Wine from the Heart of East London
Numbers Wine is one of the UK's pioneering urban wineries — a bold, independent project run by the duo Hugh Thorn and Caroline Price that has redefined what English wine can be when crafted with minimal intervention in the heart of a global city. [^2^] Based in a former umbrella factory on Vyner Street in East London, Numbers produces small-batch, low-intervention wines from English-grown grapes such as Bacchus, Rondo, and Pinot Noir. [^2^] Their approach emphasises working with responsible growers, minimal sulphur use, and bottling or canning only when the wine is ready — ensuring quality and authenticity in every release. [^2^] With a focus on both traditional bottles and innovative cans, Numbers has become a leading voice in London's natural wine scene, making English wine accessible, exciting, and unmistakably urban.
From a Former Umbrella Factory to London's Wine Vanguard
Hugh Thorn and Caroline Price are part of a new wave of winemakers transforming the perception of English wine — a category once dismissed as marginal but now experiencing a creative explosion of urban, low-intervention, and boundary-pushing projects. [^2^] Theirs is not a traditional country estate with rolling vineyards; it is a deliberately urban operation, a collaboration between two individuals who share a vision for what English wine can be when freed from the constraints of conventional winemaking and brought into the cultural heart of a global city.
The name "Numbers" carries the weight of their ambition. It is a young project, but one rooted deeply in the English winemaking renaissance — the cool climate, the chalk and clay soils of southern England, the dramatic shift in quality that has made English sparkling wine a global competitor. [^2^] Hugh and Caroline have assembled relationships with responsible growers across England, sourcing grapes that give them access to the full diversity of the country's emerging viticultural landscape.
Their winery occupies a former umbrella factory on Vyner Street in East London — a space that embodies the industrial-creative energy of the neighbourhood. [^2^] This is not a romantic château; it is a working urban winery where stainless steel meets raw brick, where the hum of the city filters through the walls, and where every batch is crafted by hand. The location places Numbers at the centre of London's thriving natural wine and food scene, surrounded by independent restaurants, bars, and a community that values authenticity over polish.
The project has quickly gained recognition within the natural wine community. Numbers is celebrated as one of the UK's pioneering urban wineries, featured by leading natural wine retailers and praised for its accessibility and innovation. [^2^] A visit to their cellar door reveals a hands-on, intimate operation — open Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons, with regular events, private visits, and space hire available. [^2^] It is a place where wine is made, shared, and celebrated in equal measure.
"Numbers Wine is celebrated as one of the UK's pioneering urban wineries, situated in a former umbrella factory in the heart of East London."
— The Grape Reset
Low-Intervention, Responsible Growers & English Terroir
Numbers' farming philosophy is built on partnership — not ownership. As an urban winery without their own vineyards, Hugh and Caroline work closely with responsible growers across England who share their commitment to sustainable, low-intervention viticulture. [^2^] This model, common among leading urban wineries globally, allows them to source the best fruit from diverse sites while focusing their energy on what happens in the winery: gentle handling, native fermentation, and minimal manipulation.
The grapes are English-grown — Bacchus, Rondo, and Pinot Noir — varieties that have proven themselves in England's cool climate. [^2^] Bacchus, a German crossing of Silvaner, Riesling, and Müller-Thurgau, has become England's signature white grape, producing wines with bright acidity, herbal complexity, and a distinctive English freshness. Rondo, a red variety bred for cool climates, gives colour and structure without requiring the warmth that Pinot Noir demands. Pinot Noir itself, when grown on England's chalk soils, yields elegant, Burgundian-style wines of surprising finesse.
Hugh and Caroline's growers work with low-intervention methods: no synthetic chemicals, careful canopy management, and harvest timing dictated by flavour and acidity rather than sugar levels. [^2^] The fruit arrives at the Vyner Street winery in prime condition — intact, healthy, and expressive of its origin. From there, the winemaking is equally restrained: gentle pressing, spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, and minimal sulphur additions only when necessary for stability.
The urban setting is not a limitation but an advantage. Being in London means Numbers can respond quickly to market trends, engage directly with drinkers, and build a community around their wines that a rural winery cannot easily replicate. The cellar door is a gathering place, a tasting room, and a production facility all in one — a model that has made urban wineries like Numbers central to the democratisation of natural wine in the UK.
Based in a former umbrella factory on Vyner Street, East London. No estate vineyards — instead, a focus on sourcing from responsible growers and crafting wine in the city. [^2^]
Working with English growers who share a commitment to sustainable, low-intervention viticulture. No synthetic chemicals, careful canopy management, harvest by flavour. [^2^]
Bacchus (England's signature white), Rondo (cool-climate red), and Pinot Noir (elegant, Burgundian-style). Varieties proven in England's cool climate and chalk soils. [^2^]
Pioneering both traditional bottle releases and canned formats — making natural, low-intervention English wine accessible, portable, and suited to modern drinking occasions. [^2^]
Minimal Sulphur, Native Yeasts & Bottling When Ready
Numbers' winemaking is a deliberate exercise in restraint — and a rejection of the technological shortcuts that have dominated modern wine production. The grapes arrive from English vineyards and are gently pressed, with the juice transferred to fermentation vessels where native yeasts take over. [^2^] Hugh and Caroline do not inoculate, adjust temperature aggressively, or add enzymes. They monitor, taste, and wait — bottling or canning only when the wine is ready, a philosophy that demands patience but rewards with authenticity.
Fermentation is entirely spontaneous — driven by indigenous yeasts present on the grape skins and in the winery environment. [^2^] This is a riskier approach than using cultured yeasts, but it yields wines with greater complexity, unexpected aromatics, and a sense of place that laboratory strains cannot replicate. The cool temperatures of the winery naturally slow fermentation, extending the process and allowing for the development of layered, nuanced flavours.
Sulphur is used minimally — only when necessary for stability, and never as a default. [^2^] The wines are not filtered or fined unless absolutely necessary, preserving the living character of the wine and allowing it to evolve in the bottle or can. The result is a range of English wines that are vibrant, energetic, and unmistakably natural — but with a freshness and drinkability that sets them apart from more conventional, heavily processed expressions.
Hugh and Caroline produce both still and sparkling wines, in bottles and cans. The can format is particularly innovative — a nod to modern drinking culture that does not compromise on quality. [^2^] Canned wines are often dismissed as inferior, but Numbers' approach proves that low-intervention, English-grown wine can thrive in any format. The cans are filled with the same care as the bottles, sealed to preserve freshness, and designed for occasions where glass is impractical: picnics, festivals, trains, rooftops.
"23" — England in a Bottle
The "23" is Numbers' signature release — a wine that captures the essence of English low-intervention winemaking in a single, striking package. [^6^]
Bottled with bold, graphic labelling that reflects the winery's urban aesthetic, the "23" represents a vintage-dated expression of English grapes, crafted with minimal sulphur and native yeast fermentation. [^2^] The wine shows the characteristic Numbers profile: bright acidity, fresh herbal notes from Bacchus, a lean, mineral structure, and a finish that is clean, precise, and utterly drinkable.
It is a wine that demands context — best enjoyed with friends, with food, or simply as a statement of what English wine has become. Serve well-chilled to allow the aromatics to fully express themselves. The "23" is available in both bottle and can formats, making it one of the most versatile and accessible natural wines in the UK. ~£12–£18 / ~$15–$22.
The Numbers Range
Numbers Wine produces a focused range of low-intervention wines from English-grown grapes, crafted in small batches at their Vyner Street winery. All wines are made with minimal sulphur, native yeast fermentation, and bottled or canned only when ready. [^2^] The portfolio includes still and sparkling expressions in both bottle and can formats, each capturing a different facet of England's cool-climate terroir. Prices are approximate and in GBP/USD.