The acquisition brings together agency, research, and consumer discovery under one roof — and expands Wine Cellar Door’s reach to four new markets
April 21, 2026 (London, UK) — 5forests today announced the acquisition of Wine Cellar Door, the UK’s leading independent guide to vineyard visitation in England and Wales. The move completes a flywheel spanning every stage of the modern wine customer journey, from digital strategy and cultural insight to the moment a consumer decides to visit in person.
The three platforms now operate as an integrated whole. 5forests, the specialist wine marketing agency, works with producers across Europe, North America, and Australasia on the martech and digital infrastructure that drives direct-to-consumer growth. Wine Culture Lab — the wine industry’s first studio dedicated to cultural relevance, whose recently published The Third Place Blueprint drew wide acclaim across the trade — researches the cultural forces shaping how consumers discover and choose wine. Wine Cellar Door is where that journey becomes physical: the platform consumers turn to when they’re ready to visit.
“The wine industry’s challenges don’t happen in isolation,” said Polly Hammond, Founder and CEO of 5forests. “The producer who struggles to convert website visitors into club members is facing the same problem as the region that can’t attract younger visitors — a gap between what wine offers and how effectively it communicates that offer. Wine Cellar Door is where we close that gap.”
Wine Cellar Door was founded by Elisabeth Else, whose conviction that wine lovers needed a trustworthy guide to visiting English and Welsh vineyards proved well-founded. Else will remain credited as Founding Director for the next two years as part of the transition.
“I started visiting UK vineyards in early 2012, long before it became popular over here. Quickly discovering that it was easy to find the hectares of a particular grape grown, but almost impossible to find a vineyard open on a Tuesday with a café, I built Wine Cellar Door. My greatest pleasure has been chatting about local wines with people I don’t know and them telling me they’ve found a great website.” said Else, who added “I couldn’t think of anyone better than 5forests to give this idea new wings and I can’t wait to see how it develops.”
The acquisition coincides with a full relaunch of the Wine Cellar Door platform. The site has been redesigned from the ground up for the way today’s wine lovers search for and plan a visit. New features include a non-alcoholic options filter, Google ratings, FAQ blocks, and at-a-glance information on what’s nearby and what’s open right now. The platform launches at its new global home, winecellardoor.com — the clearest signal yet of its international ambition.
Under 5forests, Wine Cellar Door will expand to include Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa, becoming an international platform for wine tourism. Further announcements about the platform’s development are expected in the coming months.
About 5forests
5forests is a specialist wine marketing agency working with producers, importers, and trade organisations across Europe, North America, and Australasia on the digital strategy, martech, and commerce systems that drive direct-to-consumer growth. www.5forests.com
About Wine Culture Lab
Wine Culture Lab is the wine industry’s first studio dedicated to cultural relevance, helping wine businesses understand how consumer culture is shifting and what it means for their brands. Publisher of The Third Place Blueprint (March 2026). www.wineculturelab.com
About Wine Cellar Door
Wine Cellar Door is the leading independent guide to vineyard visitation, connecting wine lovers with cellar door experiences across England, Wales, and — from 2026 — Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South Africa. www.winecellardoor.com
