Wine columnist Alice Griffiths sets new Guinness World Record

Alice Griffiths <i>(Image: Submitted)</i>
Alice Griffiths (Image: Submitted)
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A wine columnist has set a new Guinness World Record after visiting 69 vineyards in just seven days.

Alice Griffiths, a magazine editor and wine columnist, embarked on the 1,800-mile journey across 17 counties during English Wine Week in 2025, starting in Kent and travelling as far as Cornwall and Staffordshire.

Her aim was to visit as many English vineyards as possible in one week.

Ms Griffiths said: "It was never just about setting a record.

"It was about giving English wine the celebration it deserves, and encouraging people to get out there and experience it for themselves, by looking closer to home, visiting vineyards and trying a bottle."

In total, she visited 80 vineyards over the course of the week.

After a detailed verification process involving timestamped footage and compliance with Guinness World Records rules, 69 vineyard visits were officially validated.

During her journey, Ms Griffiths met with winemakers, vineyard owners, and hospitality teams.

She sampled a broad range of English wine styles, from still to sparkling, Charmat to traditional method, including lesser-known varieties like Kerner, Dornfelder, Solaris, Ortega, and Reichensteiner.

She also explored the rise of disease-resistant Piwi grapes.

Ms Griffiths said: "The UK is home to an incredible range of producers and world class wines, and I wanted to shout about it.

"This record is a celebration of everyone in the industry who made the week possible, and of English wine as a whole."

Her route highlighted the growing role of agritourism in the English wine industry, featuring pizza barns, lakeside lodges, safari style vineyard tours and Michelin starred tasting rooms.

The tour included some of England’s oldest vineyards with vines planted in the 1970s, as well as newer sites built with tourism in mind.

Family run farms, organic growers and urban wineries were also part of the journey, showing the diversity and innovation within the sector.

In addition to her work as a wine columnist, Ms Griffiths is a magazine editor and social media communicator.

Her journey has now been officially recognised by Guinness World Records, adding another milestone to her career.

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