Vineyard near Stourbridge wins 13 awards including Winemaker of the Year title

An award-winning vineyard near Stourbridge is celebrating its biggest accolade in recent years after being crowned Winemaker of the Year at the Wine GB Midlands and North 2026 Awards, to coincide with what could be its biggest ever harvest.

Halfpenny Green Wine Estate, at Bobbington, also picked up 12 further awards for its wines, including Best Current Vintage and Best Rose Wine for its English Rose, which also secured Gold. Bacchus, Long Acre, MCV Rondo, Penny Red, Brut Sparkling, Classic Cuvee and Rose at a celebration at Carlton Towers, near Doncaster, Yorkshire, on September 2.

The mammoth awards haul comes at an equally exciting time for the estate, with the business now well into its 2026 harvest and anticipating what might be its biggest and best crop in its 43-year history.

Halfpenny’s 16 different grape varieties have benefited from an exceptional summer, producing what the team describes as ‘absolutely phenomenal’ fruit.

Picking officially began on August 25, just four days later than the start of last year's harvest on August 21, although owner Clive Vickers revealed the team could have started as early as August 19, which would have been the earliest start in the South Staffordshire estate's history.

Instead, he chose to wait a few more days to ensure the grapes were “100 per cent ripe and ready”.

The first variety to be picked this year was Siegerrebe, a white grape which forms part of Halfpenny Green's popular Long Acre blend. Around two tonnes have already been harvested, enough to produce approximately 2,000 bottles of wine.

The Rondo grape is now the focus of attention, with picking well underway this week.

Following the record-breaking 2025 harvest, which produced results the team thought would be difficult to beat, expectations are now running even higher.

Clive said: “To be named Winemaker of the Year is an absolutely incredible achievement and something the whole team can be hugely proud of. There is a lot of hard work, knowledge and passion that goes into producing our wines, so to have that recognised in this way means a great deal to all of us.

“Winning 13 awards overall, including Best Current Vintage and Best Rose Wine for our English Rose, makes this an incredibly special year for Halfpenny Green. We are delighted with the results and now have a very exciting harvest ahead of us.

“It’s been an incredible summer for the vineyard and the grapes are absolutely phenomenal. We had a fantastic harvest last year and thought it would be very difficult to better it, but everything is pointing towards an even bigger and better crop this year.”