Herbert Hall Winery and Vineyard

Herbert Hall Winery and Vineyard is one of the smallest and most quietly respected single-estate producers of Traditional Method English Sparkling Wines. Tucked into a sheltered, south-facing slope on the edge of the village of Marden in the Kent countryside, the estate is the working continuation of a small farm that has been in the Hall family for three generations. Under winemaker Nicholas Hall, working alongside fellow winemaker Kirsty Smith, Herbert Hall produces vintage English fizz in tiny cuvées - some as small as 500 bottles - with a house style defined by balance, elegance and a careful expression of fruit purity.

The Story Behind the Name

The winery takes its name from Herbert Hall, Nicholas's great-grandfather, who arrived in Marden at the end of the 19th century. Herbert took on a ten-acre piece of land to the west of the village - sunny, gently sloping and sheltered - and turned it into a productive small farm growing hops, apples, pears and plums. He was known locally as a colourful character and a gifted horticulturalist, and his little farm came to embody the original spirit of what Kent had long been called: The Garden of England.

The land remained in the Hall family for three generations. In 2007, Nicholas - a trained winemaker - chose Herbert's original site to plant a vineyard, putting down roots of his own in the form of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. As the family has always said, the original Herbert always believed this was the best piece of land he had ever farmed; four generations on, that sheltered, sunny, organic site continues to produce exceptional fruit.

Today: A Small Family Estate with a Big Reputation

Today Nicholas and Kirsty continue to farm the site in the spirit of Herbert Hall, producing handmade English Sparkling Wines vintage by vintage from the family-owned estate. Their shared philosophy is straightforward: make wines of exceptional quality, but never lose sight of the reason wine exists in the first place. As they put it, their work is founded in the belief that wine brings people together as a celebration of life and friendship.

Their wines have been cited by leading critics as among the best in the world. The combination of organic viticulture, careful fruit selection, barrel ageing and a relentless focus on small, individual cuvées has set this boutique producer apart as a benchmark for English artisan winemaking. Recognition has come in the form of press coverage from publications including The Spectator, The Sunday Times, The Wall Street Journal, Decanter, Country Life, The Telegraph, Daily Telegraph, GQ, The Field, Money Week, The Grape Press, Design Week and the BBC. In 2012, Decanter reported that a Herbert Hall sparkler had been chosen for the House of Commons; a year earlier, Fortnum & Mason selected Herbert Hall for one of its top Christmas hampers, and in 2013 the brand appeared on the Duchess of Cambridge's Christmas List.

The Vineyard

The vineyard itself covers roughly five hectares on the edge of Marden, occupying a south-facing slope sheltered by ancient hedgerows. The soil is clay seamed with gravel, a combination that has produced outstanding fruit both for hops and now for grapes. The team works in harmony with nature, encouraging the reintroduction of native flora and fauna across the site.

Most of the vineyard work is done by hand, and the grapes are pressed within hours of picking - a deliberate choice that preserves freshness and aromatics in the eventual wine. The three classic Champagne varieties - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier - form the backbone of every cuvée, allowing Herbert Hall to work in the Traditional Method (the same secondary fermentation in the bottle used in Champagne) and to age wines on lees for the kind of complexity and finesse associated with the great fizz houses of the world.

The Wines

Herbert Hall's range is built around Traditional Method English Sparkling Wines. In exceptional years the team produces limited-edition specialist cuvées, some as small as 500 bottles, and every wine is made vintage by vintage rather than as a non-vintage blend. The house style is consistent: balance and elegance first, with an emphasis on expressing the purity of fruit rather than any winemaking signature. Barrel ageing is used to build texture and depth.

The full current collection - including Brut, Brut Rosé and limited cuvées from individual vintages - can be explored and purchased via the Herbert Hall online shop. Wines also appear under the Herbert Hall label at retailers such as Fortnum & Mason (London), Lea & Sandeman (London), Rodney Fletcher Vintners (Marden), Corkk (Canterbury & Tunbridge Wells), McCarthy & Mitchell, Taywell Farm Shop (Marden) and Theatre of Wine (London).

Bar HH: A Cellar-Door Bar at the Winery

Visitors to the estate can drop in to Bar HH, the cellar-door bar at the winery. Bar HH is open on Saturdays from 12:00 to 19:00 and Sundays from 12:00 to 18:00 for the 2026 season, running from 25 April through to 12 September 2026. Openings are weather dependent, so the team recommends checking the Herbert Hall Instagram feed for live updates before travelling.

Alongside the estate's own sparkling wines, Bar HH serves a small selection of still wines, beers, cider and soft drinks - making it an easy, relaxed way to taste the range without committing to a full formal tasting. The Bar & Club HH page carries the latest schedule and any seasonal changes.

Club HH: The Winery's Membership Scheme

For regulars and committed fans, Herbert Hall runs Club HH, a free-to-join membership community. Members receive:

• The Herbert Hall newsletter
• Invitations to tastings and events at the winery
• Discount on retail wine sales through the online shop
• A 10% discount on drinks at Bar HH

Club HH membership is managed through the Herbert Hall online shop. It is the most direct way to hear about new releases (which often sell out in hours given the small production volumes) and to attend cellar tastings and members-only events.

Where to Buy Herbert Hall Wines

Although Herbert Hall is a tiny producer, its wines appear on some of the most respected wine lists and at retailers in the UK. Current retail stockists include:

• Fortnum & Mason, London - fortnumandmason.com
• Lea & Sandeman, London - leaandsandeman.co.uk
• Rodney Fletcher Vintners, Marden - rfvintners.co.uk
• Corkk, Canterbury & Tunbridge Wells - corkk.co.uk
• McCarthy & Mitchell, UK - mccarthymitchell.com
• Taywell Farm Shop, Marden - taywellfarm.co.uk
• Theatre of Wine, London - theatreofwine.com
• Herbert Hall Winery, Marden - direct from the estate via the online shop

Where to Drink Herbert Hall

On the restaurant side, Herbert Hall has limited but prestigious listings, including:

• The River Café, London - rivercafe.co.uk
• Arlington, London - arlington.london
• The Belmond British Pullman, UK - Herbert Hall is featured on the train's Herbert Hall Winery journey
• Soho Hotel (Refuel Restaurant & Bar), London - firmdalehotels.com
• Claro, London - claro-london.com
• The Groucho Club, London - thegrouchoclub.com
• Simpson's in the Strand, London - simpsonsinthestrand.co.uk
• The Pig's Head, London - thepigshead.com
• Landgate Bistro, Rye - landgatebistro.co.uk
• The Dark Horse, Bath - darkhorsebar.co.uk

Visiting the Estate

Marden sits in the heart of the Kentish countryside between Maidstone and the Weald, and is well placed for a relaxed day trip from London or the South East. During the Bar HH season (Saturdays and Sundays, 25 April - 12 September 2026), visitors can simply turn up, taste the wines and pick up bottles to take home. For larger groups, private tours and tastings can often be arranged by contacting Nicholas or Kirsty directly using the details below.

Contact Details

• Nicholas Hall: +44 (0)7956 163 519
• Kirsty Smith: +44 (0)7860 506 329

Press & Recognition

Few English sparkling wine producers of Herbert Hall's size have attracted so much national and international press attention. Selected press coverage includes:

• Jonathan Ray, The Spectator (April 2026): "If anyone else has made an English sparkler as spectacular as this, I'm yet to encounter it."
• The Sunday Times (June 2019): "The English do their best to make bacchus divine."
• Will Lyons on Wine (August 2014): How to drink less but better.
• The Scotsman (April 2014): Top wine expert selects Herbert Hall Brut 2011.
• Fortnum & Mason (December 2013): Herbert Hall selected for a top wine hamper.
• YOU Magazine (November 2013): Herbert Hall on the Duchess of Cambridge's Christmas List.
• The Wall Street Journal (August 2013): "Just Don't Mention the Champagne - English sparkling wine is a dry, delicate delight."
• The Arbuturian (July 2013): Great British Bubbles: Herbert Hall.
• Telegraph (December 2012): Fabulous fizz fit for a prince.
• Country Life (June 2012): The fine vines of England.
• Decanter.com (March 2012): Kent 'garagiste' sparkler chosen for House of Commons.
• The Field (October 2011): Herbert Hall ranked among the Top English Sparkling Wines.
• Money Week (July 2011): Wine of the Week.
• GQ Drink (June 2011): "New England - Once mocked, home-grown fizz is now the toast of astute oenophiles."
• BBC News (April 2007): Hop farm brother plants vineyard.

Why Herbert Hall Matters

What makes Herbert Hall distinctive is not just the quality of its wines but the continuity behind them. This is a working farm that was already being tended more than a century before the first vines went in; the same family, the same sheltered south-facing slope, and a very similar ethos of careful, patient, hand-grown agriculture. In an era when many English sparkling wines are produced at scale by large commercial houses, Herbert Hall is a reminder that the category began with small, family-run growers experimenting on marginal sites - and that some of those growers are still here, still small, and still making some of the country's most thrilling fizz.

Whether a visitor drops in to Bar HH on a summer Saturday, picks up a bottle from Fortnum & Mason, or joins the waitlist for a new vintage release via the online shop, Herbert Hall offers one of the most authentic expressions of single-estate, Traditional Method English Sparkling Wine currently being made.