Danbury Ridge Wine Estate

Essex, United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is an up-and-coming wine region that has been gaining a lot of recognition for their sparkling wines, but with warming temperatures due to climate change, this cool climate region has been starting to shift towards still wines with a focus on cool climate and hybrid varietals.

From the UK, Danbury Ridge located in Essex, specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. By focusing on these two varietals, they are able to encapsulate the complex and unassuming terroir of the English countryside. Founded by Michael and Heather Bunker, they planted the first vines in 2014 after recognizing that the land was not fertile enough for traditional agriculture but instead would be better suited to vines. Their vineyards are dominated by a mixture of clay, chalk, and loamy soils with geological deposits of volcanic minerals from prehistoric times. Their estate is currently at 29 hectares across three vineyards each with its own unique mesoclimate: Octagon Block, Sleipnir Block, and Polo Field. They also source from neighbouring vineyards that are dedicated to producing the same high-quality grapes.