Pebblebed Sparkling Rosé 2020

“Deep pale cherry red rose, with a super-clean nose."

Bronze – Pebblebed Still White 2024

“Pretty, pale colour. Light and floral nose of yellow fruit, citrus and orange"

The IEWA is an independent, consumer focused English wine competition with an aim to highlight the creativity, quality, innovation and vision of producers making world-class wine in England.

Other local producers worth discovering

At Darts Farm we’re also proud to stock other wonderful local producers of English Wine:

Huxbear wines (Teign Valley) – a family-run estate who run entirely off sustainable and solar powered energy. Their Classic Sparkling, opens with peach and green apple on the nose, giving way to a creamy, biscuity palate. A proper Devon fizz.
Sandridge Barton (Our River Dart neighbour) – an impressive 40 years of winemaking history whose wines reflect their limestone-rich soils. Their Dart Valley Reserve is bright and lively with elderflower, hedgerow notes and fresh fruit.
Lyme Bay (Axminster) – In 2025, they made history by becoming the first English winery to win international Wine Challenge trophies for both the best English red and best English white in the same year!

Come and taste for yourself

Head on down to the Darts Farm cellar and speak with our in-house experts Jason and Martin. Whether you’re already a lover or simply a curious newcomer, there’s never been a better time to discover what English wine is all about!

Darts Farm

English Wine Week: The Southwest’s Moment

Posted in Awards, Lifestyle, Food & Drink on 26 Jun 2026

Be part of our community

Tags

Related blog posts

Anna wins Silver at Chelsea

Awards Day at Taste of the West