Last month I checked a thing off my bucket list: visiting an English sparkling vineyard/winery! We visited Hambledon Vineyard near Portsmouth and Southampton, about an hour train ride from London. We enjoyed a tour hour tour and tasting, and it was one of the most, if not THE most, comprehensive tour and explanation of the wine making and aging process we’ve ever seen!
Be advised: this post is loaded with pictures…everything was just so beautiful and the weather was absolutely gorgeous! Up until this day, I had never tried English sparkling wine, even though I had visited England in 2015 and we recently began seeing imports in stores in Texas. And I was EXCITED!! Hambledon is the oldest commercial vineyard in England, founded in 1952. The climate and chalky soil (and relatively low cost of land, compared to Champagne, France) are ideal for the growth and production of sparkling wine.
I contacted the winery before we left Houston and made an appointment for our party of six. The staff was extremely helpful with detailed directions on how to get to the winery from Central London, which was much appreciated! After our train ride to Petersfield and short taxi ride to the winery, we checked in with Holly and waited in the billiard themed tasting room for our tour to begin. I loved the vintage pictures on the wall, as well as a geologic map of the region.
Holly guided us to the vineyard and told us about the history of the vineyard and explained the growing and harvest seasons. She spoke so fondly of the vines it was clear she loved her job and felt like a part of the family. It was breathtaking to see the rows of thriving vines along down the hill into the valley. Being a rock nerd, I poked around the ground a bit and confirmed their soil to be chalk and chert. Holly also walked us by the site of the future underground cellar while the bulldozers were busy clearing chalk.
Holly then guided us through the gravity fed winery from the top floor down, all while explaining the wine making process so in depth I think I understood for the first time in all my years of visiting wineries the entire process from start to finish. As a visual learner, it was incredibly helpful to see the processing equipment.
We finished our tour in the billiard room where we tasted Premiere Cuvee and Classic Cuvee Rose. I bought a bottle of the Classic Cuvee Rose to take back home to Texas. Both were very lovely wines, and I’m a huge fan of English sparkling wine now.
Holly was a very welcoming host and the vineyard and winery were so lovely! She even arranged for a taxi to take us back to town so we could catch a train back to London. Thank you Holly and Hambledon Vineyard for the wonderful visit!
Before heading back to London, we opted to walk around Petersfield for a bit and find a pub. We couldn’t get enough fish and chips, so we had lunch and drinks at The Old Drum. Everyone had a great time and I would highly recommend visiting Hambledon and Petersfield to anyone visiting London soon. It was the best day!
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