Five of Surrey’s vineyards joined forces to create a new wine region in South East England
Nestled in the heart of the Surrey Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is a cluster of vineyards that excel in producing outstanding wines from the rolling North Downs.
Nurtured on the chalky limestone hills with the same geology as that of the Champagne region, Vineyards of the Surrey Hills represent the very pinnacle of quality in the increasingly-successful English wine industry.
Having won top international awards for their wines and wine tourism, each of the vineyards has its own unique offering with a variety of tours and experiences. All just 20 miles from London.
Albury Organic Vineyard
One of a few organic vineyards in the UK, Albury is a family-run vineyard located just outside Guildford, near to the picturesque village of Albury. It is renowned for its top-quality, award-winning sparkling wines and its still Silent Pool Rosé, which first put Albury on the map when it was served on the Royal Barge to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
Albury Estate Vineyard, Silent Pool, Shere Road, Albury, Guildford GU5 9BW
Chilworth Manor Vineyard
The history of Chilworth Manor spans 1,000 years history, reaching as far back as the Domesday Book. The vineyard is ever so slightly younger, established in 2013, and occupies a gently sloping three-hectare site adjacent to the manor. Planted in a sandy loam on a base of clay and sandstone, it shares a particular geology with the Val de Reims and Valle de la Marne areas in the Champagne region of France (the latter home to the famous Bollinger estate) and produces light and fruity still rosé wines.
Chilworth Manor Vineyard, Halfpenny Lane, Chilworth, Guildford GU4 8NN
Denbies Wine Estate
Denbies Vineyard was established in 1986 when the owners of Denbies estate, the White family, recognised the unique characteristics of the North Downs landscape. With its south-facing slopes, chalky soil and micro-climate it has optimum conditions for wine production. Located in the heart of Dorking, overlooking Box Hill, Denbies is the UK’s largest single-estate vineyard and has become a benchmark of wine making excellence. It produces a large range of internationally award-winning still and sparkling, red, white and rosé wines.
Denbies Wine Estate Ltd, London Road, Dorking RH5 6AA
Greyfriars Vineyard
Greyfriars is situated on the south facing chalk slopes of the Hogs Back, a few miles outside Guildford. Mike and Hilary Wagstaff took over Greyfriars in 2010 and have expanded the original vineyard, planted in 1989, from one and a half to 40 acres under vines on two sites. There’s now also a stat-of-the-art winery and a 3,500 sqft storage ‘cave’ cut into the chalk slopes of the Downs. The vineyard produces still and sparkling white and rosé wines.
Greyfriars Vineyard, The Hogs Back, Puttenham, GU3 1AG
High Clandon
Bruce and Sibylla Tindale, the owners of this boutique vineyard, capture the essence of their terroir in the rolling Surrey Hills by hand manicuring each vine. Their Cuvées are elegant, aged-matured-vintage-only, English sparkling wines, created in the traditional bottle-fermented method and aged for a minimum of five years on the lees. They have won numerous awards, including overall winners of IWC Cellar Door of the Year competition two years in a row, and are renowned for their Art & Sculpture in the Vineyard events each spring.
High Clandon Estate Vineyard, East Clandon, GU47RP
