London Wine Fair has announced a new initiative for the 2026 show, which will see it introduce an annual “Host Nation” focus, whereby a country or region is showcased as the centrepiece of the event. For the inaugural year, the focus will be on the home nations, featuring the best of British drinks from Lands’ End to John O’Groats, and Belfast to Billericay, spanning English wines, Scottish spirits, Welsh wine and spirits, and Northern Irish spirits, as well as No and Low, Beer, Cider and Mead. The decision underlines the growing reputation and ambition of the domestic wine industry and the increasing demand for spirits and other drinks from the fair’s visitor audience.
2026 will see the largest presence of British producers in the show’s 45 year history, with expectations of showcasing over 100 producers and brands (close to a five-fold increase on last year); a record 37 producers have signed to date, more than eight months out from the show. A flagship English Wine stand will be located towards the front of the show; this is a newly curated space for 12 invited producers, adjacent to Hatch Mansfield who will be showing Domaine Evremond within their wider premium portfolio. 60% of this stand has already been reserved with presence confirmed by leading English wine producers, including Simpsons Wine Estate, which is returning to LWF after seven years, and a maiden appearance from Gusbourne, amongst others.
Commenting on their presence for next year, Charles Simpson, Co-Founder, Simpsons Wine Estate, said: “Simpsons Wine Estate is delighted to be returning to the London Wine Fair again in 2026. With a mixed client base that is nearly 50% export, we now feel that the LWF offers an ideal location, platform and venue to see both our domestic customers and some of those from around the world. We are confident that the LWF team is working hard to ensure that only the highest calibre industry visitors attend the event in 2026.”
Jonathan White, Chief Executive Officer, Gusbourne, added: “We are really looking forward to showcasing our Gusbourne wines alongside other leading English producers at the 2026 London Wine Fair. It’s wonderful that the fair now offers such a suitable opportunity to present Gusbourne to a new audience of customers from the UK and around the world.”
The Fair’s Pop-Up Theatres will include one day tastings from different regions and organisations from the Host Nations; these will showcase different terroirs, grape varieties and the pioneering ethos of the domestic wine producers. Contract winery, Defined Wine, will take over Tuesday’s Pop-Up Tasting with 30 producers from East Anglia and Kent. They will host a one hour VIP-only, early access session as well as an evening networking reception for buyers and other VIPs.
Henry Sugden, CEO Defined Wine, comments: “As the UK’s only winery focussed entirely on contract winemaking, we have always tried to help the vineyards and brands we make wine for to find routes to market. Having run our own trade tastings in the past, we have realised that LWF provides a much better opportunity to connect English producers and trade, whatever their size or scale. We are delighted to be partnering with LWF to showcase the breadth of wines, especially still wines, that England has to offer in response to the increasing request from LWF visitors for more English wines. Alongside the chance to taste quality wine from a range of different sized vineyards, from the boutique looking for small independent wine stockists to those at retail scale, there will be insightful panels, discussions and networking opportunities.”
Host Nation content will be in the spotlight. “The Future of English and Welsh Wine” debate will take place on Centre Stage, featuring a panel of industry heavyweights from the UK and international markets, exploring how the industry can help make British wine mainstream.
The Host Nation initiative will also provide specific commercial and networking opportunities for both producers and their trading partners:
- VIP Concierge Service
- Bespoke workshops for the on-trade and independents on listing and selling English and Welsh wines
- Premium Masterclass on English & Welsh Terroirs and Grape Varieties, with priority given to exhibitors
- VIP invitations for select international buyers, including those from Scandinavia and the US – key markets for English wines – to encourage attendance. These buyers will have accommodation provided, VIP access to the show, and invitations to satellite events with UK exhibitors throughout their visit
- Dedicated profile pages within London Wine Fair Times
Commenting on the new initiative for 2026, Event Director, Hannah Tovey said: “It feels entirely right that the home nations should be in the spotlight for the inaugural “Host Nation” initiative. The decision to champion English wines follows the success of Nyetimber and Gusbourne at last year’s Icon Tasting: Battle of the Bubbles, which saw these two leading English producers place top and runner up respectively, against the best Champagnes and sparkling wines of the world. 2026 will be a celebration of what has been a quite extraordinary journey of progress, ambition, talent and passion in the pursuit of excellence.
“We look forward to welcoming British producers from across the spectrum of drinks next year, a partnership which will allow UK and international professionals to experience the innovation and quality defining today’s domestic drinks scene. London Wine Fair is the biggest and most important drinks event in the UK. While the non-dom exhibitor content has shown really exciting growth in the last couple of years, our trade visitors are openly demanding greater opportunity to taste and buy homegrown products. Let’s come together and deliver a spectacular show of domestic products for over ten thousand drinks professionals, in the heart of London next May. We should be proud of our collective brilliance and in doing so create a timely opportunity for UK commercial growth and focus, in what are undoubtably difficult trading conditions.”
The 2026 Host Nation initiative has already received significant support from the UK’s key decision makers and buyers who comprise the London Wine Fair’s visitor audience:
“English wine continues to be a major area of focus and growth at Marks & Spencer. It aligns well with M&S leadership on sustainability and quality in wines. We would love to see a breadth of English and Welsh wine producers represented at the London Wine Fair 2026.”
Dror Nativ MW, Senior Wine Buyer, Marks & Spencer
“We'd be supportive of seeing more British producers at LWF as this is a really important category to back and there's no better place to showcase the Best of British than at LWF!”
Georgina Haughton, Head of Wine Buying, Sainsbury's
“The LWF is our own big wine event so it should be the place to see all we produce as a country and a vehicle to champion an industry which is growing fast as well as challenging great wines on the world stage. Personally, I would want pretty much all commercial wineries being involved to unite on a single message: ‘English wine is not just an extra but can take centre stage along with the best of them.’ The more we have on show the more the wider audience will have to take our wines seriously. We are always on the lookout for more English and Welsh additions. I am sure I have not seen anywhere near half of what is on offer. I know that some wineries shun the large-scale tastings, but it’s needed for the collective good of the sector to increase listings countrywide.”
John Chapman, Managing Director, The Oxford Wine Company
“The stronger our domestic wine scene is, the more we will be drinking local, hence the more sustainable our consumption of wine will be...LWF is a podium for getting wines seen and a tool for making positive change for wine in the UK, what better place to make a pitch for British wine!”
Sunny Hodge, Founder, Diogenes the Dog
“It would be very good to see more English and Welsh producers at LWF26. It would allow us a unique opportunity to taste wines from different regions and producers and learn more about recent developments.”
Hal Wilson, Managing Director, Cambridge Wine Merchants
London Wine Fair 2026 will take place from 18th to 20th May at Olympia. The Host Nation for 2027 will be announced at this event.