Hambledon
Wine Estate
Wine Estate
Established in 1952 by Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones, Hambledon Wine Estate has been dedicated to crafting exceptional English wines for over 70 years. Blending inspiration from tradition with modern innovation, we create expressive and elegant sparkling wines of outstanding quality and character, from our home in the chalky hills of the South Downs.
Today, under the esteemed guidance of Berry Bros. & Rudd and Symington Family Estates, we continue to pride ourselves on our rich heritage and our shared goal to continue Sir Guy's original aim for Hambledon:
To create the Finest English Sparkling Wine.
discover
the brithplace of english wine
Located just over a hour from London - We would be delighted to host you throughout the summer at our home. Join us for a drink on the Terrace, go behind-the-scenes on a tour, or enjoy a delicious meal in the Restaurant.
On Thursday 26th June you can pop into Berry Bros. & Rudd between 3pm-6pm for a complimentary tasting!
We specialise in traditional method sparkling wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier grapes grown on our 200 acre veinyards of the chalk hills of the South Downs.
Explore our stunning estate, go behind-the-scenes in the winery and enjoy a tutored tasting of three of our award-winning sparkling wines in our beautiful Tasting Room.
With views across the vineyard and nestled in the heart of the South Downs National Park, our restaurant offers exceptional seasonal cuisine utilising our local produce.
Our founder, Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones was named by the Telegraph as the ‘Father of English Wine’.
He was a pioneer of modern English wine production- and we take inspiration from him still, seventy years later.
Geology has played a key role in the planning for Hambledon Vineyard. The chalk on which we grow our vines was formed on the seabed of the Paris basin some 72 million years ago.
There's chalk, and then there's chalk. This chalk is part of the Newhaven Chalk formation known for its Belemnite fossils (pieces of microscopic, squid-like creatures) which is the same chalk found in the most hallowed Grand Cru vineyard sites of Côtes des Blancs in Champagne.
Chalk is the perfect subsoil for growing vines because it allows the roots to dig freely and deeply, and acts like a sponge, retaining water when needed but also providing great drainage when it rains so that the vines do not get ‘cold, wet feet’!
Hambledon’s grapes are carefully hand-harvested, facilitating Felix Gabillet’s gentle approach to winemaking. The estate was proud to be the first UK’s gravity-fed winery, a unique feature amongst English wine producers, which respects the natural flow of making wine and places emphasis on preserving the quality of Hambledon’s estate-grown fruit.
Terroir-expressive base wines are key to the Hambledon style, which relies on blending with a small percentage of reserve wines to create complexity and precision. This ensures that the quality of fruit is highlighted by the vibrancy and elegance of their cuvées, with minimal dosage to ensure optimal expression of the estate.
After careful deliberation, and with the help and advice from friends at the renowned Champagne House Pol Roger, Major General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones plants several different grape varieties in the field below his home, Mill Down House and went on to release the first commercial range of English wines. England’s first commercial vineyard was born.
After carefully nurturing the vines for several years, our first harvest took place in 1954. A year later, it was finally time to bottle Hambledon's first wines - a still table wine, of Seyval Blanc, which he sold to friends, family and nearby neighbours.
Sir Guy went on to be dubbed 'the Father of English Wine' by the Telegraph, as his wines gained recognition and he founded
Watch our harvest
1961
Back in the 60's harvest was a very manual process, and the winery was based in Sir Guy's garage!
In the 60s and 70s Hambledon became synonymous with English Wine.
After a few issues at customs (the French didn't believe that the English could make wine!) Hambledon wine arrived safely in Paris for the State Dinner hosted by Her Majesty the Queen at the British Embassy for French President Georges Pompidou.
Following the death of Sir Guy, the vineyard fell into disrepair, until it was acquired by a wine lover with a passion for oenology, geology and terroir.
A pivotal decision to focus on sparkling wines led to the planting of a 10-acre trial vineyard with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. This experiment explored various combinations of vine clones and rootstocks to optimize quality.
A new state-of-the-art gravity fed winery was built and opened by the Duchess of Cornwall in 2013.
Since 2023, Hambledon has come under the ownership of two multi-generational family businesses; Berry Bros. & Rudd and The Symington Family Estates. This exciting new chapter represents their confidence in the potential of Hambledon and the growing global interest in the dynamic English Sparkling wine category.
Our new Visitor Centre opens, housing a stunning restaurant, tasting rooms and cellar door, allowing the ultimate English wine experience for our guests.