Dingleden Vineyard Kent | Bacchus Wine Producer England

Dingleden Vineyard & Benenden Winery: A Family-Run Kent Bacchus Producer

Introduction

Nestled in the rolling countryside of the Weald of Kent, Dingleden Vineyard, better known today as Benenden Winery, is a small but quietly ambitious family wine estate that has been growing premium Bacchus grapes since 2011. Founded by owner-operator Graham Latter, the two-hectare site supplies a distinguished local winery with much of its fruit and, since 2019, has also produced its own limited-edition wines under the Benenden label. At a time when English still and sparkling wines are enjoying an international reputation renaissance, Dingleden is a textbook example of how a careful, quality-first approach can produce a genuinely characterful bottle of Bacchus from the Kentish slopes.

This guide covers the estate's history, its vineyard and winemaking philosophy, its current release - the Benenden Bacchus 2024 - and the network of local stockists, pubs, restaurants and farm shops where the wine can be found today.

At a glance

Estate name: Dingleden Vineyard (trading as Benenden Winery)
Founded: 2011
Owner: Graham Latter
Vineyard size: 2 hectares
Variety: Bacchus
Annual grape yield (typical): around 15 tonnes; 31 tonnes in 2018
Winery capacity: up to 5,000 bottles
First own-label vintage: 2019 (1,000 bottles)
Current release: Benenden Bacchus 2024
Address: Dingleden Lane, Dingleden, Benenden, Kent TN17 4JX
Email: wine@benendenwinery.co.uk

From Dingleden Vineyard to Benenden Winery

Benenden Winery was originally established by Graham Latter under the name Dingleden Vineyard in 2011. The vineyard sits on two hectares of land in the Weald of Kent, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty characterised by ancient woodland, traditional hop gardens and farm pastures. The Weald's free-draining greensand and clay soils, combined with a relatively mild, dry climate, have made this corner of Kent one of England's most reliable regions for aromatic white grape varieties, and Bacchus in particular.

For a number of years the vineyard worked exclusively as a grower, supplying its entire grape crop to a distinguished local winery. Small but mighty, the site averaged around 15 tonnes of quality fruit per annum. Then, in 2018, conditions aligned and the vineyard produced an exceptional 31 tonnes, enough fruit for approximately 30,000 bottles of still wine. That bumper crop was a turning point.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Graham decided in 2019 to select a small parcel of those vines to produce the vineyard's own wine. Quality was, and remains, the only goal: production was deliberately limited to just 1,000 bottles, and the Benenden Bacchus brand was born.

Building the on-site winery

During 2019 the vineyard also invested heavily in its on-site facilities. The decision was made to build a contemporary winery next to the vines, with a maximum annual capacity of 5,000 bottles. By keeping winemaking on site, Graham and his team can pick, press and ferment within minutes rather than hours, a critical advantage for preserving the delicate, pungent aromatics that make English Bacchus so distinctive.

A truly independent producer

Benenden Winery remains genuinely independent. There are no third-party sales targets, no bulk contracts and no obligation to bottle anything that does not meet the team's exacting standards. If, for any reason, a wine doesn't match the quality the winery prides itself on, it simply won't be bottled under the Benenden Winery brand. It is a quietly uncompromising approach, and one that helps explain the consistency of the small, limited-edition vintages produced to date.

The Vineyard

The estate sits on two hectares of land in the heart of the Kent countryside. Although modest in size, with many of England's larger commercial vineyards now exceeding fifty hectares, Dingleden punches well above its weight. The land's natural resources, together with investment in specialist equipment and materials, allow the team to produce premium-quality grapes for both the local winery customer and for the estate's own limited-edition wines.

Why Bacchus?

Bacchus is widely regarded as England's signature white grape, prized for its pungent aromatic profile, with notes of elderflower, nettle, grapefruit, freshly cut grass and tropical fruits, and its crisp, mouth-watering acidity. It is a relatively early-ripening variety that performs particularly well in the south-east of England, where the combination of long daylight hours in summer and a long, cool autumn ripening window allows growers to develop flavour complexity while preserving natural acidity.

Graham works with some of the very best agronomists and vintners in the country to ensure that the quality of the grapes, and therefore the wines, produced at Benenden Winery is never compromised. That investment in people is, in his view, every bit as important as investment in equipment.

The Wines

Benenden Bacchus 2024

The current release is the Benenden Bacchus 2024, a limited-edition, premium vintage from a tiny parcel of the vineyard's best fruit. In the glass it perfectly showcases the estate's dedication to excellence: a floral, rose-petal nose, crisp and well-balanced acidity, and a palate layered with hints of lemon peel, nettle and blackcurrant, finishing with a lingering lemongrass note. The wine is super-dry, very persistent and clocking in at 10.5% ABV.

Critics and trade professionals have been quick to sing its praises:

"This was by far the best tasting Bacchus I have ever had - it was so full of everything - I really cannot describe in words how good it was. Every sip was just pure joy! So excellent - such a fantastic job!" - Marc Hertling, Owner, British Gourmet
"German minerality meets Loire Valley citrus and stone fruits, meets Southern Hemisphere tropical fruits, and all at 10.5% ABV, super dry and very persistent. A very exciting wine." - Matthew Bradford, Sommelier

Cellaring and food pairing

According to the winery, the 2024 vintage will age elegantly for at least the next five years, gaining further complexity as it develops in bottle. In terms of food, the team recommends pairing it with:

Kentish Blue and other soft blue English cheeses, the wine's crisp acidity cuts cleanly through the creamy, salty richness of a blue.
Asparagus, a notoriously tricky partner for many wines, but one that sings alongside fresh, herbaceous Bacchus.
Green seasonal salads, particularly those dressed simply with good olive oil and lemon.
Fennel, both raw in salads and lightly braised, where its aniseed notes echo the wine's herbal lift.

Stockists and where to buy

The online shop is currently closed. Direct-from-estate purchases can be arranged by emailing g.latter@yahoo.co.uk to collect from the vineyard. Otherwise, the wine is widely available across Kent and the surrounding area at independent farm shops, village stores, pubs, restaurants and specialist off-licences.

Retail stockists

The wine can be found at the following independent retail outlets:

Cranbrook Farm Shop & Nursery

Charity Farm, Swattenden Lane, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3PS. cranbrookfarmshop.co.uk

Benenden's Community Shop

The Street, Benenden, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 4DB, the village shop and post office. benendens.co.uk

Fuller's Farm Shop

Bunny Lane, Eridge, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 9BY. fullers-tw.co.uk

Lower Ladysden Farm Shop

Winchet Hill, Goudhurst, Kent TN17 1JX. lowerladysden.co.uk

Groombridge Farm Shop

Groombridge Hill, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 9LY. groombridgefarmshop.co.uk

Rodney Fletcher Vintners

Lamberhurst Road, Horsmonden, Kent TN12 8ED, a specialist Kent vintner. rfvintners.co.uk

Hospitality venues

Benenden Bacchus is also available by the glass at a select number of pubs, restaurants and bars across the Weald and beyond:

The Bull at Benenden, The Street, Benenden, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 4DE (thebullatbenenden.co.uk).
The Chequers, The Broadway, Lamberhurst, Kent TN3 8DB (chequerslamberhurst.com).
Cornucopia Bottleshop and Tasting Room, 90 High Street, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6JB.
The Ewe & Lamb, 26 Maytham Road, Rolvenden Layne, Kent TN17 4NP (theeweandlamb.co.uk).
The Ferry Inn, Appledore Road, Tenterden Road, Stone in Oxney, Kent TN30 7JY (oxneyferry.com).
The Grapevine, 2 The Cellars, High Street, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6BN (grapevinebars.com/tenterden).
Larkins Alehouse, 7 High Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3EB (larkins-alehouse.co.uk).
London Beach Hotel, Ashford Road, St Michaels, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6HX (londonbeach.com).
Tap 17 Micro Bar, 17 High Street, Headcorn, Kent TN27 9NH (tap17.co.uk).

Across Europe

For those based in continental Europe, Benenden Bacchus is also available via British Gourmet, the German specialist in premium British food and drink.

Visiting the Vineyard

Dingleden Vineyard does not currently offer formal public tours, tastings or bookable experiences. With a small team and limited production, the focus remains firmly on the vineyard and the wine itself.

Contact

Email

The primary contact email is wine@benendenwinery.co.uk. A secondary address, used for order collection and general enquiries, is g.latter@yahoo.co.uk.

Address

Benenden Winery,
Dingleden Lane,
Dingleden,
Benenden,
Kent TN17 4JX

The vineyard is situated in the heart of the Kent countryside, with the small village of Benenden, famous for its independent school and surrounding orchards, a short drive away.

Social media

News and updates from the vineyard are posted on the official Dingleden Vineyard Facebook page.

Why Dingleden matters in the English wine story

English wine has, over the past two decades, transformed from a curiosity into a category in its own right. Sparkling wines from the South Downs and Hampshire regularly win gold medals at international competitions, and plantings of Bacchus, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay have multiplied across Kent, Sussex, East Anglia and the West Country. Yet behind the headline-grabbing estates sit dozens of smaller growers like Dingleden who quietly produce some of the country's most interesting bottles.

The estate's commitment to a single variety, Bacchus, and to a single, very small annual release is a deliberate counter-trend to the volume-driven model. By limiting production to a maximum of 5,000 bottles per year and only bottling wines that meet an internal quality threshold, Graham and his team are betting that drinkers will trade quantity for character. Early reviews from sommeliers, specialist retailers and members of the public suggest that bet is paying off.

Whether customers find Benenden Bacchus at a farm shop in Cranbrook, a country pub in Lamberhurst or a micro bar in Headcorn, the wine offers a generous, food-friendly snapshot of what Kent-grown Bacchus can do in the right hands. Collection from the vineyard itself is available by email.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Dingleden Vineyard located?

The vineyard is at Dingleden Lane, Dingleden, Benenden, Kent TN17 4JX, in the Weald of Kent.

What does Dingleden Vineyard produce?

The estate grows premium Bacchus grapes on two hectares. Since 2019 it has also produced its own limited-edition wines under the Benenden Winery label, currently the Benenden Bacchus 2024.

Who owns Benenden Winery?

Benenden Winery is owned and operated by Graham Latter. The operating company is Dingleden Vineyards Limited (company number 07304254).

Can I buy Benenden Bacchus online?

The online shop is currently closed. Direct purchases from the estate can be arranged by emailing g.latter@yahoo.co.uk to collect from the vineyard. The wine is also available at a range of farm shops, village stores, pubs, restaurants and specialist off-licences across Kent, and via British Gourmet in the EU.

Does Dingleden Vineyard offer tours or tastings?

The estate does not currently offer public tours or tastings. With a small team and limited production, the focus is on the vineyard and the wine itself.

When was the vineyard planted?

Dingleden Vineyard was established in 2011.

Final thoughts

Dingleden Vineyard is a reminder that some of the most characterful English wines are still being made by small, family-run estates that prefer to let their bottles do the talking. With a single-variety focus, a strict quality threshold and a tight network of independent local stockists, Benenden Winery offers a clear, confident vision of what Kent-grown Bacchus can be. From the farm shops of the Weald to the wine lists of country pubs and restaurants, the 2024 vintage stands as a quietly compelling argument for single-varietal, single-vineyard English white wine.

Dingleden Vineyard