Black Chalk Winery - English Sparkling Wine in the Hampshire Test Valley
Tucked into the chalk downs of the Test Valley in Hampshire, Black Chalk Winery is one of the most exciting winemaker-led projects in English wine today. Its 30-acre estate of established vineyards, on-site winery and contemporary Tasting Room combine to produce small-batch, traditional method sparkling wines - and a growing portfolio of still wines - that have rapidly gathered national attention, including Gold and Silver medals at the IWSC 2026 Awards.
From a leap of faith to a Hampshire estate
Black Chalk began in 2015 with a leap of faith from founder and CEO Jacob Leadley, who left a comfortable London career to retrain as a winemaker at Plumpton College. Having cut his teeth at established English houses and worked vintages in Champagne and New Zealand, Jacob launched Black Chalk with grapes purchased from local Hampshire vineyards. The first wines were released in 2018.
Then, in 2020, the project found its real home. A group of unloved farm buildings and 12 hectares of established vineyards in the heart of the Test Valley - just outside the hamlet of Cottonworth - were transformed into Black Chalk HQ. Within the same year, a state-of-the-art winery was built on the site, completed just 48 hours before the first estate fruit was harvested.
Today, the winery is run by a deliberately small, winemaker-led team. Every team member spends time in both the vineyard and the winery, because, as the team is fond of saying, "we're all Black Chalk winemakers at heart." Winemaker Zoë Driver - the UK's first Winemaking Apprentice, with an MSc in Viticulture and Oenology from Plumpton - and Assistant Winemaker Andy Wiles lead the cellar, while Vineyard Manager Gwil Cooper and Vineyard Assistant Leah Holt tend the 45,000 vines.
The Test Valley terroir
Black Chalk's estate is set on shallow soils above pure, solid chalk - laid down 89.6 million years ago and the literal inspiration behind the winery's name. Across four vineyard sites - Rivers, bordered by the River Test and River Anton; Levels, the largest; HiDE, tucked in a sun-baked valley; and The Circle, the smallest, behind the Tasting Room - the team grows 34 different clone and rootstock combinations of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Précoce and Pinot Gris.
The approach is one of experimentation and precision, with sustainable, minimal-intervention practices certified by Sustainable Wines of Great Britain. Only vintage wines are made - no recipe blending - so each release is a true reflection of the story of that year.
The wines
Black Chalk is, at its core, a traditional method sparkling wine producer, with a small but increasingly confident still wine range on the side.
Sparkling wines
- Classic 2022 - £40.00. The flagship white sparkling, a 46% Pinot Noir, 42% Chardonnay, 12% Pinot Meunier blend aged at least 22 months on lees and a further six months on cork post-disgorgement, with a touch of oak (10%) for subtle richness. No malolactic fermentation preserves the crisp, fresh character. Tamlyn Currin called it "the Coco Chanel jacket of the sparkling wine world," awarding 17/20, and Jamie Goode declared it "the best Black Chalk Classic I've tried… absolutely brilliant."
- Wild Rose 2022 - £45.00. A delicate wild-rose pink sparkling rosé (57% Pinot Noir, 36% Pinot Meunier, 7% Chardonnay) with red-fruit intensity, fine texture and a deliciously mouthwatering finish. Tamlyn Currin called it "another glorious, head-tossing, racy yet rich and iridescently colourful wine… 17.5/20," while Victoria Moore of the Telegraph Luxury went further: "an off-the-charts good sparkling rosé."
- Paragon 2022 - £65.00. A 100% Chardonnay from the Upper Levels vineyard, fermented 50% in stainless steel and 50% in oak foudre, with a minimum 32 months on lees. IWSC 2026 Silver (92 pts) and a 96/100 from Jamie Goode, who praised its "crystalline citrus fruit, layers of flavour, lovely precision."
- Inversion 2022 - £65.00. A Pinot-led blend (73% Pinot Noir, 27% Pinot Meunier) dominated by the Pinot Noir 777 clone, with a minimum 32 months on lees. IWSC 2026 Silver (91 pts) and a 95/100 from Jamie Goode, who noted "lovely aromatics of cherry, fennel and lemon, with real complexity… really impressive."
- Eighty Nine Point Six 2020 Magnum - £165.00. A limited release of 953 magnums only, sourced from standout parcels across Upper Levels, HiDE and Rivers vineyards - pure chalk expression, with 80% stainless steel fermentation and 20% in old 228-litre French oak barrels, and a minimum 56 months on lees. IWSC 2026 Gold (95 pts).
Still wines
- Dancer in Pink Still Rosé 2025 - £25.00. A gorgeously dry rosé made from Pinot Noir, Pinot Précoce and Pinot Gris, with bright strawberry and cherry blossom aromas, full malolactic fermentation and a rounded creaminess. Lazy lunches, smoked salmon, BBQ belly pork - Dancer handles them all.
- Rumour Has It Chardonnay 2024 - £33.00. Black Chalk's first still white - a 100% Chardonnay sourced from Kent (although "utterly Black Chalk in style"), fermented in 73% French oak (half new, half old) with partial malolactic fermentation. Friday fish and chips, Sunday roast chicken, midweek mussels.
Merchandise and gifting
Alongside the wines, Black Chalk sells a small but well-curated range of merchandise - a Black Chalk Sparkling Stopper (£4.00) and a lead-free Lehmann crystal Sparkling Wine Glass (£8.00) - plus a digital Wine Gift Card from £25.00, redeemable against any purchase in the online shop and valid for 12 months.
The Black Chalk Wine Club
The Inner Circle Wine Club is the most immersive way to experience Black Chalk. Membership unlocks two curated, mixed cases of five wines per year (10 bottles), a welcome magnum, a complimentary Winemaker Tour and Tasting for two, four complimentary wine flights in the Tasting Room, a 15% member discount on all wine purchases, an invitation to the annual Harvest Day and Lunch for you and a guest, two invitations to member-only events, early access to winemaking and viticultural masterclasses, access to strictly limited-release wines, special rates at partner hotels and restaurants, and a complimentary glass of wine on your birthday.
The Wine Club is available as a personal membership or as a digital gift (1 year £450.00, 1 month £40.00). The gift arrives as a redemption code by email on the day of your choosing, complete with your personal message, and the recipient chooses when to activate their benefits.
Tours and tastings
Black Chalk runs public tours year-round, with the best visiting time from April to September. Each tour begins with a guided walk through Rivers Vineyard, continues with a tour of the state-of-the-art winery, and finishes with a tutored tasting of two wines (one sparkling, one still - 50ml of each). Dogs and children are welcome free of charge.
Tour + Tasting - from £25.00 per person
The classic Black Chalk experience. Approximately 2 hours, up to 16 guests per slot, Friday to Sunday at 11am (and 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays throughout summer). Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Book Tour + Tasting.
Tour + Tasting with Lunch - from £40.00 per person
The same tour, followed by a laid-back grazing lunch in the Tasting Room or Courtyard. Choose from a Large Cheeseboard (vegetarian), a Cheese & Charcuterie Board, or a Smoked Trout Platter. Approximately 2 hours. Book Tour + Tasting with Lunch.
Private Tour + Tasting - from £40.00 per person
A private group booking with a tutored tasting of four wines and an optional grazing lunch. Approximately 90 minutes. Can often be arranged outside the usual Friday-to-Sunday schedule. Book Private Tour + Tasting.
Wild Escapes Treehouse Tasting - from £110.00 per treehouse (two adults)
A unique experience for guests staying at one of the four Wild Escapes luxury treehouses overlooking the HiDE vineyard. A private vineyard walk with one of Black Chalk's experts, followed by a tutored tasting of four wines on your treehouse terrace, with the option to add a local cheeseboard. Approximately 90 minutes, available April to October. A treehouse booking must be made in advance with Wild Escapes. Book the Treehouse Tasting.
The Tasting Room
The Tasting Room is set in the Old Dairy building, with floor-to-ceiling views directly into the winery and out across the Courtyard. Open seven days a week from 10am to 5pm, it serves the full Black Chalk range by the glass and bottle, alongside a rotating specials board and a sharing platter menu of cheeses, charcuterie and River Test smoked trout, all sourced from within a 40-mile radius of the winery. The Tasting Room doubles as a shop, where every Black Chalk wine can be purchased to take home.
There's a beautiful courtyard garden and a pathway leading to the Circle Vineyard, where visitors are encouraged to take their wine and nibbles out to the picnic benches surrounded by the vines - a uniquely Black Chalk experience.
Walk-in tasting flights are available without a booking. Lunch and larger groups can be booked online.
Sparkling Afternoon Tea - from £25.00 per person
On the first Sunday of every month, the Tasting Room becomes the cosiest spot in the Test Valley for a Sparkling Afternoon Tea. Handmade cakes, sandwiches and scones from a local baker, a pot of tea or an espresso, with the option of a glass of the award-winning Classic English sparkling wine. £25.00 per person without fizz; £35.00 per person with fizz. Approximately one hour, 3pm sitting, ten seats per slot. Book at least 48 hours ahead. Book Sparkling Afternoon Tea.
Friday Night Lates
Every Friday from 16:00 to 21:30 (food served until 20:30), Black Chalk stays open late as the rolling street-food-and-wine event Friday Night Lates. The bar is open until late, with a different visiting street food kitchen each week. Bookings are required, but walk-ins are welcome subject to availability - and you may be seated at a shared table with other guests. Upcoming street food kitchens include:
- 07 August - Fire Street Food by Grate Fire Kitchen
- 14 August - Indian Street Food by Chaat Food Truck
- 21 August - Loaded Flatbreads by Earth to Oven
- 28 August - South American Street Eats by Crane Feasts
Tables can be booked through the Tasting Room booking portal.
What's on: events through the year
Beyond Friday Night Lates, Black Chalk runs a packed programme of seasonal events in the Tasting Room, The Loft and the Circle Vineyard. Upcoming highlights include Sushi Saturday on Saturday 15 August (a free table-reservation evening with optional pre-ordered Little Fish sushi boxes and Black Chalk wine at your table) and the popular Vine + Vinyl Nights, where DJ Vinyl Groove spins funk, soul and jazz in the Courtyard on selected Saturdays from 5pm to 8pm (tickets £5.00 per person including your reserved table).
The Black Chalk calendar has also hosted supper clubs by Grate Fire Kitchen, vineyard masterclasses, blending masterclasses, olive oil and coffee masterclasses, foraged-fermentation experiences with Totally Wild UK, comedy nights in the Circle Vineyard, and tutored tastings pitting Black Chalk against sparkling wines from around the world.
Black Chalk Summer Supper Club - from £55.00 per person
On Saturday 25 July, Grate Fire Kitchen return with a flame-cooked sharing feast - merguez-spiced grilled leg of lamb with ember-cooked sweet potatoes, harissa yoghurt, seasonal salads, tzatziki, beetroot houmous and flatbreads, finished with watermelon granita, mint, feta and pomegranate. A glass of Black Chalk sparkling and nibbles on arrival. Two sittings: 5 - 7pm and 7:30 - 9:30pm. The Black Chalk bar is open until 9pm. Book the Summer Supper Club.
Venue hire
Black Chalk's estate hosts a range of hireable spaces, all within easy reach of the M3 and about an hour from London Waterloo by train. The Tasting Room seats up to 24 for private dining, social group meetings, workshops or classes. The Loft - a vaulted-beamed upper floor barn conversion - seats up to 30, with kitchen facilities, a state-of-the-art projector, wall-mounted chalk board and super-fast wifi, ideal for corporate away days. The Courtyard, annexed to the Tasting Room, seats 40 (or 60 for standing drinks) and has pathway access to the Circle Vineyard. The Circle Vineyard itself seats up to 150 for seated dining or up to 800 for festival-style events - a truly distinctive backdrop for large-scale outdoor occasions.
Tour, tasting and lunch packages can be added to corporate days. Venue hire is handled by Events Manager Rebecca Herbert, reachable on 01264 860440 or hello@blackchalkwine.co.uk.
Plan your visit
Black Chalk is at The Old Dairy, Fullerton Road, Andover, Hampshire, SP11 7JX. From central London, the winery is around 1 hour 30 minutes by car (M3 / A303) and 1 hour by train from London Waterloo to Andover, with a 10-minute taxi onward. Free car and coach parking is available on site.
Accommodation is available in Andover or Stockbridge (10 minutes by car), the historic city of Winchester (15 - 20 minutes), or - for something truly special - in one of four luxury Wild Escapes treehouses built on the edge of the HiDE vineyard.
The Tasting Room is open 7 days a week, 10:00 - 17:00 (March - December), with Friday Night Lates running 17:00 - 21:00. Bookings, voucher redemption and wine orders can be made by phone on 01264 860440 or by email at hello@blackchalkwine.co.uk. @blackchalkwine on Instagram shares the latest releases, harvest stories and event announcements.