Denbies tour and tasting from Brighton
A tour and tasting at Denbies in Surrey, stopping at Devil’s Dyke on the way back to Brighton.
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Vineyard guide · Dorking
Visiting Denbies Wine Estate
Denbies is a family-owned estate on the North Downs just outside Dorking, with 265 acres of vines, a 15-minute walk from the station. It opens almost every day, with tastings, vineyard train tours, trails, restaurants and a hotel.
Denbies at a glance
| Founded | Planted 1986 |
|---|---|
| Known for | Surrey Gold off-dry white, and traditional method sparkling wines such as Whitedowns |
| Grapes | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Bacchus, Ortega and Solaris, among others |
| Open | Daily, 9am to 5.30pm, closed 25 and 26 December and 1 January |
| Booking | Book tours and tastings online, no booking needed for the shop or cafés |
| Tours from | £13 vineyard train tour, indoor tasting £16.95 |
| Food | Gallery, Conservatory and Wine Library restaurants, takeaway hatch, no picnics |
| Dogs | In the grounds and the Wine Library, not in the main winery building |
| Children | Welcome, with family events, some tastings 18 and over |
| Stay | The Vineyard Hotel, 17 en-suite rooms in the middle of the vineyard |
| By train | Dorking, about a 15-minute walk, or Dorking Deepdene for trains from Gatwick |
Checked on the vineyard’s own website in October 2026.
About Denbies
The White family planted the first vines at Denbies in 1986, choosing the estate for its south-facing slopes, chalk soils and warm microclimate on the North Downs. The chateau-style winery followed in 1993, the same year as the first release, Surrey Gold, which the estate says remains one of the UK’s bestselling English wines. The estate covers 380 acres, 265 of them under vine, and can produce up to one million bottles a year.
Because the vineyard is so large, the same grape variety is often planted in several places at different heights and aspects, on chalk and flint, and the winemakers use those differences to build the range. Every Denbies wine is made only from grapes grown on the estate. Andy Kershaw, cellar master since 2013, has developed newer wines such as Orange Solaris and an Orange Vermouth, and Oliver Whitfield has managed the vineyard since 2022.
Denbies is the first UK vineyard and winery certified Net Zero under the UK Carbon Code of Conduct, is B Corp certified and received a King’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development in 2025. It was a founder member of Sustainable Wines of Great Britain and of the Vineyards of the Surrey Hills group. Its wines have won medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards, the International Wine Challenge, the IWSC and the WineGB Awards.
The wines
Denbies makes a broad range from estate-grown grapes, which is unusual among the larger English producers now focused mainly on sparkling wine. Surrey Gold, an off-dry aromatic white from Müller-Thurgau, Ortega and Bacchus, has been made every year since 1993 and is the best known. Flint Valley is a crisp dry white from Seyval Blanc and Reichensteiner, and there are varietal wines such as Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Orange Solaris, plus Rose Hill rosé, Redlands red and a Noble Harvest sweet wine. The traditional method sparkling range runs from Whitedowns, Whitedowns Rosé and Greenfields to the vintage Cubitt Blanc de Blancs and Blanc de Noirs, and there is also a Demi-sec and an Orange Vermouth. Where to buy them.
Tours and tastings at Denbies
Denbies is open every day from 9am to 5.30pm except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, closing at 5pm on weekdays from January to March. The visitor centre has a wine and gift shop, the self-service Conservatory Restaurant (9am to 4pm daily). The Gallery Restaurant on the third floor serves lunch Wednesday to Sunday, and tables are best reserved. Hatch on the Lawn sells coffee, lunch and wine from a marquee, and the Wine Library Brasserie and Bar at the hotel serves dinner daily. Seven miles of public footpaths cross the vineyard, though picnics are not allowed. The train tours are seasonal and weather-dependent, while indoor tastings run all year. Book tours ahead at weekends, as afternoon sessions often sell out.
| Experience | Price | Length | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indoor Wine Tasting Experience A tasting of a hand-picked selection of Denbies wines in the winery, with an introduction to the vineyard and how the wines are made. | £16.95 per person | – | Daily, with several sessions a day |
| Outdoor Vineyard Train Tour A ride through the vineyard on the estate’s road train up to its higher points, with views towards Box Hill and Dorking and the story of the estate along the way. | £13 per person | About 50 minutes | Seasonal |
| Sparkling Outdoor Vineyard Train Tour The vineyard train tour with a tasting of Denbies sparkling wines. Over 18s only. | £18 per person | About 50 minutes | Seasonal |
| Secret Vineyard Tour A guided walk through parts of the vineyard that are not open to the public, on a different route from the train tour. | £35 per person | About 2 hours | Weekends in autumn, at 11.30am and 2.30pm |
| Food and Wine Pairing Experience A menu of seasonal dishes matched with estate-grown wines, served at the Vineyard Hotel. | £47 per person | About 2 hours | – |
| Gallery Restaurant Cellar Wine Tasting and Lunch A cellar wine tasting followed by lunch in the Gallery Restaurant on the third floor of the winery. | £45 per person | About 3 hours | – |
Book these on the Denbies website.
Tours that include Denbies
If you would rather not drive, these tours take you there, with tastings included.
Give a visit as a present
Denbies experience voucher
Vouchers for tours, tastings, meals and a night at the estate’s own vineyard hotel, as a set experience or an open amount. Dorking is on the railway from London, so nobody has to drive home.
Good to know Sent as e-vouchers.
Where to stay
Denbies Vineyard Hotel
Seventeen en-suite rooms on the Denbies estate, so you can stay after a tour or dinner at the winery.
Wotton House
A country house hotel on the Wotton estate near Dorking, once home of the Evelyn family, with an Italian garden laid out in the 1600s.
The Hurtwood Hotel
The Hurtwood Hotel is a 1920s building in the Surrey Hills village of Peaslake with 15 individually furnished bedrooms.
The Drummond at Albury
Set in the heart of the Surrey Hills, The Drummond at Albury has a relaxed bar, an elegant dining room and a garden by the stream, with characterful rooms upstairs.
Prices are often the same either way, so compare the booking site with booking direct.
Buy Denbies 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.
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Getting there
Dorking station is about a 15-minute walk from the estate, with direct trains from London Waterloo (around 50 minutes) and London Victoria (around 60 minutes); Dorking Deepdene is the stop for direct trains from Gatwick Airport. Buses 465 (Kingston to Dorking) and 21 also serve the area. By car, leave the M25 at junction 9 and follow the A24 south towards Dorking, then take Bradley Lane from the Denbies roundabout up to the main building; Denbies puts the drive from London at about 45 minutes. Parking is free, with disabled spaces near the entrance, EV chargers and bike racks. Coaches need to note the 11ft 10in bridge on the approach.
Make a day of it
Denbies sits at the eastern end of the Vineyards of the Surrey Hills route, whose other members open to visitors are Albury, Chilworth Manor, Greyfriars, High Clandon and Tanhurst Estate on Leith Hill, all within about 15 miles. Dorking’s town centre is a short walk away, Box Hill is close by, and the North Downs Way passes the estate for longer walks. Surrey Hills Brewery and Dorking Distillery are partners on the estate, and Guildford is about 20 minutes’ drive west.
See every vineyard you can visit in our Surrey directory.
Questions people ask
Do you need to book at Denbies?
Not to visit the estate, shop, Conservatory or Hatch on the Lawn. Denbies recommends booking tours and tastings in advance, and a table for the Gallery Restaurant.
Can you walk to Denbies from Dorking station?
Yes. The estate is about a 15-minute walk from Dorking station, which has direct trains from London Waterloo and London Victoria.
Are dogs allowed at Denbies?
Dogs are welcome in the grounds but not inside the main building, which includes the shop, indoor tours and most restaurants. The Vineyard Hotel has dog-friendly rooms in The Brokes.
How much is a wine tasting at Denbies?
The Indoor Wine Tasting Experience costs £16.95 per person. The outdoor vineyard train tour is £13, or £18 with sparkling wine.
Can you have a picnic at Denbies?
No. Picnics are not permitted on the estate, but there are four places to eat on site, including the Hatch on the Lawn takeaway.
Is Denbies open all year?
Yes, daily from 9am to 5.30pm, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Weekdays close at 5pm from January to March.