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Vineyard guide · Hambledon
Hambledon, planted in 1952, calls itself England’s oldest commercial vineyard and makes sparkling wine on South Downs chalk. Tours of the vineyard, winery and chalk cellars can run straight into lunch at its restaurant.
Seasonal note: Tours paused for harvest in October 2026, with a seated tasting in their place. Tours return in November.
| Founded | Planted 1952 |
|---|---|
| Known for | Chardonnay-led English sparkling wine, especially the Classic Cuvée and Première Cuvée |
| Grapes | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier |
| Open | Cellar door shop every day, Monday to Thursday 10am to 5pm, Friday and Saturday 11.30am to 7pm, Sunday 10am to 4.30pm; tours and tastings Wednesday to Sunday |
| Booking | Book tours online, walk-ins welcome at the bar and restaurant |
| Tours from | £30 tasting flight, tour and tasting £35 |
| Food | Restaurant and bar, Wednesday to Saturday 10.30am to 11pm and Sunday 10.30am to 5pm, plus bar boards |
| Dogs | Not on tours, or in the winery and cellars |
| Children | Not on tours or tastings, family-friendly restaurant with a children’s menu |
| Stay | Mill Down Cottage, sleeping six, beside the vines on the estate |
| By train | Petersfield, about 15 minutes by taxi, or the estate’s own Land Rover from Petersfield or Havant |
Checked on the vineyard’s own website in October 2026.
In 1951 Major-General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones, a Francophile who had served as a diplomat in Paris, was looking at the field below Mill Down House when his stepson suggested planting vines. With advice from friends at the Champagne house Pol Roger he planted the chalk slope in 1952 and released the first commercial range of English wines in 1955. That first plot, the Home Vineyard on the steep south-east slope below the house, is still farmed today.
Hambledon now has more than 200 acres of vines across several sites in and around the village, plus two further vineyards elsewhere in Hampshire, all planted with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The vines sit between about 50 and 100 metres above sea level on Newhaven Chalk, the same chalk that lies under the Côte des Blancs in Champagne. Every vine is pruned and every bunch picked by hand, each site is pressed and fermented separately in the gravity-fed winery on the hill, and the team is moving towards regenerative practices such as cover crops and less soil disturbance.
A new oak-framed restaurant, bar and tasting room opened in 2025, and the restaurant is listed in the Michelin Guide.
Hambledon makes only traditional method sparkling wine, with Chardonnay at the centre of the range. The Classic Cuvée (£42) and Classic Cuvée Rosé (£46) are the entry points, the Blanc de Blancs Cuvée (£62) is pure Chardonnay, and the Première Cuvée (£75) and Première Cuvée Rosé (£80) are the top wines, the Première Cuvée being a blend of all three classic Champagne varieties. Magnums, half bottles and personalised bottles are also sold at the cellar door. Where to buy them.
The cellar door shop opens every day: Monday to Thursday 10am to 5pm, Friday and Saturday 11.30am to 7pm and Sunday 10am to 4.30pm. Tours and tastings run Wednesday to Sunday. Upstairs, the bar and terrace pour every Hambledon wine by the glass or as a flight, and the shop has an enomatic machine so you can taste a glass before buying a bottle. The restaurant serves Wednesday to Saturday from 10.30am to 11pm and Sunday 10.30am to 5pm, with a set lunch from £40. Tours involve uneven ground and two spiral staircases, so they do not suit anyone with limited mobility, though the restaurant has a lift. Through October 2026 a seated Harvest Tasting replaces the tour, and the outdoor Courtyard is closed until spring 2027. Book lunch with a tour: the tour booking lets you add a table.
| Experience | Price | Length | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tour and Wine Tasting A guided walk through the historic vineyard, the gravity-fed winery and the underground cellars cut into the chalk, finishing with three Hambledon sparkling wines in the Tasting Room. Over 18s only. | £35 per person | 1.5 to 2 hours | Wednesday to Sunday at 11am, 2pm and 5pm. Paused for harvest in October 2026, returns in November |
| Harvest Tasting Experience A seated session in the Tasting Room that replaces the tour through October, while the vineyard and winery are closed for harvest, with four sparkling wines in roughly 75ml pours and, depending on the day, a taste of fresh juice from the press or a look at how sugar readings are taken. Not a tour of the facilities, and not suitable for children or dogs. | £35 per person | 90 minutes | 1 to 31 October 2026 only |
| Guided Tasting Flights Choose four wines from fourteen, including four Hambledon sparkling wines and wines from the estate’s partners, with a member of the team on hand. Over 18s only. | £30 per person | 1 hour | Thursday to Saturday, 11am to 5pm |
| Safari Tour and Tasting A drive through parts of the estate not seen on other tours in a Land Rover Defender for up to four guests, with a sparkling aperitif in the vines and a tasting of three wines. | £65 per person | About 1 hour | Monday to Wednesday and Sunday at 11am and 12.30pm |
| Safari Tour, Tasting and Lunch The Safari tour and tasting followed by a three-course lunch in the restaurant with a glass of Classic Cuvée. | £150 per person | Up to 4 hours | Thursday to Saturday at 10am and 12pm |
| Winemaker’s Insight Tour and Tasting A deeper look at the winery and the barrel room, which the public tour does not visit, with samples from tank and barrel and a tasting of four sparkling wines. Over 18s only. | £50 per person | 2 hours | Selected dates, including Saturday 31 October and Saturday 5 December 2026 at 10.30am |
Book these on the Hambledon website.
If you would rather not drive, these tours take you there, with tastings included.
Seasonal note: Paused for harvest in October 2026, with a seated tasting in its place. Tours return in November.
England’s oldest commercial vineyard, planted in 1952. A walk through the vines, the gravity-fed winery and cellars, then three of their sparkling wines.
Starts Hambledon Vineyard, Hambledon, Hampshire
A two-hour tour and tasting at the estate often called England’s oldest commercial vineyard, first planted in 1952 in the chalk of the South Downs.
Good to know The voucher is valid for twelve months and visitors must be 18 or over. Through October the vineyard and winery are closed for harvest, so a tour booked then becomes a seated tasting.
The Thomas Lord, in the Meon valley village of West Meon, offers wooden cabins for guests tucked away in its garden.
There has been a pub on this Kingsgate Street site since 1755, when it was a coaching inn serving travellers to and from the coast.
A country inn in the Candover Valley near Alresford, with eight boutique rooms, all dog friendly.
Prices are often the same either way, so compare the booking site with booking direct.
2 bottles in stock with our wine partners this week. Prices are for a single 75cl bottle.
Sparkling
Chardonnay-led fizz from Hambledon's own chalk slopes, with crisp pear, apple and brioche from long ageing.
Sparkling rosé
Mostly Chardonnay tinted with a little Pinot Noir red wine, giving a pale pink fizz with red berries.
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The nearest station is Petersfield, about an hour from London Waterloo on the Portsmouth line. Taxis wait at the station and the drive takes about 15 minutes; book your return taxi before you visit and allow two hours for a tour or a meal. By car from London, leave the A3 at Clanfield and follow signs to Hambledon via the Bat and Ball pub at Broadhalfpenny Down, then turn right at the blue Hambledon Vineyard sign onto a single-track lane up Windmill Down. Avoid driving through Hambledon village where possible. Parking is free, with disabled spaces and a drop-off point by the visitor centre.
Hambledon village is known as the cradle of cricket, and the Bat and Ball pub at Broadhalfpenny Down, beside the old cricket ground, is on the drive in from the A3. Winchester is about 30 minutes by car and Portsmouth a similar distance, and Butser Hill and the South Downs Way are close for walking. Other Hampshire vineyards within driving distance include Exton Park in the Meon Valley and Hattingley Valley near Alresford.
See every vineyard you can visit in our Hampshire directory. Our other Hampshire vineyard guides: Hattingley Valley.
Hambledon describes itself as England’s oldest commercial vineyard. Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones planted it in 1952 and released the first commercial English wines from it in 1955.
Yes. Walk-ins are welcome at the bar for a glass or a tasting flight, and the shop needs no booking, but tours should be booked online and a restaurant table is strongly recommended.
The Tour and Wine Tasting costs £35 per person and lasts 1.5 to 2 hours, including three sparkling wines. In October 2026 it is replaced by a £35 seated Harvest Tasting.
Wednesday to Sunday. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday.
No. Tours and tastings are not suitable for children, and children and dogs are not allowed in the winery or cellars. Children are welcome in the restaurant, which has a children’s menu.
Take a train to Petersfield, about an hour from London Waterloo, then a taxi for the 15-minute drive. Book your return taxi in advance.
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