Herefordshire will host its first dedicated Herefordshire wine tour this September, as three family-run estates launch A Wine Tour of Herefordshire, Ancient Roots, Fresh Vintage, a guided small-group tasting break through one of England’s least discovered wine counties. Two night packages start at £555 per person based on two sharing, with tasting day only places at £255.
For business travellers the format is built around convenience. Groups are capped at fifteen guests, a concierge escorts the tasting day and minibus transport is supplied between vineyards, so nobody needs to drive. That makes the break a realistic option for client entertaining, incentive rewards or a small team getaway, as well as an easy add-on for anyone already working in the Midlands, the Welsh Marches or the wider western corridor.
What the Herefordshire wine tour includes
The break is based at White Heron Estate near Kington, with guests arriving the day before the tasting day. After a self-serve breakfast, the concierge and minibus take the group to Frome Valley Vineyard near Bishop’s Frome, one of the first vineyards planted in the area, in 1990, before moving on to 1276 Wines near Ledbury for lunch and a taste ‘from the tank’ in the winery.
The day ends back at White Heron with a choice of eBike or walking tour and an off-grid ‘vine-dining’ dinner set against the vineyard backdrop. A relaxed late check-out the following day leaves time to explore the county. There are fourteen departure dates between 9 September and 21 October 2026, and day places can be booked alongside the two night package.
Jo Hilditch, owner of White Heron Estate, said: “Our family has farmed this estate for 150 years, and planting vines is the latest chapter in a long story of evolution. It is a joy to share it on this new wine-tasting break alongside two other families who care as deeply about the land as we do.”
From cider country to a new generation of winemakers
Herefordshire’s rolling, south-facing slopes have grown pears, apples, hops and berries for generations, and the county remains better known for cider than for Reichensteiner. Increasingly, though, those slopes are being planted with vines, part of a wider story that has already seen counties such as Surrey redefine English wine and estates in Kent build international reputations for English wine country. Industry body Wines of Great Britain has tracked sustained growth in plantings across the country, and wine tourism is forecast to grow strongly over the next decade.
Each of the three estates tells part of that story. Frome Valley Vineyard, sustainably farmed on the banks of the river Frome, grows heritage English varieties including Bacchus, Madeleine Angevine, Huxelrebe and Reichensteiner. 1276 Wines, planted in 2007 on land farmed since the 13th century, produces sparkling, still and ice wines and took international gold in 2026; records show the Bishop of Hereford made wine on the site as far back as 1276. White Heron Estate, which marks 150 years of family farming this year, supplies blackcurrants to Ribena, produces the multi-award winning British Cassis and Framboise, and planted its own vines in 2020.
Jeanie Falconer, owner and managing director of Frome Valley Vineyard, said: “We took on the vineyard as complete novices, which gave us the opportunity to build our experience literally from the ground up! Sustainability has always been important to us and we’ve really enjoyed experimenting with different techniques over the last 20 years. To be able to welcome and serve our guests with our award-winning wines only yards away from their source is a real pleasure.”
Dates and booking
Ancient Roots, Fresh Vintage runs on fourteen dates in September and October 2026. Dates and booking details are available on the White Heron Estate website.
