English Wine Week
During English Wine Week we sat down with our suppliers from Hundred Hills to talk all about the new wave of sparkling English wine, and our country is becoming a classic on the wine list.
From the rolling slopes of Oxfordshire to the tables of Emberwood, Hundred Hills has quietly established itself as one of England's most exciting sparkling wine producers. We spoke with the team about place, patience and why the pursuit of better wine will always matter more than producing more of it.
What was the original vision when you started Hundred Hills, and what does "Oxfordshire sparkling wine" mean to you beyond the geography?
We're rooted in Bath, proud of where we come from. We're curious about how you think about place. Is it central to your brand, or simply where you happen to make wine?
'The location of Hundred Hills is the result of years of searching and assessing hundreds of sites across southern England. We eventually found exactly what we were looking for in the secluded Stonor Valley, where the Chiltern Ridge and surrounding heritage woodlands create a unique environment for growing exceptional fruit.
For us, Oxfordshire is far more than a location on a label. It's fundamental to who we are and the wines we produce. The landscape, climate and soils all contribute to creating sparkling wines with a distinctive sense of place.'
Your wine feels precise and bright. That clarity doesn't happen by accident. Walk us through your philosophy on winemaking. What are you deliberately choosing to do, and what are you choosing not to do?
'Our philosophy has always been that great wines are made in the vineyard rather than the winery. We only vinify fruit that has spent at least 100 days on the vine, so the period between flowering and harvest is absolutely critical in determining the quality of the finished wine.
Once the fruit is harvested and gently pressed, our role changes. Rather than shaping the wine, we aim to preserve the unique characteristics of that vintage, allowing each season to express itself naturally.'
Talk about your production process. How intentional is your approach to intervention versus patience?
We work the same way at the hearth, balancing control with respect for what's in front of us. How do you approach that? What's non-negotiable in your craft, and what are you willing to evolve?
'Our estate is divided into ten individual vineyard parcels, each with its own personality. Every parcel is vinified separately to create a diverse collection of base wines, and in many cases, we preserve those wines individually all the way through secondary fermentation as single-parcel bottlings.
Every Hundred Hills wine is a single vintage, which allows us to celebrate the individuality each growing season brings rather than blending it away. Patience is essential throughout the process, allowing every parcel and every vintage to reveal its own character.'
Hundred Hills is distinctly Oxfordshire. How embedded is that identity in how you actually operate, your sourcing, your land stewardship and your production choices?
'The vines are planted on former grazing land that had never previously been used for commercial agriculture. That gives us healthy soils rich in nutrients and organic matter from the outset.
Across the estate, we use organic farming practices alongside rewilding initiatives that encourage biodiversity throughout the vineyard. Looking after the land isn't an add-on for us; it's fundamental to how we farm and how we think about the future of the estate.'
Your positioning is understated. Your brand speaks to clarity over noise and quality over ornament. How intentional is that?
'Our philosophy has always been to let the wines speak for themselves. Every decision, from the vineyard through to presentation, is centred on precision, balance and authenticity.
Rather than chasing trends, we focus on producing wines of genuine quality that express both the vintage and the place they come from. Everything else naturally follows from that.'
We served your wine at our anniversary, and it set the perfect tone. Was that the kind of experience you hoped your wines would become part of?
'It makes us incredibly happy to see our wines enjoyed in so many different settings, celebrations, special occasions and alongside exceptional food.
For us, wine has always been about creating memorable experiences. Whether it's shared over dinner, poured to mark a milestone or enjoyed with friends, those moments are every bit as rewarding as making the wine itself.'
When a restaurant chooses to serve Hundred Hills, are they simply stockists or collaborators in something bigger?
'The places that choose to serve our wines are absolutely partners. We work closely with sommeliers, chefs and hospitality professionals who share our values and our commitment to quality.
Those relationships are incredibly important to us because they help shape the experience people have with our wines, and that's something we never take for granted.'
You've positioned Hundred Hills alongside our hearth, bold flavours that demand precision and structure. Was that intentional when you designed the wines, or did the pairing discover itself?
More broadly, how do you imagine Hundred Hills being enjoyed?
'None of our wines are created with specific pairings in mind. Our focus is always on making the most delicious, expressive and age-worthy wines we possibly can.
Only once the wines are complete do we discover where they naturally excel alongside food. That's one of the pleasures of seeing them poured in great restaurants, each chef and sommelier reveals something new about them.'
There's craft in repeatability. How do you balance consistency with the natural variation that comes with every vintage?
'Every stage of production is managed here on the estate. Growing, winemaking, bottling, ageing, disgorging and labelling all happen under one roof and under the care of the same team.
That complete oversight allows us to maintain consistency while respecting the individuality of each vintage. We only release wines when we believe they're ready to be enjoyed.'
What does growth look like for you? Have you set limits on scale to protect what you've built? And what does it mean to supply restaurants that care about provenance, craft and partnership as much as you do?
'Our ambition has never been to make more wine; it's to make better wine.
Having now produced ten vintages, we're fortunate to have a wonderful library of wines ageing on the estate, and we're excited to revisit those in the years ahead.
As we grow, our focus will remain on precision winemaking and building lasting relationships with outstanding restaurants and hospitality partners who value craftsmanship, provenance and genuine collaboration as much as we do.'
It is a pleasure to work with an array of suppliers, English Sparkling Wine to Rhine Valley Reds. We are hosting wine dinners and other tasting events. See our page for more details.
More to Explore
Guiding the hearth and house
At the hearth with David Hazell
