Robin Hood's Bay Vineyard: A Coastal English Wine Estate in North Yorkshire
Location and Setting
Bay Vineyard sits on Greenhills Farm on the cliff tops above the historic fishing village of Robin Hood's Bay, just to the south of Whitby on the North Yorkshire coast. The postcode is YO22 4PJ, and the site is most easily found using the what3words reference ///culminate.building.branched. The owners advise visitors not to follow SatNav routes down Smay Lane or High Lane as they are too narrow; the vineyard's drive joins the B1447 at the corner from Hooks House Campsite.
From the vineyard, the views sweep across the North Yorkshire countryside and out over the sea. It is that coastal setting - the salt air, the sea breeze, and especially the cooler nights that drift off the North Sea - that the Sheveling family credit for much of the character of their still and sparkling wines. As Ian Sheveling puts it, Bay is "so peaceful and calm overlooking the sea, it's just wonderful".
The Vineyard Story
Bay Vineyard is the younger sister estate to Holmfirth Vineyard in West Yorkshire, which Rebecca and Ian Sheveling established in 2008 and which today employs around 40 people and runs a full winery, restaurant, licenced wedding venue and seven self-catering apartments. The couple bought Greenhills Farm at auction originally with the intention of supplying extra fruit for Holmfirth, but they fell in love with Robin Hood's Bay and the surrounding coastal community, and the project soon became a vineyard in its own right.
Planting began in 2017, with 20,000 vines going into the ground - 14,000 Solaris (a white variety) and 6,000 Rondo (a red variety). The first significant harvest came in 2022, and the inaugural wines - a 2023 Dry Rosé, a 2023 Medium Rosé and a 2023 Dry White - were bottled and released shortly afterwards. A still Rondo Red followed after two years of development, and a sparkling Rondo Rosé - the first sparkling wine the Shevelings had ever produced - was put through its second fermentation in bottle and released in late 2025.
Unlike the larger Holmfirth operation, Bay Vineyard is essentially a husband-and-wife project, with just Rebecca and Ian running it day-to-day, supported by a trusted team of pickers during the September harvest. As a direct consequence, the estate only opens on a limited number of days each year, primarily for pre-booked tours and tastings.
Grape Varieties: Solaris and Rondo
Two grape varieties do all the heavy lifting at Bay Vineyard, and the owners have chosen them carefully so that a poor summer for one is rarely a poor summer for both.
Solaris
Solaris is a versatile, early-ripening white variety that the Shevelings describe as capable of producing everything from a sparkling wine to a dry white, a medium white and an array of blends. It flowered early in the 2025 season and was unfortunately hit by a run of cold, wet spring weather - a reminder, the owners note, of the inherent risks of growing grapes on the English coast. At Bay it produces an aromatic dry white with crisp apple notes, elderflower and pear aromas, and a refreshing coastal acidity on the finish.
Rondo
Rondo is a dark-skinned, hardy variety that resists downy mildew and reliably produces a crop even in tougher seasons. At Bay Vineyard it is used to make:
- A dry rosé (ruby-pink, no skin contact, with gentle berry and dark currant notes, vanilla and dark cherry hints).
- A medium-dry rosé (deeper pink, with strawberry, cranberry and dark currant character).
- A still red, made by leaving the juice on the skins for seven days to build soft tannins, producing a deep burgundy wine with blackcurrant, red apple and dark cherry flavours.
- A sparkling rosé, made in the traditional "champagne method" - the colour comes from the Rondo grape juice and the freshness from those cooler coastal nights.
Interestingly, the wines made from the same varieties at Holmfirth taste noticeably different from those at Bay - a result the Shevelings put down to the very different terroir of the North Yorkshire coast.
The Wines of Bay Vineyard
All of Bay Vineyard's wines are sold and distributed through the estate itself, and the range now covers still whites and rosés, a still red, sparkling wines, gift boxes and mixed cases. Wine contains sulphites and customers ordering online must be 18 or older.
Still Wines
- BAY Vineyard NEW Rosé Dry 2025 - £19.50. A gently blended dry rosé of Solaris, Rondo and a hint of Bacchus, with strawberry, pink grapefruit, elderflower and peach notes.
- BAY Vineyard Solaris Medium Dry White 2025 - £18.50. Single-variety Solaris with crisp apple, elderflower and pear aromas and a lingering finish.
- BAY Vineyard Solaris Medium White 2025 - £18.50. A softer, slightly sweeter expression of the same Solaris fruit.
- Bay Vineyard Rondo Rosé 2025 Medium - £18.50.
- BAY Vineyard Rondo Rosé Medium Dry 2025 - £18.50.
- BAY Vineyard Rosé Dry 2023 - £18.50.
- BAY Vineyard Solaris Dry White 2025 - £18.50.
- Bay Vineyard Still Rondo Red 2023 Limited Edition - £22.00. Seven days on the skins to build soft, delicate tannins; blackcurrant, deep red apple and dark cherry notes.
Sparkling Wines
- Yorkshire Sparkling Rondo Rosé - Bay Vineyard 2023 - £35.00. Traditional-method sparkling rosé, balanced and rounded with a long aftertaste; described by the Shevelings as the best sparkling they have ever made.
- Sheveling Sparkling Wine - Special Wine Makers Edition - £35.00. An English Brut made by head winemaker Martin Fowke for Sheveling Wine Estates using the traditional method with a second fermentation in bottle.
Mixed Cases
- 12 Bottle Mixed Rosé & White (no Red) Case, 4 of each - £210.00 (was £236.00).
- 6 Bottle Mix Rosé & White Case, 3 bottles of each - £108.00 (was £118.00).
- 6 Bottle Mix Rosé & White Case, 2 of each - £99.00 (was £111.00).
- 12 Bottle Mix Case, 3 of each (including Rondo Red) - £215.00.
- 3 Bottle Mix Case, 1 of each - £58.00.
Gift Boxes
Most of the wines can be ordered as single or double bottles presented in a beautiful wooden box - ideal for birthdays, anniversaries, corporate gifts and the festive season. Highlights include:
- Single gift boxes of Rondo Red (£30.00), Solaris White Dry, Rondo Rosé Medium and Rondo Dry (each £28.00).
- Yorkshire Sparkling Rondo Rosé in a single gift box (£46.00) or a double-bottle gift box (£85.00).
- Dual-variety gift boxes pairing the sparkling Rondo Rosé with a still white, rosé or red from £48.00 to £68.00.
- Sparkling & still pairings by Sheveling's head winemaker Martin Fowke: Brut & Bay Solaris White Dry, Brut & Bay Rosé Dry and Brut & Bay Rosé Medium Dry, each at £68.00.
- Gift Box Set - 1x Rosé & 1x White Sparkling - £80.00.
- Mother's Day gift boxes in Sparkling, Dry Rosé, Medium Rosé and Solaris White (from £26.50 to £42.50).
Sister-Estate Wines and Merchandise
A handful of bottles from Holmfirth Vineyard can also be ordered alongside the Bay range - including English Red Wine - Regent Rondo Red 2021 (£22.00) and English White Wine - Solaris (£18.50) - for those who want to compare Yorkshire wines from the two estates.
Two pieces of branded merchandise are also available: a Bay Vineyard Embroidered Black T-Shirt at £20.00 and a Bay Vineyard Embroidered Cap at £14.00.
Vineyard Tours and Wine Tastings
The main way to visit Bay Vineyard is on a guided Vineyard Tour & Wine Tasting. The tour lasts 1 hour 30 minutes and costs £20.00 per person. Visitors are taken through the vineyard and the purpose-built on-site winery before sitting down to taste a selection of the current Bay wines. Knowledgeable guides explain the history of the site, the realities of growing grapes by the North Sea and how the wines are made. Bookings are taken online via the tour booking calendar.
For groups of 15 or more, the Shevelings can arrange a private tour on a date and time of the group's choosing - simply email contact@bayvineyard.co.uk to enquire.
2025 Tour Dates
Bay Vineyard is not open every day; tours run on a published calendar of dates through the spring, summer and early autumn. The full 2025 schedule is:
- March: 15
- April: 19, 20, 21
- May: 2, 3, 4 and 23, 24, 25
- June: 6, 7, 8 and 20, 21, 28
- July: 25, 26
- August: 1, 2, 3
- September: 5, 6, 7 and 19, 20, 21
- October: 3, 4
Outside these dates the cellar door is not formally open, but wine can sometimes be collected by prior arrangement - visitors are asked to email ahead so that someone can be on site.
Visiting Bay Vineyard
How to Get There
Robin Hood's Bay is just to the south of Whitby in North Yorkshire. From the A171 Scarborough - Whitby road, follow signs down to the bay village and then up towards the B1447. The vineyard's drive joins the B1447 at the corner from Hooks House Campsite. SATNAV users should ignore any suggestion to go down Smay Lane or High Lane - they are too narrow for most vehicles. The what3words reference is ///culminate.building.branched and the postcode is YO22 4PJ.
A Word on Licensing
Because the estate is still working through its premises licence application, on-site wine sales currently operate on specific days under a temporary licence. Tours and tastings, however, run throughout the published calendar and are the best way to taste the full range of still and sparkling wines.
Holmfirth Vineyard, the Sister Estate
Holmfirth Vineyard in West Yorkshire, established by Rebecca and Ian Sheveling in 2008, is the larger sister estate to Bay. It runs a full winery, restaurant and licenced wedding venue, and offers self-catering accommodation. Holmfirth is open to the public 364 days a year.
Buying Wine and Gift Vouchers Online
The full range of still and sparkling wines, mixed cases and gift boxes is available through the online shop, with prices ranging from £14 for a cap to £215 for the 12-bottle mixed case. As a Yorkshire vineyard wine is classed as an alcoholic product, all online customers must confirm they are 18 or older at checkout; the vineyard reserves the right to cancel or refuse orders to anyone suspected of being under 18.
For those who would rather let the recipient choose, Robin Hood's Bay Vineyard Gift Vouchers are available in denominations of £20, £40, £50, £58, £60, £80, £100, £120, £140, £150 and £200, or in any other amount, making them a flexible present for tours, tastings and cellar-door purchases alike.
Contact
The fastest way to reach Bay Vineyard is by email. The address is:
- General enquiries and cellar door visits: contact@bayvineyard.net
- Tours, tastings and private group bookings: contact@bayvineyard.co.uk
Postal enquiries can be sent to Robin Hood's Bay Vineyard, Robin Hood's Bay, Whitby, YO22 4PJ. It is worth checking the spam or junk folder for replies, as messages occasionally misroute.