South East wine industry ripens further with Wildshark expansion plans

The wine industry in Kent continues to ripen with the company Wildshark Vineyard reportedly submitting plans to expand its premises at Harrietsham in Maidstone district.

The plans for a new winery, hotel and visitor centre comes amid a flurry of new vineyard plantings in the UK.

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According to trade body WineGB, by the year 2032, 7,600 hectares (ha) will be under vine in the UK (compared to 4,300ha currently) and that just under 25 million bottles a year will be produced.

According to the Wildshark plans, the English wine industry has seen "significant expansion", particularly in the South-East, due to the rise in temperatures. In addition, the chalky, well drained soils of Kent are "ideal for cultivating grapes used to produce sparkling wine", it noted.

Reportedly, Wildshark has grown grapes for two years and wants to expand its Mount Farm site, with plans including a new winery building for the agricultural process, a tasting room, kitchen, store and a 19-bedroom hotel.

The company predicts that wine tourism will account for 30% of all sales when the development has been realised, it was reported.

The plans stated that work had taken place at Wildshark to plant 25ha of vines (98,000 plants), and by autumn 2025, 150 tonnes of grapes will be picked (120,000 bottles of wine). By 2026, 220 tonnes of grapes will be picked (170,000 bottles of wine).

Wildshark has also acquired 60ha of additional land along the Pilgrims Way, which will allow for another 45ha to be planted with vines, noted the plans.

Wine tourism has also become a growth area in the UK. In a 2022 survey, WineGB reportedly found that vineyards had seen a 17% increase in visitors.

The plans can be viewed HERE.