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Vineyard guide · Lower Wield
Hattingley Valley is a Hampshire sparkling wine producer founded in 2008, with a modern winery at Lower Wield. Its tour goes behind the scenes in the winery, so it suits the curious more than anyone after a walk in the vines.
Seasonal note: No tours during harvest, until 23 October 2026.
| Founded | Planted 2008, winery built 2010 |
|---|---|
| Known for | Traditional method sparkling wine, especially Classic Reserve NV and Kings Cuvée |
| Grapes | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, plus Bacchus for still and sweet wines |
| Open | Public tours Friday to Sunday, closed for harvest until 23 October 2026 |
| Booking | Book ahead online or on 01256 389188, private tours need 10 days’ notice |
| Tours from | £30 |
| Food | None on site, The Yew Tree pub is a two-minute walk away |
| Dogs | Not on tours or tastings, guide and assistance dogs permitted |
| Children | Over-12s only on the tour, and they must be supervised |
Checked on the vineyard’s own website in October 2026.
Simon Robinson, a Hampshire farmer and former senior partner at the City law firm Slaughter and May, founded Hattingley Valley in 2008, planting a 25-acre chalky, south-facing site on his land with help from Plumpton-trained winemaker Emma Rice. An eco-friendly winery followed in 2010 and the first vintage was released in 2013, winning a gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards. Before planting, a land survey found a rare butterfly on the farm, and it became the winery’s emblem.
Hattingley’s own vineyards, Chalky Hill (planted 2008) and New Site (2011), cover 7 hectares about 2 miles from the winery. It also buys from partner growers including Red Admiral in Hampshire’s Meon Valley, Hazel Street in Kent, Stour Valley in Suffolk and Wick Farm in Essex. Robert MacCulloch MW, a Master of Wine who previously made wine in New Zealand, Australia and Germany, has been head winemaker since 2022. The house style relies on long ageing on the lees and restrained use of old oak barrels.
Hattingley says it has won over 230 medals and 16 trophies. Highlights include Supreme Champion at the 2020 WineGB Awards for the Kings Cuvée 2014 and the English Sparkling Trophy at the 2023 International Wine Challenge for the Blanc de Blancs 2014. About a third of its wine is exported, to 16 countries.
The range is built around traditional method sparkling wine aged for several years on the lees, often with some fermentation in old oak. The flagship Classic Reserve NV (55% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, 15% Pinot Meunier) spends four years on the lees. Above it sit the Rosé, the Chardonnay-only Blanc de Blancs, a Blanc de Noirs made with British Airways, and the prestige Kings Cuvée and Kings Rosé. There are also still wines, including The English Gent, and Entice, a sweet wine made from Bacchus. Where to buy them.
Hattingley Valley is a working winery rather than a visitor centre, and the public tour is the way in: it runs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, must be booked ahead and lasts about two hours. Tours are closed for harvest until Friday 23 October 2026. There are no vines at the winery; the vineyards lie about 2 miles away and are only visited on private tours. There is no food on site and outside food is not allowed at tastings, so plan a meal at The Yew Tree, a two-minute walk away (open Wednesday to Sunday), or in Alresford. You can buy wine at cellar-door prices after the tour. The winery is wheelchair accessible, with a ground-floor tasting room on request, and parking is free.
| Experience | Price | Length | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winery Tour and Tasting Experience A guided tour of the working winery, finishing with a tasting of four wines and cellar-door prices on bottles. Up to 16 guests, and the vineyards are not included. | £30 per person | 1.5 to 2 hours | Friday to Sunday, closed for harvest until 23 October 2026 |
| Private Tour and Tasting A bespoke tour and tasting for small groups or events of up to 50 guests, which can include a visit to the vineyards. | Price on request | Varies | Monday to Thursday, or Friday mornings, with at least 10 days’ notice |
Book these on the Hattingley Valley website.
A two-hour tour of one of Hampshire’s best-known sparkling wine makers, with a tasting of four wines.
Good to know Tours run Friday to Sunday and are paused for harvest until 23 October 2026. The retailer voucher is valid for twelve months.
A country inn in the Candover Valley near Alresford, with eight boutique rooms, all dog friendly.
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.
Prices are often the same either way, so compare the booking site with booking direct.
8 bottles in stock with our wine partners this week. Prices are for a single 75cl bottle.
Sparkling
An unusual fizz from Bacchus and Pinot Gris: floral, with grapefruit and golden apple.
Sparkling
Chardonnay-led vintage fizz, toasty and honeyed, lifted by fresh green apple.
Sparkling
The house fizz, mostly Chardonnay, partly oak-fermented and four years on lees, with lemon zest and green apple.
Sparkling
All Chardonnay with a touch of oak and long lees ageing, giving candied lemon and honeycomb.
Sparkling
Their top wine, barrel-matured and over six years on lees, with citrus, honey and nuts.
Sparkling rosé
Delicate pink fizz with three years on lees and a touch of oak, tasting of strawberry and raspberry.
Sparkling rosé
A barrel-fermented prestige pink fizz with almost ten years in bottle, showing strawberry and plum tart.
White
A still Chardonnay, dry and fresh, with grapefruit, green apple and a creamy texture.
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A car or taxi is the practical way to reach Lower Wield, a rural village, so book a return taxi in advance. Use the full address, Wield Yard, Lower Wield, rather than the postcode alone; the what3words location is ///princely.mascot.polished. There is ample free parking, with accessible spaces outside the Tasting Room. New Alresford is about seven miles away.
New Alresford, seven miles away, is a market town with cafés and restaurants and the start of the Watercress Line heritage railway to Alton. Jane Austen’s House at Chawton, Gilbert White’s House at Selborne and the National Trust’s Hinton Ampner are all within about 11 miles, and Winchester is around 14 miles away. For local food, the winery suggests The Yew Tree in Lower Wield and The Candover at Preston Candover, which also has rooms. Hambledon Vineyard is a drive south in the South Downs.
See every vineyard you can visit in our Hampshire directory. Our other Hampshire vineyard guides: Hambledon.
Yes. Hattingley only accepts advance bookings, online or by phone on 01256 389188.
The Winery Tour and Tasting Experience costs £30 per person and includes a tasting of four wines.
No. The standard tour covers the winery, and the vineyards are about 2 miles away. A vineyard visit can be arranged as part of a private tour.
There is no food on site and outside food is not allowed during tastings. The Yew Tree pub is a two-minute walk from the winery.
Dogs are not allowed on tours, apart from guide and assistance dogs. Children under 12 cannot join the tour, and over 12s must be supervised.
Tours are closed for harvest and reopen on Friday 23 October 2026, then run on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
What is on at the vineyards that month, new tours worth booking, and our seasonal picks, from Christmas vouchers to harvest days. One email a month. Unsubscribe whenever you like.
