Easing Hill Vineyard: Sustainable English Sparkling & Still Wines from the Teme Valley
Tucked into the steep, south-facing slopes of the Teme Valley in Worcestershire, with the Malvern Hills as a backdrop, Easing Hill Vineyard is one of Britain's most quietly distinctive small wineries. Run by husband-and-wife team Judith and Tim Davies, the two-and-a-half-acre vineyard combines an almost monastic sense of place - monks grew vines here in the 1600s, and the Romans before them - with a thoroughly modern approach to sustainability. Easing Hill is one of the first British vineyards to be accredited as a Founder Member of Sustainable Wines GB, and every bottle that leaves the cellar door is vegan, unsprayed, hand-picked and made from grapes cultivated without a single herbicide, insecticide or fungicide.
A vineyard with a thousand-year horizon
The story of Easing Hill begins long before Judith and Tim planted their first 400 vines around 2009 - 2010 as a hobby on a steep, overgrown patch of hillside at their Worcestershire home. Deeds and documents dating back to 1604 show that monks from the Worcester Diocese grew wine - and apples for cider - on this very land, and local folklore has it that the Romans tended vines here too. When the couple cleared the land in 1996, they discovered soil that had never been sprayed, a clean canvas for a vineyard that, fifteen years later, would become a professional retirement project after successful careers in dentistry.
The hillside is brutally steep - Tim likens it to a black run - but it is also exactly what vines love: free-draining clay soil, rain that runs off rather than waterlogging the roots, and air constantly flowing through the canopy. Working the land by hand, the family have built a vineyard where wine is grown, in their words, with respect for the environment and the wildlife that shares it.
From the Goblet to the Trellis: two vineyards, one philosophy
Easing Hill is unusual in Britain for its goblet-trained vines on the older part of the site. Borrowed from Swiss winemaking tradition, the goblet method grows each vine on short arms with no wires or trellis support, the plant resembling a wine glass. The roots plunge as deep as 20 metres in search of moisture, which makes the vines remarkably drought-tolerant and encourages slow, even ripening of the grapes. Easing Hill believe they are the only UK vineyard using this training system.
Because the original block is finite, a second vineyard has been planted on the other side of the hill. Here, the vines are trained on a traditional trellis system arranged in the shape of an amphitheatre on a south-facing escarpment, maximising exposure to the sun. The wines currently available come from the older goblet block, which makes each bottle a small piece of living history.
Sustainability at every step
Sustainability is not a marketing label at Easing Hill - it is the operating model. After detailed inspection and audit, the vineyard was awarded Founder Member status in the Sustainable Wines GB scheme run by Wines of Great Britain, recognising the whole-of-business approach the Davies family have adopted.
Unsprayed and chemical-free
Because the soil was never sprayed before the vines went in, and the slope keeps the vines well-ventilated and dry, Easing Hill has never needed to use herbicides, insecticides or fungicides. Wildflowers are encouraged to grow between the rows, improving habitat for insects and wildlife, and the family work to a strict no-chemical regime that starts in the soil and ends in the bottle.
Hand-picked, no machinery
Every grape at Easing Hill is hand-pruned and hand-picked by the family. There is no heavy farm machinery on the site; where strimmers and maintenance tools are used, they are battery- or solar-powered. This protects the soil structure and keeps the carbon footprint of every bottle as low as it can possibly be.
Power of the sun
Solar panels (photovoltaics) on the roof of Easing Hill generate the electricity used in the winemaking process. Because PV cells work even on cloudy British days, the vineyard runs almost entirely on renewable energy during the production cycle.
Produced 21 miles away
Once the grapes are picked, they are taken just 21 miles over the Malverns to Three Choirs Vineyard to be made into wine. Compared with bottles shipped from the New World or even from continental Europe, the food miles on every bottle of Easing Hill are vanishingly small - and because the wine is sold only in the UK, the footprint stays tiny from vineyard to glass.
Proudly vegan
Many conventional winemakers use egg whites, milk protein, gelatine (animal protein) or fish bladder protein (isinglass) to speed up fining. Easing Hill uses none of these. The wines are filtered without any animal-derived products, making the entire range suitable for vegans and vegetarians - an important consideration as the number of vegans in Britain has quadrupled since 2014.
The wines
Easing Hill produces a small but considered range of five wines from three grape varieties: Seyval Blanc, Phoenix and Regent. All are made in the traditional method where applicable, and all benefit from the same mild, sheltered microclimate that draws comparisons with Tuscany and Bordeaux.
Easing Hill Sparkling Wine
The flagship of the range, made in the traditional method with fermentation in the bottle and extended ageing on the yeast lees for colour, clarity, fine bubble and complex aroma. Made from Seyval Blanc, Phoenix and Regent, it is an elegant, dry and crisp English sparkler with subtle notes of bright green apple, pear and peach. At 12% vol., with 1.5 units per 125 ml glass (six servings per bottle), it is the classic aperitif style and pairs particularly well with shellfish, light salads, spicy white meat dishes and mild cheeses - including vegetarian and vegan alternatives. View the Sparkling Wine.
Easing Hill Still White Wine
A crisp, dry white made from the same Seyval Blanc, Phoenix and Regent blend. Expect green summer fruits, citrus and a clean grapefruit finish. At 11% vol., it drinks beautifully chilled on its own or alongside chicken, fish, summer salads and soft cheeses. View the Still White Wine.
Easing Hill Still Rosé Wine
An off-dry rosé blended from Seyval Blanc (50%), Phoenix (35%) and Regent (15%). It opens with a generous nose of summer fruits and follows through on the palate with strawberries, summer berries and a citrus lift. 11% vol., this is a charming aperitif that also pairs well with charcuterie or a spiced chicken curry. View the Still Rosé Wine.
Easing Hill Sparkling Demi Sec Wine
A slightly sweeter traditional-method sparkling, with a creamy effervescence and a softer mouthfeel. Made from Seyval Blanc and Phoenix at 12% vol., this is a style more often associated with France than England - try it with cheese, desserts or figs. View the Sparkling Demi Sec.
Easing Hill Sparkling Rosé Wine
An English sparkling rosé made in the traditional way, full of summer-fruit and berry flavours with a smooth, clean finish. From Seyval Blanc, Phoenix and Regent at 12% vol., it works equally well as a celebration toast, an aperitif or a glass for no occasion at all. View the Sparkling Rosé.
Easing Hill Gift Selection
A three-bottle case containing one bottle each of the English Sparkling, Still White and Still Rosé. The wines are presented in a biodegradable, compostable presentation box and come with a reusable, sustainably produced jute carrying bag and gift tag. It is a popular choice for weddings, thank-you gifts and an easy way to taste the full Easing Hill range. View the Gift Selection.
Easing Hill for weddings
For couples looking to toast the big day with a low-impact, vegan-friendly English sparkling wine, Easing Hill has become a quietly fashionable choice. The crisp green-fruit and lingering-peach profile of the Sparkling Wine is widely seen as a brilliant partner for celebrations throughout the year, and the team offer a discount case promotion for wedding orders. The vineyard's Cellar Door tasting room, with panoramic views across the vineyard and the Teme Valley, is hosted by Tim and Judith by appointment and is a relaxed setting for tastings. Read about Easing Hill weddings.
How to buy Easing Hill wine
Easing Hill is a small producer with deliberately small distribution. The wines are available direct from the vineyard by appointment, through a hand-picked network of independent UK stockists, and at selected markets throughout the year.
Cellar Door at the vineyard
Visitors are warmly welcomed at the Easing Hill vineyard where you can taste the still wines before you buy, with panoramic views across the Teme Valley. Because the team is often out among the vines, the recommendation is to call ahead on 07525 379178 before visiting to make sure someone is on site.
Markets and events
Throughout the year, Judith and Tim take Easing Hill to selected markets and food events, including The Fold Artisan Market at Bransford, where visitors can taste the still and sparkling wines at the stall and chat to the people who actually made them.
Independent UK stockists
Easing Hill works closely with a small number of independent retailers, restaurants and farm shops across the country, including:
- Legges of Bromyard - Herefordshire farm shop and deli
- The Talbot - a Midlands pub and dining destination
- The Fold - Bransford's artisan café, farm shop and market
- Gloucester Services - the much-loved motorway farm shop between the M5 junctions
- The Hop Pocket - award-winning food, drink and home store
Wholesale and trade enquiries
UK-based restaurants, bars and farm shops interested in listing Easing Hill wines can use the Wholesale Enquiries page to discuss allocation and pricing.
Meet the team
Easing Hill is, in every meaningful sense, a family business. Judith and Tim Davies are the winemakers, the viticulturists, the cellar door hosts and the delivery drivers. After successful careers in dentistry, the couple sold their practice to focus full time on the vineyard and the wines, working the land with help from their four children. Their starting brief was simple - to make a few bottles of wine good enough to share with friends and family - and the bar has only risen since. Read the full Easing Hill story.
Visit Easing Hill Vineyard
Cellar Door tastings are hosted by Tim and Judith by appointment, with panoramic views across the vineyard and the Teme Valley. Appointments are arranged by calling 07525 379178 or sending a message via the Contact page. Easing Hill is active on Facebook and Instagram, where new releases and market dates are shared.
Please drink responsibly - UK Chief Medical Officers recommend adults do not regularly drink more than 14 units per week. Contains sulphites.