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Hampshire is a county in South East England that has become celebrated for its production of English wine, and English sparkling wine in particular. Leading producers here include Hambledon Vineyard, Exton Park Vineyard and Hattingley Valley. It is also home to Bride Valley Vineyard, founded by the late wine writer Steven Spurrier and his wife, Bella. Hampshire has long been an important place for Berry Bros. & Rudd: we have offices and warehouses in Basingstoke and Andover.

Hambledon Vineyard boasts a rich history as the first English commercial vineyard, established in the early 1950s by the Francophile Sir Guy Salisbury Jones. After a decline, Ian Kellett acquired the vineyard in 1999, and his dedicated investments have led to some of the country’s finest Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes.

The appointment of renowned oenologist Hervé Jestin, a pioneer of organic viticulture and Cellar Master at Champagne Leclerc Briant, has revitalised Hambledon’s standing in the wine industry. Alongside winemakers Felix Gabillet and Sam Picton, Hervé crafts exquisite sparkling wines with a distinctive English flair.

In 2023, we proudly became part owners of Hambledon in partnership with Symington Family Estates. This collaboration merges our longstanding family businesses and shared dedication to sustainable viticulture and winemaking.

Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.

Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.

It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.

Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.