Two years ago, my husband and I accidentally discovered Denbies Wine Estate during a walk in the Surrey Hills. A visit to estate and, of course, sampling the wines has been on our list ever since. England is perhaps not a country one would associate with wine, but over the years I’ve tried some rather nice English wines and I was keen to learn more about them. Most English vineyards that offer sampling can be found in Surrey. Understandably, they are generally a bit remote. Denbies’ location however, is very convenient near Dorking railway station, with direct connections to London. This makes it perfect for an afternoon or evening out whilst sampling English wine in Surrey.
Activities at Denbies Wine Estate
This August, we finally managed to fit it in that visit to Denbies. The estate is geared up for visitors and offers several options for tours and experiences. My husband and I opted for an outdoors vineyard tour and cellar visit followed by a three-course dinner in their on-site Gallery Restaurant. This gave the opportunity to not only enjoy a tasting, but also sample several wines combined with food. The price of the package (55 GBP per person) was very fair.
Vineyard tour and a little history of Denbies
We started the experience with a tour of the estate in the Vineyard Train. The little train takes you up to the highest part of the estate, where you can – on a clear day – admire the town of Dorking and a number of key landmarks in the Surrey Hills. Chris, our knowledgeable driver, explained the history of the estate and vineyard during the trip.
The estate sits in the heart of the Surrey Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Needless to say, it is very picturesque. The day of our visit was overcast and slightly rainy, giving the hills and vines a fresh and lush look. Denbies is the largest independent vineyard in the UK. The estate is more than 600 acres large and around half of this surface is covered with vines. The first ones were planted in 1986.
Cellar tour and wine tasting
Next up was the cellar where we could see how the barrels are stored and received an explanation of the production process. We enjoyed Denbies’ signature sparkling wine “Greenfields” with some nicely paired canapés.
The last part of the visit was dinner at the Gallery restaurant. The package came with a set menu (there were a few options to choose from for each course) and of course there was an extensive and affordable wine list. I sampled the “Ranmore” Hill white and “Redlands” red wines with my food.
Add a walk in the Surrey Hills
We just went over in the late afternoon and evening for the tour and dinner. However, if you don’t want to go just for sampling English wine in Surrey, several options exist to make a full day trip out of it. I visited the historic market town of Dorking at a previous occasion and it is well worth a stop. Furthermore, the North Downs Way crosses through the Denbies estate, so you can easily combine a visit with a walk.
The dress code in the restaurant and for the rest of the tour was pretty relaxed, so showing up in your walking clothes is not an issue. You can even lodge in a farmhouse B&B on the estate, in case you’re planning to drive or just don’t want to make a late trip back home.
