Winding Wood Vineyard

Winding Wood Vineyard is a boutique, organic vineyard situated in the beautiful western corner of Berkshire, between Hungerford and Newbury. What sets this small estate apart is its uncompromising commitment to biodynamic farming – at the end of 2024, after a three-year conversion, Winding Wood became both organic and Demeter certified, making it one of only a handful of such vineyards in England and Wales.

Winding Wood Vineyard: Site and Grape Varieties

The vines are planted on free-draining loam over flint and chalk – ideal terroir for English sparkling wine. Planted in 2013, the vineyard focuses exclusively on the classic champagne varieties of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with wine made using the traditional method including first fermentation in oak barrels and second fermentation in bottle.

The results speak for themselves: Gold Medal and Trophy for Best Sparkling Rosé at the WineGB Awards 2024, Gold Medal and Trophy for Top Sparkling Wine at the Independent English Wine Awards 2024, and numerous other accolades. The wines are aged for a minimum of 24 months on their yeast lees before disgorging, followed by six months resting on cork before release.

Winding Wood's biodynamic approach means using regenerative methods exclusively – no tilling under the vine, constant work to improve soil content, no synthetic chemicals, and medicinal plant teas sprayed to build the vines' natural disease resistance. The thriving insect and soil life testifies to the success of this approach.

Winemaker Daniel Ham of Offbeat Wines, who trained at Ridgeview under Mike Roberts before heading Langham Wines, crafts each vintage with a philosophy of minimal intervention. Tours led by the owners run from May to October, offering intimate insight into this exceptional biodynamic estate.