Hooperhayne Vineyard: A Boutique Devon Estate in the Coly Valley
Nestled on the gentle, south-facing slopes of Devonshire's Coly Valley, Hooperhayne Vineyard is a boutique English wine estate with a quietly compelling origin story. Planted in April 2012 by Jane Houldsworth, the vineyard sits within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty just inland from the Jurassic Coast, drawing on a terroir of loamy soil and flinty terrain that has shaped every bottle the estate has since produced.
What began as a personal fascination with a neighbouring patch of vines half a mile from a 500-year-old farmhouse has matured into a critically acclaimed single-estate producer, with a portfolio spanning still Bacchus whites, a pale dry English Rosé Reserve, and two méthode champenoise Pinot Noir sparkling rosés.
A Vineyard Born from Curiosity
The Hooperhayne story starts with a house purchase. Fifteen years ago, Jane Houldsworth bought a 500-year-old farmhouse in an exceptionally beautiful, protected valley near Axminster in Devon, just inland from the Jurassic Coast and its ancient geology. Intrigued to discover a vineyard roughly half a mile from her new home, she did her homework and found that the land at Hooperhayne shared the same favourable attributes.
An idea was born. Jane commissioned an agronomist and other key advisors, selected the site and enrolled on a Vineyard Establishment and Management course in Sussex. Grape varieties were chosen, a planting team lined up with laser-guided machinery, and in April 2012 - a Great British year bookended by the London Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee - a parcel of land on the southern slopes of a West Country valley became a lovingly tended boutique vineyard.
Jane has been hands-on from the outset, soaking up a wealth of information along the way. She continues to manage both the vineyard and her other business - the Flying Colours Gallery in London - which conveniently peaks in the autumn and winter months, leaving spring and summer free for viticulture.
Terroir: The Coly Valley
Hooperhayne's setting is fundamental to its identity. The vineyard occupies south-facing slopes within the Coly Valley, part of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the wider Jurassic Coast landscape. The soils are described by the estate as loamy with flinty terrain - conditions that the team believes suit the chosen grape varieties particularly well.
The valley's mild Devon climate, combined with its protected topography, mirrors the kinds of sites that have historically produced some of England's most celebrated wines. It is a small, focused site, and the estate's commitment to single-estate bottling means every bottle carries a recognisable fingerprint of this one corner of the West Country.
The Grape Varieties
Nearly half the vineyard is planted with Bacchus, a grape that has been grown in England for around fifty years and which Victoria Moore of the Daily Telegraph has called "the closest thing England has to a signature variety." Moore describes its aromas as "grassy meadows and hawthorn; elderflower and citrus," and Hooperhayne's site expresses those characteristics clearly.
The remaining plantings are Pinot Noir, a grape whose name derives from the French words for "pine" and "black" - a reference to the shape of its bunches. Long associated with Burgundy, Pinot Noir is now grown around the world and is widely used for both still and sparkling rosé production. At Hooperhayne, it is the backbone of the estate's rosé and sparkling programmes.
The Wines
Hooperhayne produces a focused range of still and sparkling wines from these two varieties. The line-up includes the signature Bacchus Reserve whites, the English Rosé Reserve, and two méthode champenoise sparkling rosés made by respected English sparkling specialists.
Bacchus Reserve Vintage 2020
This dry, aromatic white wine is made from the elegant Bacchus grape, ideally suited to the Coly Valley's loamy soil and flinty terrain. The wine is rounded and expressive on the nose with floral and hedgerow notes, combining refreshing crispness with satisfying body and length. The 2020 vintage won a Silver Medal at the 2022 WineGB Awards. It works beautifully as a spritzy aperitif or paired with fish. Available from £16.50 per bottle.
Bacchus Reserve Vintage 2018
Produced in the same elegant style as the 2020, this earlier vintage offers floral and hedgerow aromatics, refreshing crispness and a satisfying finish. The estate suggests enjoying it with chicken or fish. Available from £12.95 per bottle.
Bacchus Sparkler
A single-estate sparkling white made entirely from Bacchus grapes, the Sparkler is spritzy and refreshing with elderflower notes. It drinks well on its own or with lighter dishes. The wine is 11.5% vol and bottled at 750ml, sold individually, in cases of three or in cases of six. Available from £27.50 per bottle.
English Rosé Reserve
The estate's pale, dry and delicious Provençal-style rosé is made from Pinot Noir and is pale honeysuckle in colour. Winemaker Steve Brooksbank responded superbly to the request to make a classy Devon-grown rosé. The bouquet combines fleshy red fruit and crisp blood orange; on the palate, taut mineral crispness leads to a fine dry finish. It is 11% vol, 750ml. Available from £15.50 per bottle.
English Rosé Reserve 2022
The latest release of the rosé flagship delivers crisp blood orange and ripe strawberry hits on the nose, with taut mineral crispness and a fine dry finish on the palate. It is "perfectly elegant and refreshing on its own or delicious with lighter dishes." Available from £17.50 per bottle.
Pinot Noir Brut Vintage 2017
Hooperhayne's first sparkling rosé was made by Ian Edwards at Furleigh Estates using the elaborate and lengthy méthode champenoise, with grapes from the vineyard's first harvest. The result is a pale honeysuckle-coloured wine that is smooth, gently sparkling and delectable - "no celebration required to open this reliable bottle of bubbles." Available from £35.00 per bottle.
Pinot Noir Brut Vintage 2018
The follow-up vintage follows the same classic method approach with hand-harvested Pinot Noir. It is smooth and classy, beautifully balanced, fresh and lively with pleasing length. Available from £35.00 per bottle.
Mixed Case
For those wanting to sample across the range, Hooperhayne offers a mixed case in three-, six- and twelve-bottle formats. From £75.00 per case.
Winemaking Partners
Hooperhayne has worked with two highly respected English winemakers since its first commercial vintage in 2017. Steve Brooksbank crafts the still rosé and white wines, while Ian Edwards of Furleigh Estates - one of the South West's most respected sparkling specialists - produces the Pinot Noir Brut sparkling rosés using the classic méthode champenoise. The combination of careful vineyard husbandry on the Coly Valley slopes and meticulous winemaking has paid off in awards: the 2022 WineGB Silver for Bacchus Reserve Vintage 2020 marked an early milestone.
Visiting the Estate
Private visits and tastings at the Coly Valley vineyard are arranged by the team rather than on a fixed public calendar. The estate hosted its first on-site wine tasting in 2022.
The People Behind Hooperhayne
Hooperhayne is, at its heart, a single-vision project. Jane Houldsworth leads the estate and is supported by a small, long-standing team that has worked with her since planting in 2012. Her complementary business - the Flying Colours Gallery in London - keeps her connected to the art world in the quieter months, while the vineyard occupies her spring and summer.
Buying Hooperhayne Wines
Hooperhayne wines are sold direct from the estate through an online shop, with mixed cases available for those who want to explore across the range. The Bacchus Sparkler and English Rosé Reserve are currently in stock, with several other wines, including both Pinot Noir Brut vintages and the 2020 and 2022 rosés, sold out following recent demand.
Final Notes
Hooperhayne is a small but distinguished addition to the English wine map. Its south-facing Coly Valley site, careful varietal selection and trusted winemaking partners have already produced a WineGB medal-winning Bacchus and a pair of elegant Pinot Noir sparkling rosés. With a hands-on founder, an evocative Jurassic Coast setting and a tightly curated range, Hooperhayne embodies the kind of single-estate English wine story that has put the country firmly on the international wine map.