(Image: Pic supplied)
North Yorkshire's vineyards are being urged to support a new call for tax relief for vineyards, as the UK’s wine tourism sector continues to grow.
Yorkshire Heart Vineyard at Nun Monkton, west of York, is among those backing WineGB’s campaign for Wine Tourism Relief—an industry proposal for targeted duty relief on wine sold direct to consumers at vineyard ‘cellar doors’.
WineGB, the trade body for the UK wine industry, argues that the relief would deliver £6m in savings for vineyards, enabling investment in rural jobs, infrastructure, and visitor experiences.
Tim Spakouskas, managing director at Yorkshire Heart, said: "The tourism relief would be a massive boost for us at Yorkshire Heart, but also for the wider vineyard tourism across Yorkshire.
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"When we set up the vineyard and started offering tours and tastings, our aim was to sell as much of the wine we produce direct to the consumer from our cellar door.
"We also offer a wide range of tourism experiences from day visitors, to weekend campers to working with a tour company that bring groups of American tourists to our vineyard weekly during the summer months."
He said the team has recently helped launch the Yorkshire Wine Trail, which encourages visitors to explore local vineyards and accommodation.
Mr Spakouskas said: "Tourism relief would really help us to improve our offerings, create more local jobs, and enable us to invest in equipment to improve how we grow and produce the wines."
Wine tourism now accounts for nearly a quarter of income for more than 300 vineyards in England and Wales, attracting around 1.5 million visitors each year.
Nicola Bates, chief executive of WineGB, said the sector is experiencing rapid growth.
Ms Bates said: "Our producers are crafting wines of exceptional quality all year round, driving innovation, sustainability and a thriving rural economy.
"Yet this growth is not without challenges, and we all have a role in levelling the playing field with imported wines supporting and future-proofing the industry to ensure it continues to thrive for years to come."
The UK wine industry now includes more than 1,100 vineyards and nearly 300 wineries across England and Wales, with sales up 200% in the past six years and vineyard growth of nearly 70%.
Despite that, WineGB said the sector remains in its early stages compared to more established global wine regions and requires targeted support to reach its full potential.
The organisation says one of the most impactful and immediate policy measures the government could introduce is duty relief on wine sold directly to consumers through the cellar door, supporting investment in rural jobs, infrastructure and visitor facilities.