Tinston Wines & Ciders: Award-Winning English Sparkling Cider
Tinston Wines & Ciders is one of the most exciting names in England's growing fine-cider revolution. From a small, craft-focused base, the producer has earned a string of awards and glowing reviews for its traditional-method sparkling ciders - bottles that take the elegance, mousse and ageing discipline of fine sparkling wine and apply them to hand-harvested English apples. The result is a range that genuinely blurs the line between cider and sparkling wine, made for celebrations, food pairing and slow, appreciative drinking.
The Maker: Liam Tinston
The cidermaker behind the Tinston name is Liam Tinston, whose own training and travels shape every bottle the company produces. Liam holds a BSc in Viticulture & Oenology and brings substantive experience gained working alongside winemakers in California, South West France, Australia and New Zealand. After stints as Winemaker at both Three Choirs and Carr-Taylor, he set out to build something new: an innovative range of wines and ciders that would put the unique character of dry, crisp English cider and English-grown grapes centre stage.
Rather than chasing mass-market sweetness, Liam chose to apply the production techniques of fine sparkling wine - long lees ageing, careful blending, méthode traditionnelle discipline - to traditional cider apple varieties and English fruit. That philosophy underpins the entire Tinston range and is what gives the ciders their distinctive depth, fine bubbles and Champagne-like complexity.
Philosophy: Fine Cider, Not Sweet Cider
Tinston's wines and ciders are made using traditional methods with fruit sourced from a range of trusted growers. That network of producers gives the cidermaker flexibility and, crucially, control over the quality of every pressing that goes into a bottle.
Across the range, the house style is:
- Naturally dry - with no added sweetness, letting the fruit speak for itself.
- Crisp and refined - flavour profiles that pair with food rather than overpower it.
- Minimal additives - clean, transparent production.
- Suitable for vegans and vegetarians - because the intervention is kept to a minimum.
Tinston's products are not designed to chase mass-market trends. They are celebrations of the unique, natural produce of England and the artistry of traditional winemaking and cidermaking - a positioning that has won them recognition from critics, judges and customers alike.
The Sparkling Cider Range
Tinston currently focuses on three core sparkling ciders, each made in tiny quantities, plus a starter pack that lets newcomers taste across the range. All are bottled fermented and long-aged on the lees.
Gateway English Sparkling Cider 2021
£17.49 per bottle · View product
Described by the winery as "the gateway to all that we do" and their most highly awarded cider to date, Gateway is bold, crisp and refreshing. It carries all the elegance, refinement and complexity of fine sparkling wine, but with the bold, tannic apple character of a traditional cider.
Gateway is produced from a carefully selected blend of Russet, Cox, Worcester and Bramley apples, and is long lees-aged for a minimum of 18 months for added complexity. Expect zingy apple notes, a dry mid-palate and the fine, persistent bubbles of a high-quality sparkling wine.
Serving suggestion: Best served cold in flutes. Pairs well with classic apple combinations such as roast pork, other red meats and cheese, or more adventurous pairings such as smoked salmon or oysters.
Anatomy English Sparkling Cider 2021 - 7.5% ABV
£14.99 per bottle · View product
Anatomy is the Tinston flagship and a genuinely unique cider, artfully blending the refinement of fine sparkling wine with a delicate tang and subtle sweetness of crisp apple. Delicate, fresh and light, it is made using 100% Bramley apples - a style you will not find made anywhere else.
The cider is aged for a minimum of three months in tank and a further six months in bottle before release. That long élevage allows for a beautiful balance of apple character, acidity and the delicate lees-aged notes of bread, biscuit and brioche. Dry on the mid-palate with fine bubbles, balanced with a distinct apple sweetness and a crisp, clean finish.
Serving suggestion: Pairs beautifully with light salads, fish and seafood, and other delicate flavours. Equally enjoyable as an aperitif.
Best English Sparkling Cider 2021 - 6.5% ABV
£22.99 per bottle · View product
Best is a collaboration with, and a tribute to, the Best family, who have been growing apples at Hicknowle in Dorset since 1923. Rupert Best made his mark on English cider and his descendants, Matt and Frida Best, continue his good work there today.
Classic in its ingredients - Brown's, Yarlington Mill, Gilly and Fiona - Best is the most tannic of the Tinston trio, packing a big, structured punch that balances beautifully with the rich, ripe apple flavours. Ageing in oak barrels prior to bottling provides complexity, and autolysis character from lees ageing in bottle adds further depth. It has all the elegance of traditional-method cider, with the intensity you would expect from a traditional scrumpy.
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed chilled in a flute glass.
Mixed Cider Starter Pack (Anatomy, Gateway & Best) - 7% ABV
£49.99 per pack · View product
The mixed pack contains one bottle each of Anatomy, Gateway and Best from the 2021 vintage - the ideal way to compare the three flagship styles side by side. Existing customers rate the pack 5 out of 5 stars, with one verified reviewer describing Best as "first class", Gateway as "very good" and Anatomy as "good for every-day drinking".
Press & Awards
Tinston has earned recognition from both the judging bench and the national press. The current awards tally includes:
- Best 2021 - Silver (Breakthrough Cidermaker award)
- Best 2021 - Bronze, Bath & West Cider Competition 2023
- Anatomy 2017 - Bronze, Bath & West Cider Competition 2022
- Anatomy 2018 - Bronze, Bath & West Cider Competition 2022
- Gateway 2019 - Bronze, Bath & West Cider Competition 2022
Judge's note on Gateway: "Fabulously sophisticated and elegant: here we have wonderful, layered aromas of fresh yeast and green apple with sweet vanilla spice. The nose gives way to a complex, autolytic palate, revealing delightful Champagne-like flavours of fresh pastry, butter and biscuit. Heavenly!"
The ciders have also been featured in several high-profile articles:
- Fiona Beckett, The Guardian - "Welcome to the Cider Revolution"
- Female Original - "2 Great Ciders to Try This Spring"
- The Cider Review - "The Price is Right - Or Is It?" and "To Disgorge or Not to Disgorge"
- Foodism - "Fine Cider, Wine, Champagne Alternatives"
Across these reviews, a consistent theme emerges: Tinston's ciders deliver the mousse, mouthfeel, flavour and overall experience of a high-quality sparkling wine - just made with apples.
Why Choose Tinston?
Award-winning excellence
Tinston has earned recognition for its commitment to quality through awards from the IWSC, Bath & West and other leading bodies.
Artisanal craftsmanship
Every bottle reflects a dedication to handcrafted excellence, from fruit selection through blending and long lees ageing.
Wide variety of styles
Three distinct flagship ciders - delicate and aperitif-friendly, balanced and food-pairing, and bold and structured - cover virtually any occasion on the calendar.
Buying Tinston Online
The full range can be ordered direct from the producer through the Tinston Wines & Ciders shop, where each cider has its own product page alongside the mixed starter pack covering the 2021 vintage.
Shipping & returns
- Free shipping on all UK mainland orders over £80.
- Otherwise a flat £3 shipping fee.
- Standard delivery is 3 - 5 working days, nationwide mainland UK.
- A full money-back guarantee applies within 30 calendar days of purchase, no questions asked.
Food Pairing at a Glance
- Gateway - roast pork, red meats, cheese, smoked salmon, oysters.
- Anatomy - light salads, fish, seafood, delicate flavours, aperitif.
- Best - rich, hearty dishes; classic cider-and-cheese pairings.
All three are best served well-chilled, in a flute glass, to bring out the fine bubbles and delicate mousse.
Visit & Contact
Tinston Wines & Ciders is primarily an online and mail-order producer, and welcomes feedback and questions via email at Tinstonwinecider@gmail.com. The latest news, photos and updates are shared across social media:
The Verdict
Tinston Wines & Ciders is one of the clearest examples of how far English cider has come. By applying the rigorous, patient craft of méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine to carefully chosen English apples, Liam Tinston has built a tiny but award-winning range that genuinely rewards being opened with friends, food and time. Whether you start with a bottle of Gateway, work your way through the 2021 vintage with the mixed starter pack, or reach for Best when only something structured and serious will do, this is cider made in the same spirit as fine wine - and increasingly spoken about in the same breath.