Hambledon Vineyard

Hampshire, England

In a nutshell: Established in 1952 by Major General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones, Hambledon Vineyard is the oldest commercial vineyard in the UK and prides itself on a rich heritage of innovation in English winemaking. They grow their grapes in the Hampshire village of Hambledon, where the finest chalk soil and cool climate provide an exceptional terroir for creating world-class sparkling wines.

The terroir: Hambledon Vineyard’s subsoil isn’t made of any old chalk, it was formed on the seabed of the Paris basin some 65 million years ago, meaning that the terroir contains the same Belemnite content as some of the best Chardonnay areas of the Côtes des Blancs in Champagne.

Empowered by years of geological research, in 2002, 10 acres of vineyards were planted with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Today, Hambledon Vineyard, under the new guidance of Berry Bros. & Rudd and Symington Family Estates, boasts over 200 acres of vineyards, with top-of-the-range Coquard PAI presses and the UK’s only gravity-fed, state-of-the-art winery.

The Hambledon ‘personality’: Hambledon Vineyard’s wines have gone from strength to strength, receiving impressive reviews from wine critics, as well as an incredible collection of awards. They are a small vineyard on a very big mission: “to create the finest, world-class English Fizz” and win over the British public with a superior wine grown, blended, and aged in their own front garden. Plans are underway to open a visitor centre and restaurant, showcasing both their heritage and forward-thinking innovation.

Hambledon Classic Cuvée