Bluestone Vineyards: Boutique English Sparkling Wine on the Wiltshire - Hampshire Border
Nestled in the rolling countryside where Wiltshire meets Hampshire, a few miles from the prehistoric stones of Stonehenge, Bluestone Vineyards is one of the most quietly ambitious boutique producers of English sparkling wine. A family estate in every sense, it sits beside the long-established Cholderton Rare Breeds Farm, and the wine project that the McConnell brothers planted in 2016 has quickly grown into a small but serious winery with a tasting room, a programme of vineyard tours and tastings, and a string of award-winning vintage-led Cuvées.
The story behind Bluestone Vineyards
The story of Bluestone is, first and foremost, a family one. In the McConnell family's own words: "Our family at Bluestone Vineyards have given us the freedom to pursue the finest fizz with a true passion for learning, for innovation, and for quality." The McConnell family has spent generations welcoming visitors to the 42-acre Cholderton farm, which today sees more than 30,000 people a year come to see roaming peacocks, alpacas and rare breeds. The vineyard is an extension of that tradition of shared countryside experiences.
The name itself comes from Stonehenge. The smaller "bluestones" that make up part of the World Heritage monument a few miles away are a reminder of the deep history the family has inherited with this land. Brothers Nat and Toby McConnell planted ten acres of vines in 2016, having been encouraged by a friend who makes wine in Champagne. An archaeological survey of the site, undertaken in the mid-2000s, had revealed a soil profile that, in the words of their adviser, could make "exceptional sparkling wines."
Before all of that, Nat had trained as a biochemist at the University of Birmingham and worked on diagnostic technologies for myeloma patients, while Toby came to viticulture through a course of study and hands-on management of the family farm. The two combined their different expertise - luxury markets and biochemistry on one side, vineyard husbandry on the other - to turn a parcel of chalky Wiltshire slopes into a working sparkling-wine estate. Nat later completed an MSc in Viticulture and Oenology at Plumpton College, the UK's Wine Centre of Excellence, and spent harvests at Hattingley Valley under the then head winemaker Jacob Leadley, an influence he still cites.
Terroir and vineyard management
The vineyard sits on sandy, clay loam soils over chalk, the same family of soils that has made southern England a credible home for the classic Champagne varieties. Topsoil depth varies dramatically across the slopes - from as little as 3 cm to as much as 100 cm - which means each block behaves differently and each block's fruit carries a different character. The estate is divided into four named parcels - Three Acre, Iron Age, Roundhouse and Top Field - and the brothers' aspiration is to vinify each one separately so they can understand and showcase the nuance of every plot.
The grape mix mirrors that of Champagne: 58% Chardonnay, 32% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier. All fruit is hand-harvested into small 10 kg crates and whole-cluster pressed using top-of-the-range Coquard PAI presses, a setup designed to keep the juice as clean as possible and protect the purity of the fruit.
The wider estate is, in many ways, as carefully managed as the vines. The family draws its water from a private borehole 90 metres below ground, feeding buildings, spraying mixtures and the livestock on the neighbouring rare breeds farm. The whole estate is solar-powered and often contributes energy back to the national grid. In the vineyard itself the team takes a regenerative, minimal-intervention approach - using targeted spraying, spore-capture monitoring and on-site weather data - to work with nature rather than against it, including using chalk-grassland cover crops between the rows to break up compaction and improve biodiversity.
Winemaking with Hambledon's Hervé Jestin
From the start, the McConnell brothers have partnered with Hervé Jestin, the highly respected Chef de Cave at Hambledon - England's oldest commercial vineyard - to make their wines. Each base wine is fermented in stainless steel with a small barrel-fermented component, and full malolactic fermentation is encouraged. After secondary fermentation in bottle, the wines are aged on lees for a minimum of 36 months for the flagship Cuvées, and considerably longer for reserve and special releases, before being disgorged, rested further on cork and released only when the team is confident they are drinking at their best.
Production is deliberately small. Each Cuvée is released as a vintage-led, limited run, and once a wine is sold through, it does not come back. That ethos of scarcity underpins the entire Wine Club proposition and explains why cases of the older vintages tend to disappear quickly.
The Bluestone sparkling wine range
Bluestone is a specialist sparkling wine house, and the current range is built around a small core of Cuvées, each made from estate-grown fruit and each with a distinct personality.
Premier Cuvée 2020
The flagship wine, aged for 36 months on lees, with a further six months in bottle after disgorgement. The current release is a blend of 70% Chardonnay, 26% Pinot Noir and 4% Pinot Meunier, with 88% from the 2020 vintage and 12% reserve wine. Aromas of apples, lemons, honey and baked bread give way on the palate to apple turnover, toasted nuts and freshly squeezed citrus, carried by what the team describe as "laser-like acidity." Limited to 4,500 bottles. £45.00 per bottle, or £270.00 for a case of six - both available from the English sparkling wines collection.
Premier Reserve 2018
The first Reserve release, made from the very first estate harvest and aged for 46 months on lees. The blend is 65% Chardonnay, 18% Pinot Noir and 17% Pinot Meunier, with 2% reserve wine. The Decanter World Wine Awards judging panel scored it 95/100, calling it "lemon tart, brioche and apricot jam... plush opulence cushions the pervading acidity. Exceptional." From £85.00 per bottle.
Blanc de Noirs 2019
The first Blanc de Noirs ever released by Bluestone, made from 51% Pinot Noir and 49% Pinot Meunier with a small 3% reserve component. It was bottled in September 2020 and disgorged in November 2023, spending more than four years on lees and over a year on cork before release. Only 250 cases exist. The wine was awarded a Platinum medal and 97/100 at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2025, with judges praising "myriad apricot, peach, cherry skin and floral aromas" and "a soft, broad texture and supple mousse." From £65.00 per bottle, or £390.00 for a case of six.
Premier Rosé 2022
A gastronomic blend of 62% Chardonnay, 28% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier, with 32 months on lees. Bottled in July 2023 and disgorged in March 2026. Pairs particularly well with oily fish, lamb rack, stuffed mushrooms and a full cheeseboard. £50.00 per bottle, or £300.00 for a case of six.
2020 Saignée Rosé (4 g/l dosage)
Bluestone's first Saignée Rosé, made from 37% Chardonnay, 60.5% Pinot Noir and 2.5% Pinot Meunier. The Pinot Noir and Meunier are crushed, destemmed and left to macerate for eight hours in stainless steel before the free-run juice is drawn off (the "saignée" method) and fermented, with 5% of the blend in second- and third-fill French oak. It is bottled at just 4 g/l dosage, exceptionally low for English sparkling wine. A tiny disgorgement of 125 cases - with only ten cases remaining at the time of writing. From £330.00 per case of six.
Bluestone Duo
A side-by-side tasting of the two core wines, the Premier Cuvée 2020 and the Premier Rosé 2022, presented together as a paired introduction to the house style. £95.00.
Personalisation
For those looking to turn a bottle into a keepsake, Bluestone offers a hand-engraving service with gold infill, available on the Premier Cuvée, Premier Rosé or Blanc de Noirs. Up to three lines of thirty characters each. From £55.00, with a five-working-day lead time.
Visiting the vineyard: tours, tastings and food
The Tasting Room at Bluestone is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5.30pm (April to October), and welcomes bookings for tours and tastings year-round. The full Tours & Tastings programme currently includes four set experiences, plus a private tour option for groups of ten or more.
Signature Tour & Tasting - £32.50
The estate's flagship experience, available every Saturday and Sunday from April to October and lasting around 1 hour 45 minutes. It starts with a guided walk through the vineyard, where a host explains the season's work and the differences between the parcels, before moving into the Vineyard Barn for a tutored tasting of the Sparkling Classic Cuvée and the Sparkling Cuvée Rosé. An optional cheese and charcuterie lunch platter can be added on the day. Book the Signature Tour.
Signature Tour & Tasting: Winter Edition - £30.00
Available on the second Saturday of every month from November to March, this version takes visitors into the vineyard during its quieter phase, with a focus on winter pruning, soil management and the work that lays the foundations for the following year's harvest. The tasting afterwards focuses on two of the award-winning Cuvées. Book the Winter Edition.
Sip & Stroll Vineyard Tour - £22.50
A 40-minute introduction to the Three Acre vineyard, running from April to October. Guests are poured a taste of the Premier Cuvée at the Tasting Room to enjoy as they set off, with the Premier Rosé served mid-walk. An optional lunch platter can be added. Book the Sip & Stroll.
Self-Guided Tour - £8.00
Available all year round and family-friendly, the Self-Guided Tour comes with an illustrated map from the Tasting Room, leading visitors around the farm, vineyard and woodlands via a series of information boards. Optional add-ons include a wine flight of two sparkling wines (2 × 60 ml) and/or a cheese and charcuterie platter. Under-2s go free and the ticket also covers entry to Cholderton Rare Breeds Farm. Book the Self-Guided Tour.
Private Tours
For groups of ten or more - friends, family or corporate - Bluestone offers a private version of the Signature Tour, bookable on any day of the week and tailored to the group's interests. Enquiries can be made directly with the team.
Picnics, platters and afternoon tea
Food at the vineyard is built around local producers. The Cheese & Charcuterie Platter (£17.50 per person) draws on Lyburn Farmhouse Cheesemakers in Wiltshire and The Real Cure in Dorset, with crackers and chutney. The Picnic Among the Vines (£70.00 for two) is a fuller spread - Lyburn cheese, The Real Cure charcuterie, freshly baked rolls, pork pies, scotch eggs, sausage rolls, red onion marmalade, crisps, meringue with strawberries and cream, and chocolate brownie bites - with optional bottles of Bluestone Premier Cuvée or Premier Rosé at retail rather than corkage price. The Sparkling Afternoon Tea (£35.00 per person) pairs a glass of Premier Cuvée with sweet treats, savoury nibbles and finger sandwiches. Bookings are arranged directly with the team.
Events calendar
Outside the regular tour programme, Bluestone runs a rolling calendar of seasonal evenings at the vineyard. Confirmed upcoming events include:
- Sip and Paint - 25 July, £30.00 (£25.00 for Wine Club members). A relaxed evening of art and wine with the Tasting Room manager Molly, including a glass of Premier Cuvée, a small canvas and a full set of art supplies. Book here.
- Sushi Evening - 7 August, £45.00 (£35.00 for members). A relaxed evening pairing homemade sushi with two glasses of Bluestone sparkling, exploring why sparkling wine works so well with sushi. Book here.
- Further events through the year, including an Unusual Pairings evening in June, a Canopy Management Workshop & Sip and Paint in July, a Wine & Cheese Pairings event in September, and Winemaking Part 1 alongside the annual Harvest Celebrations in October.
Visitors can sign up to the Bluestone newsletter to be the first to hear about new events as they are released.
The Bluestone Wine Club
Launched after a successful pilot, the Bluestone Wine Club is the most direct way to stay close to the vineyard. Membership begins with two cases of your choosing, delivered together - either to your door or for collection at the Tasting Room - and lasts a full twelve months. Member benefits include:
- Early access to limited and vintage releases
- 10% off all further purchases, online and at the Tasting Room
- Quarterly members' tastings, seasonal dinners and behind-the-scenes access
- Hands-on experiences at the vineyard
- A complimentary tour & tasting for two
- A complimentary glass of wine for two on the first weekend of each month
The starter cases are priced at £270.00 for the Premier Cuvée 2020 case, £300.00 for the Premier Rosé 2022 case and £390.00 for the Blanc de Noirs 2019 case. Full terms apply.
Gifting
Bluestone's gifting range covers almost any occasion. The house offers physical and digital gift vouchers (a Signature Tour Gift Voucher, an Afternoon Tea Gift Voucher, a Picnic-for-Two Voucher and e-gift cards redeemable against any experience or Cuvée), printed gift boxes (single, double and triple) and branded bottle stoppers. Bottles can also be engraved with a personal message, making them a popular choice for weddings, anniversaries and corporate gifts.
How to find Bluestone
Bluestone is at Cholderton, Wiltshire, SP4 0EW, just off the A303 and A338 on the Hampshire - Wiltshire border, with the rare breeds farm next door. Approximate driving times are: Amesbury 4 miles (5 minutes), Stonehenge 5 miles (8 minutes), Salisbury 10 miles (15 minutes), Southampton 40 miles (50 minutes), Bath 42 miles (1 hour) and central London 80 miles (1 hour 30 minutes). Travellers from the west on the A303 are advised to leave at the Thruxton slip road rather than follow sat-nav across the road. Get Google Maps directions.
Booking is recommended for all tours, tastings and events. The team can be reached by email at info@bluestonevineyards.co.uk or by phone on 07984 709011, and updates are posted regularly on Facebook and Instagram.
Reviews and recognition
Bluestone's wines have earned strong reviews from some of the most respected voices in wine. Tamlyn Currin of JancisRobinson.com called the 2020 Saignée Rosé "dangerously close to the best English sparkling rosé I have ever tasted," awarding it 17.5 points out of 20, ahead of her 16 points for the Premier Cuvée and 16.5 for the Premier Rosé. John Mobbs of Great British Wine described the same wine as "sublime," and Anthony Rose's Real Review scored the Premier Cuvée second out of eighteen English sparkling wines from the 2019 vintage. The estate's debut Blanc de Noirs 2019 was awarded a Platinum medal and 97 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2025, and the wines have been featured in City AM, Drinks International, Drinks Retailing News, Vineyard Magazine, Harpers and Luxury London.
FAQs at a glance
- Do I need to book? Yes - all tours, tastings and events are by appointment.
- When are you open? Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5.30pm (April to October tour season). Open Mondays on Bank Holidays and school holidays.
- Where are you? Cholderton, Wiltshire, SP4 0EW, on the edge of Salisbury Plain.
- Can I bring my dog? Not to the vineyard, because of the livestock next door; assistance dogs are always welcome.
- Is the Tasting Room accessible? The Tasting Room is on the ground floor with accessible facilities; the vineyard is flat but the terrain can be rough and tours can be adapted on request.
- Are children welcome? Yes, families are very welcome; the site shares its grounds with Cholderton Rare Breeds Farm.
- Private groups or events? Yes - the Tasting Room can be hired privately outside normal opening hours.
- Cancellations: Tours and events are non-refundable but can be rebooked or converted to a gift voucher with at least 72 hours' notice. Food-based bookings (picnic, afternoon tea) follow the same 72-hour rule.
Whether you arrive for a self-guided wander through the vines, a tutored Signature Tour and tasting, a Saturday afternoon picnic or one of the seasonal sushi or sip-and-paint evenings, Bluestone Vineyards offers a slice of contemporary English wine country that still feels genuinely hand-made - and, refreshingly for a sparkling-wine house this ambitious, very much a family affair.