The UK wine industry is experiencing one of its biggest harvests on record, with an early season, excellent fruit quality and production expected to reach up to 16 million bottles.
WineGB described the 2025 harvest as “a vintage of outstanding quality” following the driest summer in British history. A prolonged period of warm, dry conditions produced some of the earliest grape harvests in the country, allowing the fruit to fully ripen, creating particular optimism among still wine producers.
Early predictions that 2025 could be an outstanding year now appear to be justified. Preliminary results show that grapes reached record ripeness and yields were in line with the national average for the past decade, although there were regional differences. Production is expected to be an estimated 15 million to 16 million trees, making it the second largest harvest on record.
The timing of harvest proved to be a decisive advantage. A small number of vineyards begin picking in late August, and most begin by mid-September, about three weeks earlier than in 2024.
Importantly, growers were able to choose when to harvest rather than competing with adverse weather conditions and disease pressure, with most completing harvest in the first week of October.
WineGB said this condition maintains the health and consistency of the fruit and gives winemakers greater control and flexibility. This vintage also capped a year of strong commercial momentum for English and Welsh wines.
Export volumes are reported to have increased by 35%, in line with steady domestic growth that has seen the sector’s market share rise from 4% to 9% over the past five years. Success on the international stage is reflected in the growing number of awards British wines win and is highlighted through WineGB’s Golden 50 list.
The initial assessment is based on WineGB’s annual voluntary harvest survey, which collects data from across the industry. The full figures are expected to be published by the Food Standards Agency’s wine standards team in March 2026. WineGB said the preliminary data shows increased commitment to quality measures and will enable a more detailed understanding of fruit condition beyond just grape variety.
WineGB chief executive Nicola Bates said: “The industry is secretly excited about the potential of this crop.” He said early analysis showed “expectations are completely justified”, adding that the results were a welcome boost after a year shaped by economic and political pressures. She pointed to “real interest in English and Welsh wines” and said the combination of fruit quality and winemaking techniques was reason for optimism.
Harvest Report author Stephen Skelton MW said still wine was outstanding in 2025. “This could possibly be the best year ever for still wines, especially those from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that come from the right places, and we can expect to see some truly world-class wines from top producers.”
He added that sparkling wines should also perform well and may reach the market faster than those from cooler years, while quality is likely to improve even in regions that have reached production limits.
Wine GB said the 2025 vintage could be a defining moment in the growing reputation of British and Welsh wines on the world stage, given the alignment of production scale, fruit quality and export demand.
