Essex bucks trend as global vineyard prices stutter

Average vineyard value in the UK county of Essex was up 20% year-on-year, as prices have come under pressure in several more established wine world regions, said the 2025 wealth report by global consultancy group Knight Frank.

Interest in producing still wines has pushed vineyard prices in Essex to US$120,000 per hectare on average, although its status as a wine region is ‘embryonic’, said the report.

‘Counties such as Kent in the south-east of England producing predominantly sparkling wine have traditionally been the heartland of the [UK] industry,’ said Will Banham, of Knight Frank’s viticulture team.

‘But now we are seeing vineyard values rising more rapidly in other counties, such as Essex in the east, where growers are experimenting with different grape varieties to create still rosé and red wines.’

Shifting weather patterns linked to climate change are starting to affect the global vineyard market, said the Knight Frank report.

It also said falling wine consumption means that ‘few of the world’s key vineyard regions remain unscathed’.

Vineyard prices have fallen or stagnated in several regions, albeit the report noted that values can vary widely by specific site within each area. 

Four risers and and four fallers

Twelve-month change in average vineyard values (US$ per hectare), cited by Knight Frank Wealth Report 2025.

Down

• Marlborough, New Zealand: Down 33% to $110,000
• Los Carneros, California, US: Down 15% to $290,000
• Côtes du Rhône, France: Down 10% to $30,000
• Barossa Valley, Australia: Down 10% to $60,000

Up

• Essex, UK: Up 20% to $120,000
• Barolo, Piedmont, Italy: Up 5% to $2.08m
• Loire Valley, France: Up 5% to $90,000
• Stellenbosch, South Africa: Up 3% to $80,000

Production volumes vary considerably, too. Wineries in Essex collectively make around two million bottles annually, whereas Marlborough in New Zealand accounts for 350 million bottles, the report said.

A sharp drop in Marlborough average vineyard value in 2024 reflected falling bulk wine prices, but Knight Frank’s report suggested the market could bounce back.

Kurt Lindsay, of real estate group Bayleys, Knight Frank’s local partner, said, ‘The Marlborough Sauvignon brand is very strong and I think we are close to the bottom of the trough. Now is a good opportunity to buy vineyards at 2019 prices.’

In northern California, the picture is mixed. Values for ‘premier Napa vineyards’ broadly remained stable, said the report, citing David Ashcraft, broker at Vintroux Real Estate, but the report also showed a 15% drop for the Los Carneros area.

Lifestyle destination on the up: North Fork, Long Island

On the US East Coast, vineyards and wineries in the North Fork area of Long Island have been attracting wealthy ‘lifestyle’ buyers, said the report. 

‘North Fork has become a real destination,’ said Melissa Principi, a broker for Douglas Elliman, Knight Frank’s residential property partner in the US.

Many buyers have added stylish restaurants and tasting rooms to their properties, Principi said in the wealth report. Average vineyard value for the area held steady last year at $250,000 per hectare.