Cellar door wine tasting near York
A self-guided cellar door wine tasting with Yorkshire nibbles at Nun Monkton, a village outside York.
Starts Nun Monkton, near York
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Vineyard guide · Nun Monkton
Visiting Yorkshire Heart Vineyard & Brewery
Yorkshire Heart is a family-run vineyard and brewery at Nun Monkton, between York and Harrogate, where wine and beer are both made on site. Book a vineyard tour or a self-guided tasting, eat at the Winehouse Café, or camp beside the vines in summer.
Yorkshire Heart at a glance
| Founded | First 35 vines planted in 2000, first commercial acre in 2006, brewery 2011 |
|---|---|
| Known for | Northern English still and sparkling wines, made alongside its own craft beers |
| Grapes | Over 20 varieties, mainly Solaris, Rondo, Pinot Noir, Seyval Blanc and Ortega |
| Open | Tuesday to Saturday from 9.30am, closing at 4pm or 5pm; Sundays from Easter to October; closed Mondays |
| Booking | Book tours and cellar door tastings ahead online, especially at weekends |
| Tours from | £30 |
| Food | The Winehouse Café, for breakfast, lunch, platters, cakes and afternoon tea |
| Dogs | Welcome on a lead in the café, on the terrace and outdoors |
| Children | Welcome on site and in the café, vineyard and brewery tours are for adults |
| Stay | Camping from 18 April to 31 October and a glamping BBQ cabin from May to October |
| By train | Hammerton, about 3 miles away, with a pre-booked taxi |
Checked on the vineyard’s own website in October 2026.
About Yorkshire Heart
Yorkshire Heart began in 2000 as a hobby, when Gillian planted 35 vines in a garden in Nun Monkton to see whether grapes could survive a Yorkshire summer. Once she was sure the fruit would ripen, the family planted its first full acre in 2006 and moved into commercial winemaking. Her son Tim set up the brewery in 2011, a 12-barrel plant brewing cask and keg ales with water from the estate’s own spring. The name comes from the site’s position near the geographical centre of Yorkshire.
The vineyard now covers 18 acres of clay soil in the Vale of York, and in 2025, its 25th year, it reached 29,000 vines and a record harvest. Over 20 varieties are grown, led by Solaris for white wine and Rondo for red, with Pinot Noir, Seyval Blanc for sparkling wine, and Ortega. The cool climate means the grapes ripen slowly. Much of the vineyard work is done by hand, harvest is picked in late September or October, often with volunteers, and every wine is pressed, fermented and bottled in the winery beside the vines.
The Winehouse Café opened in 2017, when the site began hosting tours, tastings and events, and in 2024 Yorkshire Heart was named Family Business of the Year at the York Press Awards. At the WineGB Midlands & North Awards 2026 its Solaris Orange Wine won the Laurel Vines Trophy as the best orange wine in the competition, alongside seven silver and five bronze medals. In 2025 Latimer White won gold at the same awards, and the brewery’s BlackHeart Stout took a SIBA silver.
The wines
Yorkshire Heart makes white, red, rosé, orange, sparkling and dessert wines, all from grapes grown at Nun Monkton. The Latimer range of white, red and rosé is the everyday line, with the Eleanor white and rosé, a Winemaker’s Choice white, a Pinot Noir, an Acolon red and a Sparkling White above it. Smaller releases include a Solaris Orange Wine, a Solara dessert wine and vintage sparkling wines such as the Kathleen Sparkling Rosé. The brewery’s beers, including BlackHeart Stout, J.R.T. Golden Best, Liberty Lager and a gluten-free range, are sold alongside. Where to buy them.
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Tours and tastings at Yorkshire Heart
The vineyard, brewery and Winehouse Café share one site off Pool Lane in Nun Monkton. The café opens from 9.30am Tuesday to Saturday, until 4pm on Tuesday and Thursday and 5pm on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. On Sundays it opens 9.30am to 4pm from Easter to October, and it is closed on Mondays. It serves breakfast and brunch until 11.30am, then platters, a Yorkshire Ploughman’s, sandwiches, soups and homemade cakes, and afternoon tea from £21.95 is booked online. Cellar door tastings are served in the café, and wine and beer can be bought there, including online orders collected free. Tours need booking ahead, especially at weekends. The café, terrace and toilets are on the ground floor and accessible, but the vineyard is grass and soil, so access depends on the weather. Camping runs from 18 April to 31 October on 15 grass pitches next to the vines, from £25 a night for two, with a two-night minimum, hot showers and no electric hook-ups. Dogs are allowed for a small fee.
| Experience | Price | Length | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vineyard Tour & Wine Tasting A glass of sparkling wine on arrival, a guided tour of the vines and winery with the family or the team, then a tasting of a white, red and rosé with a plate of nibbles. A light lunch platter (£12.50) or Yorkshire afternoon tea (£20) can be added. | From £30 per person | About 1.5 hours | Dates and times shown on the online booking calendar |
| Cellar Door Wine Tasting A self-guided tasting at the Winehouse. The Classic is three 50ml glasses of the Latimer red, white and rosé; the Signature is six wines including sparkling, the Winemaker’s Choice and limited single-variety wines. Both come with three nibbles, chosen from cheese, meats, crackers, olives and chocolate. | Classic £18.95, Signature £25.95 per person | No time limit | Tuesday to Sunday, booked ahead |
| Acoustic Music Nights Two live acoustic sets in the Winehouse Café, or the courtyard in good weather, with supper at about 8pm. | £15 per adult, £7.50 per child, including supper | Bar opens 6pm, music from 7pm until 9.30pm | 13 November 2026, then the last Friday of the month from March to October 2027 |
| Beers & Bangers Night A guided tasting of at least six Yorkshire Heart beers, with nibbles and gourmet hot dogs made with sausages from a local butcher. | From £25 per person | 6.30pm to about 9.30pm | 4 December 2026 |
| Brewery Tour & Tasting A tour of the 12-barrel brewery with head brewer Tim, with three half-pints during the tour and three more with a hot dog or burger supper in the Winehouse Café. | From £25 per person | About 2 hours from 6pm, with the bar open until 9.30pm | Monthly from April to October 2027: 9 April, 14 May, 11 June, 9 July, 13 August, 10 September and 8 October |
Book these on the Yorkshire Heart website.
Tours that include Yorkshire Heart
If you would rather not drive, these tours take you there, with tastings included.
Give a visit as a present
Vineyard tour and tasting at Yorkshire Heart
A guided tour of Yorkshire Heart's vines and winery, north-west of York, ending with a tasting of its wines. Versions with a lunch platter or afternoon tea are also sold.
Good to know Yorkshire Heart's own tour and tasting is £30 a head, so the voucher is cheaper than booking direct.
What’s on
Coming up at the vineyard, from its own website. All vineyard events.
Music and social
Acoustic music nights
Two sets of live acoustic music in the Winehouse Café, with a homemade supper included.
Friday 13 November 2026 and Friday 26 March 2027 · Bar from 6pm, music 7pm to 9.30pm · £15 adults, £7.50 children · Book ahead
Tasting
Beers and bangers night
A guided tasting of six of the brewery’s beers with hot dogs and nibbles. Limited to 16 people.
Friday 4 December 2026 · 6.30pm to about 9.30pm · £25 a head · Book ahead
Buy Yorkshire Heart Vineyard & Brewery 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
The nearest station is Hammerton, on the York to Harrogate line, about 3 miles away. There is no footpath to the vineyard and mobile signal is patchy, so book a taxi both ways before you travel; the vineyard suggests Neil Phillips Private Hire or Town Travel. By car, Nun Monkton is just off the A59 between York and Harrogate, and the postcode YO26 8EL leads to the gate. Parking is free for cars, campervans and coaches, and with notice you can leave your car overnight and take a taxi home.
Make a day of it
The Alice Hawthorn pub in Nun Monkton is about a mile away, and The Bay Horse at Green Hammerton about three miles. York is around 10 miles away, and Harrogate and Knaresborough are both within easy reach along the A59. For self-catering, the vineyard points to cottages at Kirk Hammerton and Tockwith, and to holiday lets in Nun Monkton itself.
See every vineyard you can visit in our Yorkshire directory.
Questions people ask
Do you need to book at Yorkshire Heart?
Yes for tours and cellar door tastings, which are booked online, especially at weekends. Afternoon tea and evening events are also booked online.
How much is the Yorkshire Heart vineyard tour?
The Vineyard Tour & Wine Tasting is from £30 per person and takes about an hour and a half, including a glass of sparkling wine, three still wines and a plate of nibbles. Self-guided cellar door tastings cost £18.95 or £25.95.
Can you take children to Yorkshire Heart?
Children are welcome on the site and in the café, and there is space for them to run around. The vineyard and brewery tours are for adults.
Is Yorkshire Heart dog friendly?
Yes. Well-behaved dogs on a lead are welcome in the Winehouse Café, on the terrace and in outdoor areas, and on the campsite for a small fee.
How do you get to Yorkshire Heart by train?
Take the York to Harrogate line to Hammerton, about 3 miles away, then a taxi. There is no footpath and mobile signal is patchy, so book your taxi in advance for both directions.
Can you camp at Yorkshire Heart?
Yes. The campsite has 15 grass pitches next to the vines for tents, caravans and campervans, open from 18 April to 31 October, from £25 a night for two people with a two-night minimum. There is also a glamping BBQ cabin from May to October.