Did you know that there are 10 Hampshire Vineyard Tours you can do? Because I didn’t!
Welcome to wine country, buh-bye Napa Valley and hello Hampshire because the south coast is where the wine’s at.
Here’s 10 Hampshire Vineyard Tours you can go on…
After writing a post about the best things to do in the county I discovered that Hampshire has so many vineyards and I’ve got a real urge to visit them and do the tours.
The idea of being outside trying some nice local wine in the glorious Hampshire countryside is really appealing and an experience I’ve not really thought of doing in the county before.
Hampshire is blessed to have rich soils, a sunny climate and is home to many award winning wine producing vineyards which offer tours.
The vineyards are in no particular order, and cover all the whole of Hampshire…
Hattingley Valley Wines, Alresford
After launching in 2013 Hattingley Valley has won many awards. With an array of still and sparkling wines, its also one of the UK’s few vineyards to make dessert wine.
I have followed this vineyard for, wow, I think it was about 3-4 years before they even produced any wine at various events it sponsored across the county.
When it launched it’s first wine I went to a sampling event (delicious if you were wondering) but would love to return for a full tour.
Hattingley splits its tours into just the winery or the winery and vineyard. It explains its story so far along with a description of the traditional wine making process and sampling of the range. There’s also the added bonus of being able to buy wine at cellar door prices.
Tours last for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutess and are available all year round with the exception of harvest time.
Prices vary depending on which tour you pick and hover around the £20 mark.
Hambledon Vineyard, Hambledon
Hambledon is the oldest commercial winery in the country, it has a history dating back to 1952!
The vineyard is based at the edge of the South Downs, which if you’re not local is a stunning landscape of chalk hills that sweeps across Hampshire, East and West Sussex.
I love the sparkling white wine from Hambledon Vineyard and we always try and make sure we have some in at Christmas. It’s incredibly tasty, it’s served at one of my favourite local restaurants and I always order it when I visit.
Tours last approximately 2 hours and include a tasting of two of the Classic Cuvée sparkling wines.
Tours are slightly under £20 and do not run in October because of the harvest.
Side note: The Hambledon also runs ‘wine experiences’ as well as ‘Crab and Cuvée’ evenings along with other classic wine pairing events. They’ve always looked amazing and it’s in my plan to book one as soon as they come around next.
Setley Ridge Vineyard, New Forest
The family run vineyard in the beautiful Brockenhurst forms part of a larger farm shop, garden centre and tea room, opened in 2001.
It’s strange because I’ve been to the farm shop which is well stocked with local produce and the garden centre is so pretty. But, I didn’t know there was a vineyard attached to it too. If you booked a vineyard tour you could probably spend a really good chunk, if not all, of your day here.
Tours of the grounds and winery are by appointment only, so give them a call or drop them an email.
Raimes Vineyard, Alresford
This award winning Hampshire vineyard tour is based on a family farm producing high quality sparkling wines. Over five generations of family have been farming the historic Tichborne Estate which spans from the River Itchen to the edge of the South Downs.
Tours last about 1 hour and 30 minutes run from May to September and Raimes offers a real variety of tours for groups, private bookings and a selection of ‘Open Cellar Days’ which do not require booking. Prices start from £12 per person.
Black Chalk Vineyard, Andover
Both the ‘Classic’ and ‘Wild Rose’ sparkling wines produced by The Black Chalk Estate are award winners.
The vineyard is nestled on the banks of the River Test, so it really is a very pretty place to visit.
A resident expert will take you round the vineyard, followed by a tasting of the current range of wines. Prices start from £18.
Serious wine fans can also join The Circle Wine Club, for an annual fee, with a wonderful wine package including tours and other treats.
Jenkyn Place, Bentley
Another award winning wine producer offering Hampshire vineyard tours! I told you the county is a real golden spot thanks to its chalk landscape which mimics the champagne growing region in France.
Based in the North Hampshire Downs, the vineyards cover 12 acres of fields that were first planted up with vines in 2004.
Keep an eye on the Jenkyn Place website for the latest tour updates.
Danebury Vineyard, Stockbridge
Danebury Vineyard is based on the paddocks of what was a famous nineteenth-century racehorse training yard in the centre of Hampshire. In recognition of the vineyard’s heritage, the logo nods to horse racing across a Tudor rose.
This boutique vineyard hosts some lovely looking events. It’s definitely worth keeping your eye on the ‘upcoming events’ page to see if you can tie in a visit with one.
Tours last approximately 2 hours, cost £10 a ticket, include the sampling of two of the Danebury wines, a visit to the cellar and the chance to visit the vineyard shop. Groups are kept to a maximum of 20 people.
Cottonworth Vineyard, Andover
This vineyard in the Test Valley is home to the Liddell family who have been farming there for four generations. It’s so nice to see the majority of vineyards in Hampshire are family run and not big corporations. It’s so refreshing and makes me want to buy more from them to support local and independent.
Cottonworth makes the most of the beautiful setting with a converted barn for gatherings. It also has a ‘Vine Maze’ which is a circular set of vines with space often used for weddings and other event.
Tours run most Fridays and Saturdays from June to October and last for about 2 hours. Prices are approximately £55 for two people and include a guided tour of the vineyard, wine tasting in the exclusive tasting room and a Winemakers’ Lunch. Sounds good to me.
Trotton Estate Vineyard, near Petersfield
Another award winning wine producer – I kid you not!
Trotton Estate Vineyard has a charming backstory and hasn’t always been a farm. The owners played polo at nearby Cowdray Park Polo Club and originally bought the land for their ponies. I mean this is a Jackie Collins novel the making, right?
After the horses and riders retired, there was a lot of land that was no longer being used.
They stumbled across other local vineyards and realised their land would also suite vines. They still have horses though, which you might see on your tour as well as their labradors who like to say hello.
A relative newcomer to the Hampshire wine scene they planted their first vineyard in 2013. This allowed them them to produce their first still white wine in 2015, which went on to win multiple awards.
Tours last for about 1 hour and 30 minutes and can be booked online every Saturday from May to September and special dates can be arranged on request. Prices start from £20.
Titchfield Vineyard, Titchfield
The last tour I discovered is close to the The Solent in the gorgeous tiny Elizabethan village of Titchfield.
It is one of the older vineyards in the area. It was planted in 1991 and the first wine produced in 1996, so it has a really established range of wines on offer.
Tours around the vineyard are by appointment only. They start at £10 per person with a minimum group of 10 people including a sample of still wines.
It’s all very civilised with additional packages including a cheese platters or Southern Shore sparkling wines in the tasting. Contact the vineyard directly to find out about availability. I mean, cheese and wine, name a better pair…
If you live locally you might want to join the Wine Club. For £20 a year you get a tour and tasting or a ticket to the Jazz in the Vineyard event, an invitation to the annual grape picking harvest and 10% off all wines at The Cork and Cheese, the vineyard’s local shop.
10 Hampshire Vineyard Tours
If you want to discover some fantastic vintages these 10 Hampshire vineyard tours are a great place to start.
Let me know in the comments section if you’ve been to any of these and what you thought of them.
If you’re looking for other things to do in Hampshire, take a look at this post…
THE A TO Z OF THINGS TO DO IN HAMPSHIRE
3 thoughts on “10 Hampshire Vineyard Tours”