Register a vineyard and get approval to make wine for sale

Guide summary

Registering a vineyard with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is free
You receive your vineyard registration number within 20 working days
Tell the FSA about any later changes to your vineyard
Send the FSA a production declaration each January for wine made from the previous year's harvest
You do not need an approval from HMRC to make wine only for your own domestic use
Holding wine in duty suspension needs excise warehouse approval
Importing vine planting material needs a phytosanitary certificate and must meet plant-health import controls
Keep your planting records up to date so you can tell the FSA about any change

Growing grapes and making wine for sale each need a separate step. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) wine standards team registers vineyards and inspects them. HMRC approves wine producers and collects Alcohol Duty.

Register the vineyard

The size threshold and deadline are below. A smaller vineyard must also be registered if it operates commercially. Use the FSA's online service to register, and tell the FSA about any changes. Registration is free, and you receive a registration number within 20 working days.

Vineyard registration with the Food Standards Agency

Vineyards over 0.1 hectare (about a quarter of an acre) must be registered with the Food Standards Agency wine standards team no later than 6 months after planting. Smaller vineyards must also register if they operate commercially. Registration is free, and you must tell the FSA about later changes. Wine producers must submit a production declaration each January for wine made from the previous year's harvest.

Regulator: Food Standards Agency (FSA) wine standards team
Threshold: Over 0.1 hectare, or any commercial vineyard
Returns: Production declaration each January
Deadline: Within 6 months of planting; free

Get approval before you make wine

You must hold an alcoholic products producer approval (APPA) from HMRC before you start to produce wine or any other alcoholic product in the UK. The APPA replaced separate registrations and licences on 1 February 2025, and producers who already held one were moved across automatically. You do not need an APPA to make wine only for your own domestic use.

HMRC wine duty registration

A vineyard that makes wine for sale must register with HMRC as a producer of alcoholic products and account for alcohol duty. Under the reformed duty system, rates are charged by strength (ABV). Holding wine in duty suspension requires excise warehouse approval. Small Producer Relief only applies to products below 8.5% ABV, so most wine is ineligible for the reduced rates.

Regulator: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
Basis: Alcohol duty charged by ABV; approval needed to hold duty-suspended wine

Importing vines

Plant health licence (vine imports)

Importing vine planting material requires a phytosanitary certificate and compliance with plant-health import controls. The APHA Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate inspects consignments because of the risk of grapevine phylloxera and other quarantine pests. Some material may need to be grown under a plant health licence or post-entry quarantine.

Regulator: Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) — Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate
Key risk: Grapevine phylloxera and other quarantine pests

After you register

The FSA inspects your vineyard based on the category it gives it, and asks you for annual harvest and production declarations. Keep your planting records up to date so you can tell the FSA about any change.

Legal basis

Primary legislation and key regulations

Finance (No. 2) Act 2023 Primary 2023 · UK-wide Plant Health Act 1967 Primary 1967 · UK-wide

Browse UK legislation legislation.gov.uk

Official guidance

Vineyard registration (opens in a new tab)

Publication · GOV.UK · Scotland

Check if you're eligible for Small Producer Relief on Alcohol Duty (opens in a new tab)

HMRC

Check if you need an Alcoholic Products Producer Approval (APPA) (opens in a new tab)

HMRC

Register a vineyard and get approval to make wine for sale

Register the vineyard

Get approval before you make wine

Importing vines

After you register

Legal basis

Official guidance

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