Born from
a sense of adventure
Tim & Anna Arrowsmith
The English Wine Shop is owned and operated by us, Anna and Tim Arrowsmith, two Brits who relocated from Tunbridge Wells in Kent to Pasadena, California in 2014 in search of an adventure.
In 2017 we moved to a small ranch in the Santa Barbara County wine country, about 130 miles West of Los Angeles. The property has a small vineyard planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and so began our love affair with Santa Barbara County wine, and the release of out first home-grown vintage in 2019.
Tim & Anna Arrowsmith
What We Do
In 2020 we opened a wine bar and tasting room called Arrowsmith's in Solvang, the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley. We now make a varied selection of our own wines using grapes grown in this region's finest vineyards and, unusually for California, source fun and interesting wine from all over the world.
Farming a small vineyard, being closely involved in the winemaking process, and seeing the resulting wine in bottle has given us a unique perspective when it comes to sourcing wine. The connection to the land, the climate and the changing seasons all play a huge part in determining what ends up in the bottle. We taste everything together to make doubly sure that what ends up in your glass meets our standards. As good as British wine is, it is rare and hard to find in California. We set out to change that, and created a single place specializing in the best of British.
How We Do It
Recent years have seen British vineyards produce ever better wine, albeit often in very small quantities. Only 4% of their total production is exported and, understandably most of it is consumed domestically in the UK. Nevertheless, we have come to love and champion British wine, diligently seeking out the few, rare examples that make it over to the West Coast of the US.
We work with importers and direct with producers to secure Sometimes it's a few cases, and sometimes it's just a few forgotten bottles of something special hidden away in the dusty corner of a wine importer's warehouse! So we personally select the finest wines from the UK's most respected producers and make them available in one place, with easy ordering and hassle free shipping. We continually strive to source the very best English wine from the most respected vineyards in the UK, approaching our work both as vintners and passionate and enthusiastic consumers. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it! Cheers! Anna & Tim Arrowsmith
And This Is Why We Do It
