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Explore the Best Wineries in Cornwall

Just getting started on your wine journey, or jumping back in?
Taste through a selection of a great local wines.

Cornwall is well-known for its beautiful beaches, charming fishing villages, and the Cornish Pasty, but it is also becoming known for its fine wines. Nowadays, Cornwall is home to some of the best vineyards in the UK, and a foodie’s paradise. This esteemed sub-region of the United Kingdom has an array of wines known throughout the world for their eminence and distinction. As you embark on your travels through the wine region of Cornwall, we invite you to explore these remarkable wines. United Kingdom’s quintessential style is set apart from the rest due to its soil types, the selection of grape varieties, and the area's specific production methods of winemakers. These elements produce a style of wine found nowhere else in the South West or the world for that matter.

Check out wine tastings and tours in Cornwall Wine Region!

Where is the Cornwall Wine Region?

Cornwall is a wine region in the United Kingdom's south-west. Cornwall, located west of Devon and separated by the River Tamar, is one of the more isolated and distinctive parts of the United Kingdom.

Unique terroir of Cornwall appellation

Cornwall's climate is predominantly maritime and hugely influenced by the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The Bristol Channel lies to the north and the English Channel to the south.

As with most British vineyards, vigor is the major viticulture challenge, with high rainfall and rich soils providing an ideal condition for vine grapes.

A cool climate also limits choice of grape varieties and, in general, wine production is limited to hardy hybrid varieties often found in southern England.  For example, Bacchus, Ortega, Seyval Blanc and Dornfelder grapes and to the production of méthode traditionnelle wines, typically from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, in which grape maturity is less of a concern.

History of Cornwall wine region

Cornwall planted its first vineyard in 1978, and it now has eight vineyards producing wine. The United Kingdom is a relative newcomer to the winemaking scene. This gives the impression that the Cornish wine industry is just getting started. The vineyards are new, but they are quickly making a name for themselves.

What is Cornwall Wine?

Cornwall's winemakers produce all types of wines, from rose to still red, white, and sparkling wines. It should be noted that over two-thirds of the wine produced in Cornwall is sparkling. This is accordant with the rest of the UK, where sparkling wine accounts for more than half of all wine produced.

Cornwall is rich in biodiversity. There are woodlands, sun-kissed valleys, and long coastlines. Cornwall wines with a variety of flavors can be anticipated as a result of this diverse terroir.

Food to Pair with Cornwall wine

Cornish Blue—Champion in a cheese world

Cornish Blueis a type of English blue cheese made in Cornwall. The cheese is made of pasteurized cow's milk and is intended to be consumed young. It has a dense, moist, sticky, and buttery texture. Aromas are sweet and mild, and flavors are creamy, sweet, and mild.

The cheese is very versatile and can be used in cooking due to its mild flavors. It's best served with crusty bread and chutney on the side or crumbled over buttery new potatoes. Serve with a glass of port. Cornish Blue was named Supreme Champion at the World Cheese Awards in 2010.

Cornish Yarg - Traditional cheese with unique flavors

Cornish Yarg is a type of English cheese from Cornwall. Pasteurized cow's milk is used to make this semi-hard cheese. It matures in 5 weeks after being wrapped in nettle leaves. The nettles imprint the cheese with a lattice pattern, attract natural molds, and impart a mushroomy flavor as it ages.

The texture beneath the nettle-wrapped rind is creamy and crumbly. The aromas are grassy and mushroomy, with lemony and mushroomy flavors. Alan Gray, who discovered a 17th-century recipe in his attic, made Cornish Yarg for the first time on Bodmin Moor.

Cornish Yarg is perfectly combined with fried potatoes, with fish dishes, added to the vegetable filling of pies, served as an appetizer to cider, with white wines, with dessert wines.

Stargazy Pie—A pie dedicated to a fisherman

A savory Cornish pie is called stargazy pie. It's filled with hard-boiled eggs, potatoes, bacon, mustard-flavored custard, and whole sardines poking their heads through the top crust, as if stargazing, hence the name. The unusual, whimsical dish was created to honor the brave fishermen's catches during the cold, stormy winters.

The entire catch was baked into a pie, and many believe it saved the Cornish village of Mosehole from starvation. Although the arrangement of the fish appears unusual, there is a good reason for it—the need to preserve as much of the essential oils as possible. As a result, the fish are arranged in such a way that their oils run back into the filling as it cooks.

Places to visit in Cornwall 

Cornwall is a fabulous place shrouded in romantic stories, mysteries, and riddles. According to local residents, the county is the birthplace of legendary King Arthur. 

Tintagel: the mysterious castle of King Arthur

Tintagel Castle is a curious historical space shrouded in secrets and legends. From its location, there are many picturesque views of the Atlantic Ocean, and this only adds another flavor to the mystical aura emanating from crumbling stones and piles of rubble.

The ruins of the castle rest on top of high and windswept cliffs on the coast of north Cornwall, near the village of Tintagel (south-west of England). Over the centuries, this wonderful castle and impressive coastline have inspired many curious visitors, as well as artists and writers. Once inside the walls of this unique structure, you are involuntarily transported to the era of the ”round table”, brave knights and the brave King Arthur, to the world of magic and romantic heroes. And if you go down to the beach, you can see the cave in which, according to the locals, Merlin lived.

Garden of Eden-little piece of paradise in Cornwall

Walking around the county, you can look into an amazing place in its beauty—the ”Garden of Eden” Numerous greenhouses of the botanical garden, interesting expositions of flowers and plants, tell what role they play in people's lives.

Most of the plants are listed in the Red Book. They are on the verge of extinction. In addition to flowers and plants, you can see sculptures made of electrical appliances, algae, branches, and earth.

Spectacular views ins Land’s End and Mousehole

Is it possible to resist the temptation to see the earth with such unusual names as the End of the Earth or the Mouse Hole with your own eyes? And if you also consider that Land's End is the westernmost point of the UK, then this place becomes even more attractive. The westernmost part of the peninsula is so-called the ”toe of Britain” This is a windswept ledge in the blue sea, covered with thick Atlantic fog. 

Lovers of beach and outdoor activities will appreciate the opportunity to go boating or yachting, fishing, surfing, or diving. In Cornwall, hang gliding and equestrian sports are well-developed. Families with children can rent bicycles and explore the island with health benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cornwall

How many vineyards are there in Cornwall?

There are 8 wineries producing wine nowadays in Cornwall wine region.

Do grapes grow in Cornwall?

Cornwall has the ability to grow the grapes needed to make prestigious award wine. Bacchus, Ortega, Seyval Blanc, and Dornfelder grapes, as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, thrive here.

Map of Wineries in Cornwall

Discover the locations of wineries in Cornwall

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Experiences in Cornwall

Just getting started on your wine journey, or jumping back in?
Taste through a selection of a great local wines.

Wineries in Cornwall