A wine festival celebrating Kent’s vineyards will return for its third year.

The Canterbury Wine Festival will showcase more than 35 local wines from producers such as Balfour Winery in Staplehurst, Biddenden Vineyards near Ashford and Simpsons Wine Estate in Canterbury.

The one-day celebration of award-winning tipples will also welcome some of the county’s newer producers, including Yotes Court in West Peckham, Terlingham Vineyard in Folkestone and Woolton Farm in Bekesbourne.

The producers will be on hand during the day to guide visitors through the drinks on offer, share tasting notes and tell stories about Kent’s viticulture and history.

The event will be hosted by wine expert Clive Barlow, one of only 418 Masters of Wine in the world, who will also offer an exclusive 45 minute masterclass.

“The Canterbury Wine Festival is a celebration of the wines of Kent and the people and communities who create them,” says Clive. “Over the last few years, we have witnessed new producers planting vineyards and new winemakers creating fabulous wines. The festival is a great opportunity to taste the wines of the ‘terroir’ of Kent, England’s finest wine county.”

Visitors will be able to purchase their favourite bottles to take home after the festival.

English wine specialist Corkk will also be displaying a range of wines for visitors to taste and purchase, including their own homegrown creations.

“When Clive Barlow suggested in 2019 it was the moment to launch the Canterbury Wine Festival, we found ourselves shining a spotlight on a world class product,” says Chair of Westgate Hall Community Trust Imogen Morizet. “Vineyards had been quietly transforming Kent's countryside, particularly around Canterbury, and the wine they were producing was starting to break cover at national and international wine events.

“Kent's wine producers are a testament to the county's entrepreneurial spirit, adapting to climate change by creating a new economy with new jobs and delicious joy.”

The Canterbury Wine Festival will take place on Saturday, May 20 at Westgate Hall in Canterbury. Tickets can be booked online here.

Entry costs £35 per three-house session. Tickets to the masterclass with Clive Barlow cost an additional £20.