English Wine Week is set to extend outside its South East heartland this year with a series of events in Birmingham celebrating English wine.
English Wine Week is set to extend outside its South East heartland this year with a series of events in Birmingham celebrating English wine.
English Wine Takeover, which is organised by The Food and Drink Events Company and supported by English Wine Producers, is launching a series of events in the Midland's city from 22 May. It is pairing with restaurants and wine shops in Birmingham to host events for consumers including food matching with English wines, tutored tastings. Restaurants taking part include Hotel Du Vin, Carters, Itihaas Indian Fine Dining, Loves Restaurant and wine merchant Loki Wine.
It will also hold a producers' festival on Sunday 23 May at The Bond, Digbeth, which hopes to showcase around fifteen English wine producers. The festival will see masterclasses, a brunch with streetfood specialists Fybin & Loin and a canal-side afternoon tea. English wineries Biddenden, Hush Heath, Three Choirs, Bolney and Sixteen Ridges have already signed up for the event.
Julia Trustram Eve marketing director of English Wine Producers said it was good to see English wine being embraced beyond the vineyards in the south and she hoped the event would expand in subsequent years.
"I'm delighted that Birmingham is embracing and celebrating English Wine and am even more excited about how the local trade have got behind it," she said.
"Sales of English Wine are up year-on-year and acreage in the UK has doubled in the last 10 years so it's fair to say it's an exciting time for the industry now and in the future."
The Food and Drink Events Company organises Whisky Birmingham.