Knightor Winery: A Cornish Boutique Estate Above St Austell Bay
Tucked into the rolling Cornish countryside above St Austell Bay, Knightor Winery is one of the South West's most distinctive boutique wine estates. A working winery, an exclusive-use wedding venue and a popular food and drink destination, Knightor crafts cool-climate still and sparkling wines, a four-strong Cornish vermouth range, and an annual programme of feasts, tours, tastings and street food pop-ups. Visitors can taste at the cellar door near Trethurgy, drop into the newer coastal outpost The Vine by Knightor in Portscatho, or shop the full range through the Knightor online store.
A working English winery above St Austell Bay
Knightor's home site sits on four acres of granite and oak barns overlooking St Austell Bay in mid-Cornwall. The cellar door, wine bar and tasting room occupy the old farmstead, with the courtyard and orchard used for summer pop-ups and feasts. Wildflowers, beehives and the resident goats give the place its relaxed, lived-in atmosphere, while the working winery tanks and oak barrels sit just inside the barn doors.
The estate is unusual in English wine terms for running not one but two coastal vineyards. The Seaton Vineyard near Looe was planted in 2006 and is home to around 7,000 vines of Seyval Blanc, Rondo, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Portscatho Vineyard in the Roseland peninsula was planted in 2007 and holds roughly 10,000 vines, including Pinot Noir Précoce, Bacchus, Seyval Blanc, Rondo, Dornfelder, Dunkelfelder, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and Madeleine Angevine. Together they produce the fruit for Knightor's small-batch English wines.
Winemaking approach
Head Winemaker David Brocklehurst, who celebrated ten years at the winery in 2022, leads a minimal-intervention approach. Cool ferments, light oak touches where they add value, and careful blending or ageing produce lighter, fruitier wines with naturally lower ABV and bright acidity. Every wine is vegan friendly, low in sulphites and free from added sugar - any sweetness comes purely from the fruit.
The wines
Knightor's still and sparkling wines are crafted in small batches and aged on the lees where appropriate, so each release is exclusive to the vintage. Highlights from the current range include:
- Knightor Brut Classic Cuvée White - a traditional-method sparkling made from the finest parcels of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, aged for over five years on the lees. Delicate aromas of apples and lemon shortbread lead to a palate of green apple, citrus and freshly baked bread. A go-to for wedding toasts and receptions.
- Blanc de Blancs 2015 - Winner of World's Finest at the 2024 Glass of Bubbly Awards. Aged for a minimum of five years, it embodies the complexity and elegance that defines the very best English sparkling wines.
- Carpe Diem Range - a white, rosé and red trio that is light, fruit-forward and wonderfully easy to drink. Perfect as a wedding table wine and a crowd-pleaser across a wide menu.
The still wines, sparkling wines, vermouths and gift packs can all be ordered through the Knightor online store, which runs 24/7 alongside the cellar door.
A Cornish vermouth collection
Behind every Knightor cocktail is a Knightor Vermouth. The Cornish vermouth collection blends English wines with a carefully crafted recipe of complex herbs and spices, using grapes from the estate's finest parcels. The four-strong range covers:
- Rosso Vermouth - rich, spicy and bold, ideal as a Cornish twist on a Negroni.
- Dry Vermouth - crisp and intense, designed for martinis and dry spritzes.
- White Vermouth - floral and aromatic.
- Rosé Vermouth - fresh and fruity, the base of the signature Cornish Spritz when topped with soda and a slice of orange.
The vermouths are equally at home over ice for a sundowner or stirred into a cocktail. Signature serves include the Cornish Negroni, the Knightor Spritz and the Knightor Dry Martini.
Tastings, tours and experiences
Knightor runs a busy schedule of wine experiences at the winery near St Austell, suitable for couples, groups and curious visitors alike. The What3Words reference for the cellar door is ///Grove.Trial.Boosted.
Guided Winery Tour
The flagship Guided Winery Tour runs on Sundays at 11am from March to September. A winemaker leads guests from Grape to Glass, exploring different grape varieties and winemaking techniques before finishing with a tutored tasting. The tour lasts approximately 90 minutes, is dog friendly, and costs £22 per person. Cornish cheese plates can be added at £8.50 per plate.
Guided Wine Tasting
Available at the cellar door within opening hours, the Guided Wine Tasting samples four wines with a host sharing production insights, serving tips and tasting profiles. The session lasts about 45 minutes and costs £16 per person. Booking is advised for larger groups or private tastings.
Self-Guided Wine Tasting
A more informal, at-your-own-pace option, the Self-Guided Wine Tasting pairs a flight of four wines or vermouths with tasting and production notes. It costs £11, mixes easily with drinks from the bar and is a relaxed way to start an evening.
The Cornish Cocktail Experience
This 90-minute private experience is built around vermouth. Guests arrive to a welcome cocktail or mocktail, enjoy a vermouth-based classic cocktail and a tutored tasting of the four core vermouths, then touch, smell and select their favourite botanicals before waxing and taking home their own unique 37.5cl bottle of Knightor Vermouth. It costs £30 per person, is hosted at the St Austell winery and is suitable for private parties of 10-12+ with mocktail options for drivers.
Cheese plates and nibbles
Available at the cellar door from 11am to 3pm, Knightor's cheese plates showcase the best of local Cornish cheeses and are designed to complement the wines. Plates are £8.50 each and serve one. Olives, crisps and nuts are also available to purchase separately.
The Vine by Knightor
In 2022 Knightor opened The Vine by Knightor, a relaxed coastal wine and food bar set among the vines of the Portscatho vineyard (TR2 5EH). The Vine pours wines by the glass, cheese plates and tasting flights, with sweeping views over the Roseland. From spring 2026 it has been running a new pizza menu on Fridays and Saturdays, alongside the Cornish cheese plates available Tuesday to Saturday. No reservations are needed, the site is dog friendly, and guests can try wines at the bar before ordering six-bottle cases online at exclusive discounts.
Opening hours at The Vine are Tuesday to Thursday 12-5pm and Friday and Saturday 12-7pm; it is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Cellar Door opening hours and visit information
The main Knightor cellar door is open:
- Tuesday to Thursday: 11am-4pm
- Friday: 11am-6pm
- Saturday and Sunday: 11am-4pm
- Monday: closed
Visitors can pop in for a relaxed afternoon tasting, start an evening with an aperitif or cocktail before heading off to dinner, or pick up something from the full range of still and sparkling wines and vermouths. Soft drinks, local beers and ciders are also available, the wood stove keeps things cosy in winter and al fresco tables make the most of sunny days. Families are welcome and the winery is dog friendly, with the clay trails close by for walks.
Knightor is a working winery and old farmstead, so there are areas of rough ground, uneven levels, steps and thresholds. Visitors are asked to wear appropriate footwear and take extra care.
Weddings at Knightor
Alongside the winery, Knightor runs as an exclusive-use wedding venue, having been named Best Wedding Venue in Cornwall at the Simply Weddings Awards in both 2023 and 2025. The site accommodates weddings of every size from elopements for two up to full celebrations of 90 daytime guests and 150 evening guests.
Wedding packages
- Full Wedding - for big celebrations of 36-90 daytime guests and up to 150 in the evening. 2027 low season (Oct-Apr) from £4,700 Mon-Thu or £5,500 Sat; 2027 high season (May-Sep) from £6,500 Mon-Thu or £8,000 Sat. 2028 prices from £5,000 Mon-Thu or £5,800 low season, and from £6,850 Mon-Thu or £8,400 high season Saturday.
- Intimate Wedding - 2-35 daytime guests, with optional evening extension. Six-hour exclusive hire of the Barn, Courtyard and Arbour. From £1,950. 2027 package £2,500 and 2028 £3,500 on selected Mon-Thurs.
- Elopement / Ceremony Only - a relaxed, meaningful celebration for 2-90 guests. Mon-Wed elopement from £750 (2027).
Late date and 2027 offers
A small number of late 2026 and spring 2027 dates remain at reduced venue hire with only a £500 deposit required on booking. Late weekday dates (£2,990) include Wednesday 23 September, Wednesday 30 September, Wednesday 14 October and Tuesday 17 November 2026, while Saturday 5 September and Saturday 10 October 2026 are available at £4,000. Spring 2027 weekend dates from £5,500 include Saturday 6 March, Saturday 3 April, Saturday 8 May and Saturday 15 May.
What's included
Every hire includes accommodation for up to 20 guests in the Manor House, Orchard Barn Honeymoon Suite and three Shepherd's Huts, a dedicated wedding coordinator, exclusive use of the Barn, Courtyard, Arbour and Orchard, all crockery, tables, chairs, glassware and linen, a late licence until midnight or 1am, a fully stocked and staffed bar, capacity for 90 daytime guests and 150 in the evening, and ample free parking. An extra night in all accommodation can be added for £1,150.
Wedding wine
Knightor offers a free wine tasting with one of the winery team to help couples pair drinks to the day, and bulk-order discounts for wedding wines. A favourite welcome drink among couples is the Cornish Spritz - equal parts Knightor Rosé Vermouth and soda, a low-alcohol, budget-friendly cocktail with herbaceous, citrus and cherry notes.
For couples making a weekend of it, Cornwall's late-night conversations, quiet morning coffees and tastings at the winery are all on the doorstep, with the south coast beaches around 20 minutes away.
Feast Nights, pop-ups and events at the winery
Knightor runs a lively annual programme of food and drink events at the winery near St Austell, from Friday night street food pop-ups to long-table Feast Nights in the barn.
Street Food Pop-Ups
Back by popular demand for summer 2026, the Friday pop-ups run from 4pm until late and feature local food trucks, live music and the cellar door bar with wines, local lagers, ales and ciders. Upcoming dates include 14 August (Molinos Street Food and One for the Road), 21 August (Nauti Buoys and Tillie Rose) and 28 August (Dank Franks and Taylor Latham). Food is served 5-8pm, live music 7-9pm, with the bar open from 4pm. Free to attend, no reservations needed, families and dogs welcome.
Feast Nights
The Feast Nights celebrate cuisines from around the world in the winery barn. The next confirmed event is the Asian Street Food Night on Friday 25 September 2026, with the bar opening at 6:30pm and food served at 7:30pm. The menu is designed as a sharing platter for two, at £21 per person paid on the evening. Vegetarian and vegan options are available when pre-ordered in advance.
Wedding Open Days and Wedding Fair
Prospective couples can tour the venue at the free Wedding Open Day on Saturday 3 October 2026, 12-3pm, and at the Knightor Winter Wedding Fair on Sunday 15 November 2026, 12-3pm. Both events include welcome drinks and wine tastings and the chance to meet local suppliers and the Wedding Co-ordinators. Free tickets can be booked through the events collection.
Christmas at Knightor
The festive season kicks off with a run of shared Christmas party nights in December 2026: Fridays 4, 11 and 18 December and Saturday 19 December. Each night includes a three-course meal, a disco, and a fully stocked bar open until midnight, priced at £50 per person with a £7 non-refundable deposit required. Private festive events can also be arranged throughout December and January.
Private hire and venue hire
Beyond weddings, the barn, courtyard and orchard are available for private hire for everything from birthday parties and black-tie celebrations to team away days and networking evenings. The barn holds up to 160 standing or 120 seated (split across the first-floor space for 90 and the ground floor for 30), with a fully stocked and staffed bar, late-licence options, on-site accommodation for 20 guests, marquee-friendly outdoor space, internal catering and the option to add winery tours, tastings and away-day activities such as archery, duck herding and clay pigeon shooting.
Trade and stockists
Restaurants, retailers and hospitality venues across Cornwall and beyond can apply to become Knightor stockists. The trade team offers staff training sessions and in-store tasting events, with a minimum order of 24 bottles for free delivery and next-working-day dispatch on orders placed by 11am via DHL.
Meet the weddings team
Weddings at Knightor are run by a dedicated in-house team. Elena, Wedding & Events Manager, joined in 2019 as Front of House and worked her way through the business before stepping into her current role in 2024. Isla, Wedding & Events Coordinator, joined in 2021 and is celebrating her fifth year at the winery in 2026. Nay, Wedding & Events Coordinator, joined in 2025, bringing more than 15 years of hospitality experience. The team is also supported by Wedding & Events Assistant Naomi, and Operations Manager Liam, who leads sales and exports.
History and recent milestones
The farmstead at Trethurgy has deep local roots - the estate takes its name from the 16th-century owner Elizabeth Trevannion and her husband, whose line "I married a gentlewoman more for her worth than her wealth" still appears on Knightor's wedding wine pages. The modern winery has grown steadily over the past decade. In 2022, David marked ten years as Head Winemaker, and Knightor exported its first wines to Denmark in 2024 after exhibiting at the British Embassy in Copenhagen and the Ambassador's Residence in Stockholm. The Blanc de Blancs 2015 won World's Finest at the 2024 Glass of Bubbly Awards alongside two gold and one silver for other sparkling wines, and 2025 saw exports expand to Norway and the launch of Knightor Brandy, ten years in the making.
Plan a visit
- Cellar Door, Trethurgy - Knightor Winery, Trethurgy, Cornwall, PL26 8YQ. Tel: 01726 851101. What3Words: ///Grove.Trial.Boosted.
- The Vine by Knightor, Portscatho - Knightor Vineyard, Portscatho, Trewithian, TR2 5EH.
- Email - [email protected] for general enquiries, [email protected] for trade, [email protected] for weddings.
- Book online - wines, vermouths and gift vouchers via the Knightor shop; tours and event tickets via the same shop; wedding viewings via the booking page.
- Follow - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
Whether arriving for a Sunday guided tour, a Friday pizza at The Vine, a summer pop-up in the courtyard, or a wedding beneath the Cornish sky, Knightor Winery offers an English wine experience shaped by coast, climate and the people who farm it.