Essex Top 1 Best Wine Hotel

Salt air, oysters and English wine are not the most obvious trio - which is exactly why Mersea Island Vineyard is such a fun one. Set on East Mersea, this family-run estate has been growing vines since 1985. Today it spans around ten acres, producing roughly 20,000 bottles a year - from five grape varieties. The island setting gives it a character all its own: part coastal escape, part vineyard stay, and much more memorable than your average inland wine weekend... The wine angle is the real thing here. This is a working vineyard with its own local wine production, but also a slightly unexpected extra: ale from Mersea Brewery. Guests can stay right on the estate in the vineyard B&B, then move between the café, shop and tasting-friendly surroundings without ever really needing to leave the property. What makes it stand out is the setting beyond the vines. You are close to Cudmore Grove, the wild beauty of the Essex coast, and all the shellfish-loving, sea-breezy charm Mersea is known for. It's more coastal air, more local flavour, and a good excuse to discover a very different side of English wine. Read more