Discover white wines grown and made in Norfolk, from the fresh, aromatic character of Bacchus to Solaris, Schönburger, Pinot Gris and other cool-climate grape varieties flourishing in the county's vineyards.
Norfolk's relatively dry climate and long summer daylight hours are helping local vineyards produce an increasingly diverse range of still white wines – typically fresh, expressive and wonderfully food-friendly.
What does Norfolk white wine taste like?
There isn't one single Norfolk white wine style, but freshness and aromatic character are recurring themes.
Depending on the grape and the way the wine has been made, you can expect flavours and aromas ranging from elderflower, gooseberry, green apple, lime and grapefruit to pear, melon, peach and more tropical fruit. Some wines are light, crisp and deliberately refreshing; others use lees ageing, skin contact or oak to create something rounder, richer and more complex.
If you enjoy Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling or other fresh, aromatic cool-climate whites, Norfolk wine provides plenty of familiar reference points – while retaining a character of its own.
Bacchus – a grape particularly at home in Norfolk
If there is one grape you're likely to encounter while exploring Norfolk white wine, it's Bacchus.
Sometimes compared with Sauvignon Blanc because of its freshness and aromatic intensity, Bacchus can produce dry wines with notes of elderflower, gooseberry, citrus, green apple and, in riper examples, more tropical fruit.
But Bacchus isn't restricted to one style. Norfolk winemakers are also experimenting with fermentation techniques, lees ageing, oak and skin contact to produce more textured and complex interpretations of the grape.
Which other white grapes are grown in Norfolk?
Solaris is another variety well suited to cooler growing conditions. It can produce ripe yet refreshing wines showing apple, pear, citrus, melon and sometimes more tropical characteristics.
Schönburger can be distinctly aromatic and floral, bringing flavours such as citrus, elderflower, rose petal, quince and lychee.
You'll also encounter varieties including Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Phoenix and Seyval Blanc, giving Norfolk's vineyards plenty of scope to produce different expressions of still and sparkling white wine.
The grapes, wines and vintages available naturally change from year to year, which is part of the attraction of buying wine from small independent vineyards.
Is Norfolk Bacchus similar to Sauvignon Blanc?
It's an extremely useful comparison if you've never tried Bacchus.
Both can be dry, crisp, aromatic and refreshing, with citrus, gooseberry and herbaceous characteristics frequently appearing. Someone who enjoys a fresh Sauvignon Blanc is therefore likely to find Bacchus an interesting place to begin exploring Norfolk wine.
It isn't, however, simply an English Sauvignon Blanc. Bacchus is a grape variety in its own right, and different vineyards and winemaking techniques can produce noticeably different styles.
White wine made in Norfolk
Our Norfolk White Wine collection brings together wines from independent Norfolk vineyards, including producers such as Winbirri, Burn Valley, Flint Vineyard, Chet Valley and Walsingham
From a crisp bottle of Bacchus for seafood or summer drinking to something richer and more textured for the dinner table, Norfolk's vineyards now offer considerably more choice than many people realise.
Explore our current selection of Norfolk white wines below.
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