Squerryes

Squerryes represents one of the most remarkable stories in English wine. This 2,500-acre estate near Westerham has been home to the Warde family for over 300 years, eight generations who have shaped and cared for this corner of Kent. Above the front door sits the family motto: 'Licet Esse Beatis', meaning 'permitted to be happy', a philosophy that extends to every visitor who arrives at this historic property.

The journey to winemaking began in 2006 when the family planted 35 acres of Champagne clones, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Originally, plans had included a partnership with a Champagne house, but when those negotiations ended, the Warde family decided to continue independently. Their faith was rewarded when the vines began fruiting in 2008, with the first reserves taken in 2010.

Squerryes holds a unique position in European viticulture as one of the last vineyards on the continent to harvest its crop each autumn. The wines are left on the lees for at least 30 months, developing complexity and finesse before release. The range currently includes Brut and Rosé expressions, each reflecting the estate's exceptional chalk terroir and patient winemaking approach.

Historically, the estate's connection to wine runs deep. Treasured letters reveal how Sir Patience Warde once traded wool from the estate with the French for red wine, which he then sold to the hardworking people of London. Today's Squerryes wines continue this tradition of bringing quality wine to appreciative drinkers.

Visiting Squerryes

Visitors to Squerryes can experience the winery and restaurant, which offers dining designed to complement the estate's wines. The broader estate provides context for this wine venture, a working landscape that has evolved over centuries while remaining in the stewardship of a single family.

Squerryes wines embody heritage, patience, and quality, a fitting expression of an estate where tradition and innovation have combined to produce some of Kent's finest sparkling wines.