Wine country within sight of the M25.
There is a particular pleasure in finding a vineyard inside the M25 orbit. The Chilterns — chalk, beech, kite-haunted — hold a quiet line of estates barely an hour from central London, with cellar doors that genuinely welcome walk-ins.
The region shares its geology with Champagne and the South Downs but sits further inland; the wines tend slightly leaner, the styles more eclectic. Several estates here are still finding their voice.
Pair a tasting with a Chiltern walk — the Ridgeway runs through several of these vineyards. Bring boots.
Sub-regions & appellations
Chiltern Hills AONB
Chalk and beech, north-west of London.
Thames Valley
Riverside estates from Henley to Maidenhead.
Award-winning in Thames & Chilterns
A small, Demeter-certified biodynamic vineyard in West Berkshire, Winding Wood sells sparkling wine direct from the cellar door.
All Angels is a family-run sparkling wine estate near Newbury, Berkshire, named after its neighbouring parish church.
Harrow & Hope is a small, single-vineyard sparkling wine producer on the chalk slopes above Marlow, certified organic since 2023.
Hundred Hills is a single-estate sparkling wine producer on 17 hectares of chalk in the Stonor Valley, Oxfordshire, planted in 2014.
A vineyard and winery on the south side of the Thames near Wallingford, making still and sparkling wines and an English brandy from its own grapes.
Fairmile is a Henley-on-Thames vineyard whose maiden 2015 vintage Decanter rated England's only Outstanding sparkling white.
Dropmore Vineyard is a small, family vineyard in Buckinghamshire, on land once part of the Dropmore House estate, open to pre-arranged visitors by appointment.
Above Henley-on-Thames on Chiltern chalk, a boutique vineyard offers guided tastings and a wine bar among the vines by booking.
A Berkshire wine estate near Twyford that makes its wine in a listed 17th-century barn, with a cellar shop and wine bar in a Victorian greenhouse.
Curated trips in Thames & Chilterns
No curated trip runs through Thames & Chilterns yet.
Plan a trip to Thames & Chilterns
Pin estates onto a map, follow a curated itinerary, or stitch your own weekend together — drive times and tasting hours included.
The Thames & Chilterns in the Journal
Thames & Chilterns on the UK map
Counted as wineries available to visit.