Vineyards across Yorkshire are exploring new grape varieties, including merlot, as the region experiences hotter and longer summers. This shift comes as wineries anticipate a record-breaking harvest for 2026, following a dry and warm growing season.
Yorkshire Heart near York has planted around 100 merlot vines as a trial. Owner Tim Spakouskas stated that if the merlot performs well, more will be planted, with hopes of producing a good quality wine from the summer weather.
In 2025, Yorkshire's wineries produced over 140,000 bottles. Wine GB forecasts that producers in the region will surpass this figure in 2026. The Met Office reported that the average mean temperature for June, July, and August was 16.5C, marking the warmest on record in a dataset extending back to 1884.
The main grape variety currently grown in the north of England is Solaris, known for its frost resilience. However, vineyards in northern England have expanded in both size and number over the last decade, with growers increasingly looking to plant different varieties.