Perfect Blend of the Old and New
We are so lucky to have locations in some of the most beautiful parts of the South Downs National Park. Nestled in the heart of Hampshire, the underlying chalk ridge provides the ideal conditions to produce the best quality English wine.
Growing vines and making wine in Hampshire can be traced back to Roman times. Records from the 13th Century show vines being cultivated on the estate land of the Bishop of Winchester. At the Longdown vineyards today, we bring together the best of the old world together with the new.
On our site at Bishops Waltham, we have some of the oldest established Bacchus grapes in the UK and at Twyford, we are planting some new varietals, rare to England.
We are committed to working alongside nature and adopt a sustainable approach that respects the wonderful surroundings we find ourselves in. We understand that the natural world around us can be difficult and unpredictable at times but we are up for the challenge.
Bishops Waltham
Home to one of the older vineyards in England, established back in 1988, this is a mature vineyard that has been producing amazing wines for many years. It’s situated on the outskirts of the old village of Bishops Waltham, next to the origin of the River Itchen. Looking out over fields and glorious countryside, there are eight hectares in total. Made up of 32,000 vines, these include the traditional varieties for sparkling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, as well as ‘ancient Bacchus’ – some of which are over 40 years old and still producing.
Twyford
This vineyard is located opposite part of The Monarch’s Way walk and has views of Twyford and Winchester. It is situated on chalk and flint.
This is our baby vineyard, planted in April 2026 and is two hectares. It has 8500 vines made up of the traditional sparkling varieties and two new, interesting ones. A white varietal called Chasselas, which originates from Switzerland which is a special place to Mark and Louise. The Chasselas comes from Geneva and is grown extensively in the much-loved Alpine mountains of Valais, produced under the well-known local name Fendant. A delightful light and fresh white wine which we believe will suit the English taste very well. The Cabaret Noir is another new variety seldom found in the UK – it originates from the Jura region of Germany and should not be confused with the better known Cabernet Sauvignon.
Our Winemaking
We are proud to be working with the excellent and experienced team at The Grange in Hampshire to help make our wines. Over time, Holly will develop her knowledge and experience to take over the challenge of producing some of the still wines at our Twyford vineyard.
