Canterbury Wine Festival at Westgate Hall city centre venue

Sip and celebrate the splendour of Kent wine at Westgate Hall’s two-day tasting event.

Friday 17th and Saturday 18th May 2024

Immerse yourself in the world of Kent’s award-winning wines – meet our renowned vineyards, from all corners of our county, taste over 45 wines and take your favourites home, for an unforgettable wine-tasting experience.

Talk one-to-one with the producers making Kent one of the most dynamic and thrilling wine regions in the UK, including Simpsons Wine Estate, Balfour, Barnsole, Biddenden, Brabourne, Chartham, Heppington, Nine Oaks, Terlingham, Brenley Wine, Wayfarer Wines, Woodchurch Wine, and the Wine Garden of England. English wine specialist Corkk will also present a selection of local homegrown wines, with Cheesemakers of Canterbury and Oyster Buoys providing tasting pairings to buy on the Saturday.

For aspiring wine aficionados, expand your knowledge with a 45-minute wine-tasting Masterclass with wine expert Clive Barlow Master of Wine.

The Festival is your passport to discovering the diversity and splendour of Kent wines, a unique experience under one roof where you can sample the best of Kent’s wide-ranging viticulture.

Choose from three sessions, including our new wine lovers’ session.

NEW ‘Kent’s Finest’ Wine Lovers’ premium session
Friday 17th May 2024, 2:30 – 5:30pm

Be the first to enjoy the festival experience. During this intimate session, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the vineyards more extensively, spending more time with each producer. Master of Wine Clive Barlow will give an exclusive ‘Kent’s Finest’ Masterclass, featuring a specially curated selection of Kent’s distinguished award-winning wines, only available for tasting during this session. Plus enjoy a Cheesemakers of Canterbury platter, included in your ticket.
Tickets: £80pp

Buy tickets

Saturday 18th May 2024
12 – 3pm / 4 – 7pm

Discover the diversity and splendour of Kent wines, all in one place in Canterbury’s city centre at Westgate Hall. Sip, sample and buy the best in English wine.

Choose from one of two three-hour sessions: session 1: 12 – 3pm or session 2: 4 – 7pm
Tickets: £45pp

Expand your knowledge by adding a 45-minute festival wine-tasting Masterclass with wine expert Clive Barlow MW to your experience (RRP £20pp).
Tickets: £65pp

Buy tickets

Thank you to our sponsors: Headline Sponsor Burgess Hodgson Accountants, Key Partner Girlings Solicitors, and Supporters Corkk English Wine Specialist and Canterbury BID.

*This is an 18+ event. Please taste responsibly. Spittoons will be available throughout the event.

Getting here

Our address is Westgate Hall, Westgate Hall Road, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2BT. Westgate Hall is close to all major road and bus routes to Canterbury city centre, and adjacent to the 190 space Pound Lane car park (charges apply – the car park is owned and managed by Canterbury City Council, postcode CT1 2BZ – please drink responsibly).

Why wine?

“Wine brings people together, it’s a social lubricant” says Clive. In a time when coming together and spending quality time with each other is becoming ever more paramount and needed, the Canterbury Wine Festival is a chance to switch off from the everyday and indulge a little in the finer things in life and leisure time.

Why Canterbury?

Kent is the best county producing wine in England. Canterbury is the heart of Kent, and therefore of the wine region. There’s nowhere better to tantalise those taste buds and to try new flavours.

The inaugural Canterbury Wine Festival 2019

In June 2019 we held the inaugural Canterbury Wine Festival™, where over 300 people gathered under our historic roof to taste, discover and talk about Kent’s award-winning wines from 14 vineyards across our beautiful county.

Sounds like fun doesn’t it? Come join us

Westgate Hall Community Trust is delighted to be supported by a number of local businesses to create a wider wine community.

Clive Barlow is one of only 418 Masters of Wine in the world, an international wine judge and educator and has a long connection with the English wine industry. He has experience in both the Kent wine industry and the wider wine community, as well as running significant wine events. Clive has worked as a consultant for a number of companies such as Waitrose, Sotheby’s, Whitbread and the Institute of Masters of Wine, among others. Clive’s Press Wine Services is Canterbury’s longest-running independent wine merchant, based at the award-winning Goods Shed.

Headline Sponsor: Burgess Hodgson

““We are delighted to be the headline sponsor for the Canterbury Wine Festival in the heart of the South East wine region.”

Amanda Selmon, Head of Marketing and Communications

Key Partner: Girlings Solicitors

“The profile of English wine continues to impress, rivalling established and prominent vineyards across the world. We look forward to toasting Kentish wine and to celebrating this regional success story by showing our ongoing support of the Canterbury Wine Festival.”

Lesley Rushton, Managing Partner, Girlings Solicitors

Supporters: Canterbury BID and Corkk English Wine Specialist

The Canterbury Wine Festival™ is a Westgate Community Trust (Canterbury) Ltd project. Images: Carlos Dominguez | Visit Canterbury | Simpsons Wine Estate @ Thomas Alexander | Heppington Vineyard | Biddenden Vineyards

Introducing Master of Wine Clive Barlow

Clive started his wine career quite by accident, when he spent a summer working on a pheasant farm as a young man. An interest in the land and sustainability, man's relationship with it and the cultural link forged from it inspired Clive, and now as owner of Press Wines at the Good Shed Canterbury, he shares the wonders of this beautiful, sensual product that people enjoy together, and his passion for it, daily. Wine is an integral part of socialising, food and bringing people together, and that’s what this festival is all about.

“Where it takes the individual. Whilst the taste of the wine will fade, the knowledge you’ll learn and the memories you’ll make at the festival will last, making all your future wine tasting that bit more enjoyable.”

Westgate Hall Market

We showcase Kent's talented Makers, Artists and Producers, all in one place, in our spacious venue. Browse the very best in local produce, crafts, arts, homeware, jewellery and more. Meet the people behind the products and hear how they lovingly make each item, or host your own stall.

Produced in Kent

Westgate Hall is proud to be an Industry Partner of Produced in Kent. The garden of England is abundant in exceptional locally grown food, drink and artistry. We join Produced in Kent's mission to celebrate, promote and champion Kent's exceptional produce and crafts.

Canterbury Festival

Kent's much-loved, long-standing International Arts event, Canterbury Festival, is coming to Westgate Hall in October 2023, bringing world-renowned artists, musicians, comedians and performers to Canterbury, for the whole community to enjoy and participate in.

Bemix Discovery Catering

We regularly welcome social enterprise Bemix Discovery Catering and their wonderful group, those with and without learning difficulties, to enjoy time together gaining skills in cooking and catering. Restrictions permitting, you can visit their monthly pop-up cafe at the Hall.

Canterbury Academy Trust

Westgate Hall supports young people as they practise, rehearse and perform their creative skills during their studies at Canterbury Academy Trust - the "school of all talents". We provide a large, safe space for them to thrive and flourish in as part of their studies and training.

Health and wellbeing venue hire at Westgate Hall

NHS Blood donations

Trusted by the NHS, our spacious, hygienic Hall has hosted blood donation sessions for years. We have continued to do so throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, providing a safe space for vital health sessions.