Itasca Wines: Hampshire's Sustainable Contract Winemaker and Home of Penn Croft
About Itasca Wines
Itasca Wines is one of the most talked-about names in modern English wine - not because it owns hundreds of hectares of vines, but because it has built something that until 2020 simply did not exist in the United Kingdom: a purpose-built, sustainable contract winery designed from the ground up to turn other people's grapes into medal-winning bottles. Based at Penn Croft Farm on the Hampshire/Surrey border, near the village of Crondall, Itasca now produces its own award-winning still and sparkling wines under the Penn Croft label while simultaneously offering a complete "crate to case" winemaking service to growers from Essex to Exeter.
The company was founded by Malcolm Walker, a well-travelled filmmaker behind the wine TV series Cellar Rats, and Simon Porter, a conservation agriculture expert who has worked at Penn Croft Farm for more than four decades. Together they share a vision for biodiverse viticulture and sustainable winemaking - values that have been baked into every part of the Itasca operation, from the solar farm and natural wetlands on site to the regenerative farming in the surrounding vineyards. Within five years of opening its doors, Itasca has grown from a four-person start-up to a 33-strong team, crushed its first 50 tonnes of fruit in 2020, is set to crush more than 1,000 tonnes in 2025, and is on track to become the UK's biggest contract winemaker with a new Essex winery opening near Maldon.
Penn Croft Winery: Where It All Began
The story of Itasca is inseparable from the story of Penn Croft Farm. As the founders like to put it: "It all started with two rusty barns and a vision." The transformation from a pair of dilapidated farm buildings into a state-of-the-art, sustainable winery took just eight months in 2020, and the facility opened for business in September of that year - in the middle of a global pandemic.
Penn Croft Farm had been the site of Simon Porter's original vineyard planting in 2018, and it is still the home of the Penn Croft label, the cellar door, and the company's own brand wines. From this base the operation has expanded rapidly. The founders initially intended only to make their own wines, but quickly realised that there were dozens of UK growers with sustainable vineyards but no winery of their own. The contract winemaking service, marketed as the "Grape to Bottle" package, became an instant hit, and is now the engine room of the entire business.
The Team Behind the Wines
Itasca's reputation rests on the people in the winery, and the company has assembled one of the strongest technical teams in the country.
- Ben Smith, Head Winemaker & General Manager (Crondall) - Joined Itasca in May 2020 with 14 vintages already under his belt. Ben previously held the Head Winemaker post at Oxney Organic Estate, where he scored England's only perfect 20/20 for his 2018 Chardonnay. His CV includes harvests in New Zealand, Western Australia, Tasmania, Canada, Alsace and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. He is set to become Executive Winemaker as the team expands.
- Sam Kozlowski, Assistant Winemaker - A former aerospace engineer who fell in love with wine over an inexpensive bottle of Zind-Humbrecht Riesling on a skiing holiday. Sam holds an MSc in Viticulture and Enology from the Vinifera Euromaster programme and brings a uniquely analytical mind to the cellar.
- Malcolm Walker, Founder & CEO - Drives the vision, the partnerships and the relentless pace of growth.
- Simon Porter, Co-founder - Officially retired but still tends the vineyards he first planted in 2018.
- John Wilkins, Main Board Member - Long-term commercial director, recently joined the main board.
- Kat Cran-Crombie, Operations Director - Works closely with Ben on day-to-day cellar operations.
- James Lambert, Head of Brand Development - Joined from Lyme Bay Vineyard, where he was managing director for nine years, to develop brand wines and supermarket own-label production.
Wine Services and Contract Winemaking
Itasca's core offer to UK growers is a complete, end-to-end contract winemaking service. As the company puts it, you deliver your grapes; Itasca delivers fully packaged wine back. The "magic in the middle" combines cutting-edge equipment with bespoke, cloud-based process management designed specifically for custom crush operations.
The service is run by award-winning Head Winemaker Ben Smith, and the winery has the capacity to deliver wine at a range of scales - whether the client wants the whole process or just specific stages. The on-site laboratory is central to the operation, supporting every step from fruit intake through to final bottling.
Standalone Services
For established wineries that just need support with one or two stages of production, Itasca offers a comprehensive menu of standalone services, available all year round and not just at harvest:
- De-juicing
- Tirage
- Still wine bottling
- Storage (bonded warehousing)
- Riddling (5 Quadra Gyropallets, capacity for 10,000 bottles per week)
- Disgorging (1,000 bottles an hour)
- Still wine packaging
- Sparkling wine packaging
- Laboratory services
Enartis Products
Since 2020 Itasca has been the sole UK distributor for Enartis, the Italian producer of yeasts, stabilisers, enzymes and other winery consumables. The range covers sparkling and still wine production as well as cider and other fermented beverages, and Itasca now supplies around 85% of the UK's wineries through this partnership.
Itasca Technical Services
What began as a search for an eight-tonne press at the 2021 Vineyard & Winery Show has grown into a second business unit: Itasca Technical Services. After visiting the Scharfenberger plant in Germany, the founders agreed to set up a dedicated UK distribution and installation company, and other manufacturers quickly followed. Today the technical division supplies and installs almost everything a UK winery needs.
Equipment Partners
- Scharfenberger (Germany) - Sole UK importer. The Europress is the benchmark in gentle grape processing; Itasca's engineers have installed around half of the 70 Scharfenberger presses currently operating in the UK.
- SRAML (Slovenia) - Sole UK import agreement for filling and packaging machinery, including gravity, low-vacuum, electronic volumetric, electronic checkweigher and counter-pressure filling options.
- Steroglass and Oculyze - Additional laboratory and process control suppliers.
- GAI - Bottling line manufacturer; the GAI machine at Penn Croft is regarded by Head Winemaker Ben Smith as "one of the best in the world".
The technical team is led by Chief Engineer Martin Smith and Field Engineer Maddi Nippard, supported by new service bases in Ashford to reach customers in Kent and Sussex more quickly. A set-price service package covers routine maintenance, with emergency breakdown and ad hoc service available on demand.
Facilities and Equipment at Penn Croft
Penn Croft Winery is a 600-tonne capacity facility designed to combine sustainable practice with uncompromising technical performance.
Fruit Processing
- 8-tonne, 3-tonne and 1-tonne presses
- Dolav picking bins available for hire
- 600-tonne total intake capacity
Primary Fermentation
- Large capacity thermally controlled tanks
- Second and third-fill French oak barrels
Bottling Line
- Fully digital GAI line with remote access
- Capacity: up to 18,000 bottles a day
- Cross-flow filtration on site
- Lux screw caps and cork options
- Capability for half bottles, magnums, sparkling (tirage), still under screw cap, still under cork, all with in-line lot coding
Production and Riddling
- 5 Quadra Gyropallets with riddling capacity for 10,000 bottles per week
- Riddling cages available for clients to use
Packaging
- Washing, labelling and boxing services
- Dry goods available
Disgorging
- 1,000 bottles an hour line
- Jetting to reduce bottle variation and improve freshness
- In-line batch coding
- In-line automated Vision Control system
Storage
- Secure, bonded warehousing
Sustainability at the Core
For Itasca, sustainability is not a marketing line - it is the reason the business exists. "More than words: action is the only viable answer to the climate crisis."
- On-site natural wetlands system - no waste water leaves the site
- Solar farm generating the winery's own electricity
- All buildings fully insulated, temperature controlled and lit by LED lighting
- Resource usage monitored across the operation
- Cleaning chemicals and methods chosen to minimise water use
- All equipment brand new for maximum energy efficiency
With only around 100 wineries in the UK and most operating at full capacity after several bumper harvests, Itasca has identified a growing demand for sustainable winemaking services. That insight is what underpins the company's plan to process 2,000 tonnes of grapes per year once the Essex facility comes online.
Penn Croft Wines and the Cellar Door
Itasca produces its own wines under the Penn Croft Vineyards label, made from grapes grown at the original Penn Croft planting and at Jenkyn's Place, a vineyard planted in 2006 which Itasca has leased since 2021. The company has around 46 acres under vine in total, and currently produces about 10,000 bottles per year - sold online and at the cellar door. After three consecutive sell-out vintages, head winemaker Ben plans to increase production, and a new in-house label may also be on the cards.
Visiting the Cellar Door
The Penn Croft Cellar Door is the natural place to taste the wines. Described by the team as a "roomy yet cosy affair", it offers:
- 30 indoor seats with a wood stove burner
- Outdoor heating, seating and blankets for when the sun goes down
- Discounted cellar-door-only wines
- Coffee, salads, cakes and hot drinks from the café
- Wine tasting evenings
The cellar door is open Wednesday to Sunday and sits next to a public footpath, which means it has also become a popular stop for walkers and cyclists - on Sunday mornings the bacon sandwich and coffee crowd is a regular fixture. Tours of the vineyard and winery can be combined with a cellar door visit and booked through the Penn Croft tour page.
Penn Croft Tasting Notes and Reviews
Penn Croft wines - and the wider portfolio of wines made at Itasca - have built an impressive critical reputation. A selection of recent scores from leading UK and international commentators includes:
- Penn Croft Single Vineyard Bacchus 2022 - 17/20, Jancis Robinson: "This shows what Bacchus can do, grown in the right way, in the right place, and made by someone who cares and takes time."
- Penn Croft Bacchus 2022 - 91/100, Jamie Goode (WineAnorak): "Lively lime and elderflower nose is quite assertive. Lovely concentration and depth on the palate."
- Penn Croft Village Bacchus 2022 - 89/100, Jamie Goode: "Fresh, vivid and pure with lovely lemon and elderflower fruitiness."
- Penn Croft Pinot Blanc 2022 - 90/100, Jamie Goode
- Penn Croft Village Bacchus 2023 - Rosamund Hall, The Independent: "This is an excellent example … ever-so quintessentially English, like a hedgerow in full bloom."
- Penn Croft Village Bacchus 2024 - Tom Hewson
- Missing Gate Pinot Blanc 2020 - Tom Hewson, declared White Wine of the Year and Debut Release of the Year in his England 2022 report: "No doubt the finest Pinot Blanc ever produced in this country."
- Missing Gate Sauvignon Blanc 2021 - Tamlyn Currin, jancisrobinson.com
- Thorrington Mill Bacchus 2022 - 91/100, Jamie Goode
- Thorrington Mill Rosé 2022 - 90/100, Jamie Goode
- Wraxall Bacchus 2022 - 91/100, Jamie Goode
- Wraxall Rosé 2022 - 91/100, Jamie Goode
- Penn Croft Sparkling Rosé 2020 - "A delightfully delicate nose of wild strawberry, shortbread, citrus zest and faint red berries."
Penn Croft wines can be bought directly from the Penn Croft Vineyards shop.
Expansion to Essex: A Second Winery in the Crouch Valley
With more than 4.5 million vines estimated to have been planted along the east coast of England in the past four years, and the Crouch Valley on average half a degree warmer than the rest of the country, Essex is rapidly becoming a hot spot for English still wines. Itasca is moving decisively to serve that growth.
A second winery is being constructed near Maldon, overseen by director Debbie Reid - who also owns Crows Lane Vineyard (60 acres at Stow Maries in the Crouch Valley). Designed from the ground up as a mainly still wine facility, the £4 million site will process around 1,500 tonnes of grapes per year using two eight-tonne Scharfenberger Europresses, Speidel tanks and Sraml equipment. It will be ready to receive its first fruit from the 2026 harvest.
Day-to-day responsibility at the Maldon site will be led by assistant winemaker Annemarie Fourie (joining from South Africa), with Den'e Louw taking over the Hampshire operation.
Cranborne Lodge: Weddings and Hospitality in Dorset
In another diversification move, Itasca has taken on Cranborne Lodge, a Grade II* listed Georgian country house set within 28 acres of gardens, woodland and lawns in the heart of Cranborne Chase, Dorset. Built in 1730, the Palladian mansion has 14 bedrooms with the potential to expand to 22, and is being restored as a wine hotel and events destination under the careful guidance of architects Ian Adam-Smith, interior designers Sims-Hilditch and historical planning advisers Whaleback.
The Lodge is available for exclusive-hire weddings, vow renewals, marquee receptions, private dining, corporate gatherings and wellness retreats, with the option to include Penn Croft wines as part of every celebration. Couples can host an intimate house wedding or a marquee reception for 150+ guests; Itasca took over the building on 1 January 2025 and has already hosted seven large weddings.
The Peony Bar
Open to non-residents as well as guests, the on-site Peony Bar serves Penn Croft wines and charcuterie boards on the terrace:
- Monday - Friday: 5pm - 9pm
- Saturday: 12pm - 9pm
- Sunday: 12pm - 5pm
Future events are planned around the Cranborne Lodge calendar. Bookings and enquiries are handled by Cranborne Lodge.
What Clients Say
Itasca's reputation is built as much on long-term grower relationships as on the medals in the cabinet.
- "It is a pleasure to deal with Ben and Itasca as a thoroughly professional solution to all our winemaking needs. We are confident Ben will produce medal winning wines for us as his expertise shines through." - James Tuttiett, Northbrook Vineyard
- "Dealing with the team at Itasca has been a delight at all stages - there is such a sense of professionalism and pride to deliver the very best service." - Lucinda Colucci, Blackdown Ridge Vineyard
- "Although nearly 50 years old, Wraxall Vineyard was new to us - as was growing grapes and making wine. Ben guided us and the vineyard through our first year producing medal winning wine. Itasca is now a critical part of the Wraxall team." - Wraxall Vineyard
- "Itasca has been a great help to us in working hard to overcome any problems and get things done for our disgorging job. They are friendly, professional and skilled." - Simon Woodhead, Stopham Vineyard
Careers at Itasca
Itasca is regularly hiring across production, engineering and winemaking. Recent vacancies have included Operations Winemaker (still wine focus), Harvest Cellar Hands (six to seven week harvest contracts), Production Supervisor / Operator and Production Assistant. The company is also expanding the Essex team. Speculative applications can be sent to joinus@itascawines.com.
How to Find Itasca Wines
Itasca Wines is based at Penn Croft Farm, Itchel Lane, Crondall, Hampshire, GU10 5PX, on the Surrey/Hampshire border. The cellar door is open Wednesday to Sunday. For general enquiries contact info@itascawines.com or call +44 (0)1252 279 830. For investment enquiries, contact investors@itascawines.com or call +44 (0)1252 279 835.
Penn Croft wines are available to purchase from the Penn Croft Vineyards shop. Vineyard and winery tours can be booked through the Penn Croft tour page. Weddings and events at Cranborne Lodge can be booked at www.cranbornelodge.com.