South East - Hampshire

Simon Robinson established Hattingley Valley in 2008. Following in depth feasibility studies, the first 28 acre south facing site was planted in May of that year with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Alongside Emma Rice, founder of Custom Crush, a wine analysis laboratory and wine making consultancy, they planned the modern, eco-friendly winery in Wield that was completed in 2010. It uses the latest technology and equipment from continental Europe, has sophisticated waste disposal facilities and was the first UK winery to adopt solar power.

We currently manage over 24 hectares (60 acres) of vines across two well-situated sites under the watchful eyes of our vineyard managers. The vines are nurtured throughout the growing year with an environmentally-sensitive approach to viticulture ensuring optimum ripeness, yield and quality of fruit. The vineyard team is headed up by Jim Bowerman and Romain Henrion, and assisted by Thomas Birkett.

At Hattingley Valley, we use the traditional method for making our wines. A key element of our style is the subtle use of oak barrels to ferment a small proportion of the wines each year, as well as ageing on lees in stainless steel tanks. This helps to soften the wines before they go into bottles for the second fermentation. Our talented wine making team is made up of Emma Rice and Jacob Leadley, both of whom trained at Plumpton College, Will Perkins who is currently studying there, and James Byrnes from New Zealand. Emma was awarded the prestigious title of Winemaker of the Year in 2014 in the English and Welsh Wine of the Year Competition. Emma reclaimed this honour in 2016 and is the first woman to be awarded the title twice.

Since launching its first release in August 2013, Hattingley Valley has been recognised in competitions across the globe and developed into one of the most respected producers of English sparkling wines in the country. Most recently Hattingley were award the trophy of 'World Champion' for our 2011 Blanc de Blancs in the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships (2017) which adds a welcome addition to the trophy cabinet to sit alongside the 'Best Vintage Rosé' trophy awarded by the same competition to our 2011 Rosé in 2014.

Hattingley Valley has an on-site shop open Monday to Friday. Tours and events are held both during the week and at weekends by appointment. Contact the office on 01256 389188 for more information.

Image Credit: © Electric Eye