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Vineyard guide · West Brompton
Visiting London Cru
London Cru opened in 2013 as London’s first urban winery, in a Victorian warehouse off Seagrave Road that was once a gin distillery. It is a winery, not a vineyard you can walk round: for most of its life it has made wine from grapes bought in from English growers, and in 2023 it bought its own vineyard in West Sussex. Book a Saturday winery tour, three minutes’ walk from West Brompton station.
London Cru at a glance
| Founded | 2013 (development began in 2012) |
|---|---|
| Known for | London’s first urban winery, making English wine in SW6 |
| Grapes | English grapes, including Pinot Noir, Bacchus and Pinot Gris from its own Foxhole Vineyard near Bolney, with Chardonnay planted there in 2023 |
| Open | Winery tours on set Saturdays only; no regular opening hours for visitors. Customer service Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4.30pm |
| Booking | All tours and events are booked online through the What’s On page. Vouchers are booked by emailing hello@londoncru.co.uk |
| Tours from | £28 |
| Food | No food on the tour. Winemaker for a Day includes a two-course lunch at The Atlas pub |
| By train | West Brompton, about a 3-minute walk |
Checked on the vineyard’s own website in November 2026.
About London Cru
Cliff Roberson, who has spent about sixty years in the wine trade and still runs the merchant Roberson Wine, set up London Cru in 2012, and the winery opened in 2013. It is down an alleyway in SW6, in an old Victorian warehouse that once housed a gin distillery.
Like most urban wineries, London Cru does not grow the grapes on site. Since 2017 it has worked only with English grapes, which for years meant buying fruit from growers around the country and bringing it to London to be made into wine.
In 2023 it took on a vineyard of its own, Foxhole, near Bolney in West Sussex, about 45 minutes’ drive from the winery. Planted in 2008 and 2009 with Pinot Noir, Bacchus and Pinot Gris, it has had Burgundian clones of Chardonnay added since, which are expected to crop in 2027.
Alex, who trained in oenology and viticulture and comes from Australia, is the winemaker, with Sarah as assistant winemaker.
The wines
Try the Bacchus first; it is one of the wines the tour usually pours. The Pinot Noir Précoce is the more unusual bottle, an early-ripening form of Pinot Noir.
On the sparkling side there is a Blanc de Blancs, a Blanc de Noirs, a pét-nat and Fearless Pink, the sparkling rosé. The LDN Cali Cru Pinot Noir is the most expensive bottle on the list. Where to buy them.
Tours and tastings at London Cru
There is no cellar door to drop in to, so a visit means booking one of the Saturday events. The ordinary tour is the one to book. It is an hour, it is led by the people who make the wine, and the 5.30pm slot works well before an evening out in west London.
Winemaker for a Day is a much bigger commitment, and the blending session makes it a good present for someone who already knows a bit about wine.
Dates come round about once a month, so look at the What’s On page before you plan a trip. Don’t expect vines: the grapes are grown in Sussex and elsewhere, and what you see here is the cellar.
| Experience | Price | Length | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winery Tour Led by the winemaking team. You hear the story of the winery and how the wine is made, then taste four of the current release wines, which may include the Blanc de Blancs, Bacchus, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris or Pinot Noir Précoce. Vouchers are £28, or £56 for two, and must be used by 31 March 2027. | From £28 per person; packages with three or six bottles to take home cost more | About 1 hour | Set Saturdays at 2.30pm and 5.30pm, roughly monthly (21 November and 12 December 2026, then 23 January, 27 February and 13 March 2027) |
| Winemaker for a Day A morning on how wine is made, in general and in this cellar, then an afternoon on tasting and blending. You make your own Bordeaux-inspired blend to take home. Lunch is two courses at The Atlas. | £170 per person | About 5 hours, 11am to around 4pm | Set Saturdays, roughly monthly (7 November and 5 December 2026, then 16 January, 20 February and 6 March 2027) |
Book these on the London Cru website.
Buy London Cru wines
None of our wine partners has these wines in stock this week. The vineyard sells them in its own shop, or see our pick of English wines to buy online.
Getting there
West Brompton station, on the District line and London Overground, is about three minutes’ walk from the winery. Driving into this part of London is not worth it.
Make a day of it
Brompton Cemetery is a short walk away, and Earl’s Court is just to the north. The Atlas is the pub that hosts lunch on Winemaker for a Day.
See every vineyard you can visit in our London directory.
Questions people ask
Does London Cru grow its own grapes?
Not at the winery. It made wine from grapes bought from English growers for years, and since 2023 it has owned Foxhole Vineyard near Bolney in West Sussex. The grapes are brought to the London winery to be made into wine.
Can I just turn up?
No. There’s no walk-in tasting room. Tours and events run on set Saturdays and are booked through the What’s On page.
How do I use a tour voucher?
Email hello@londoncru.co.uk to book a date. All current vouchers expire on 31 March 2027.