Limeburn Hill Vineyard: Biodynamic Natural Wines on a Somerset Hillside
Tucked into the rolling hillside above Chew Valley Lake in north Somerset, Limeburn Hill Vineyard is one of England's most quietly distinctive biodynamic estates. Run by Robin Snowdon and Georgina Harvey from the 18th-century farmhouse at Westfield Farm, the vineyard grows eight grape varieties across two fields and produces small-batch natural wines, dessert wines and eau de vie spirits, each labelled and finished by hand and certified by Demeter.
Just four miles from Bristol, twelve from Bath and a similar distance from Wells, the vineyard looks out over the Chew Valley with views that sweep past the rivers and lakes to the Mendip Hills beyond. It is a working landscape rich in wild flowers, orchids, butterflies and at least 63 species of birds, as well as badgers and foxes that help keep the ecology in balance.
A Family-Run Biodynamic Vineyard
Limeburn Hill is the work of two people with very different career paths who came to the land by choice. Robin trained as an architect, landscape architect and lecturer before reconnecting with a childhood wish to be a farmer; his road to winemaking began, he jokes, at the age of ten when he won first prize for an alcoholic 'strawbilberry' wine. Georgina came from documentary-making at the BBC before retraining in landscape architecture, and today the farmhouse and vineyard are her canvas for creativity and community.
The first vineyard was planted in 2015 with six varieties: Pinot Noir, Regent, Rondo, Seyval Blanc, Orion and Solaris, plus a small trial of the hybrid Johanniter. A second plot followed five years later with a further 1,200 vines of Johanniter and the newer French hybrid Sauvignac. The choice of predominantly German and French hybrids - traditional grapes crossed with more disease-resistant varieties - is deliberate, allowing the team to work without synthetic chemicals and rely instead on plant-based teas and compost teas grown on the vineyard.
The Biodynamic Approach
Biodynamic agriculture, the precursor to the organic movement, was developed by Rudolf Steiner a century ago. Its 'salutogenic' philosophy focuses on enhancing health rather than fighting disease, and at Limeburn Hill this translates into five guiding principles:
- Recognising the inherent value and interconnectedness of all things.
- Working with both the material/physical and the energetic/life-force aspects of the world.
- Considering the farm as a living organism that is as healthy, self-sufficient and balanced as possible.
- Working with the series of preparations based on plants, quartz and cow manure that feed vines and soil.
- Being guided by the cycles of the sun, moon and stars for planting, harvesting, bottling and even drinking.
The result is a vineyard that is more than vines: part of a wider tapestry of ancient field patterns, hedgerows, venerable trees and springlines. Robin teaches the Introduction to Biodynamic Viticulture course for the Biodynamic Association College UK and has served as Chair of the Biodynamic Association certification board, while also working as a consultant for other vineyards moving towards biodynamic practice.
Natural Wines and Spirits Made by Hand
Everything at Limeburn Hill is done by hand, from picking the grapes to designing and hand-printing the labels, making every bottle unique. The team makes small batches of wine exclusively from its own hand-harvested grapes, fermented with the wild yeast that lives on the skins to produce natural wines. Their Pétillant Naturel wines use the ancestral method of single fermentation in the bottle to create lightly sparkling, dry and aromatic wines, while the grape skins are left in contact with the juice for a time to influence flavour, colour, tannins and longevity.
All of the wines are unfiltered and unfined, making them suitable for vegans, and contain only the sulphites that occur naturally during fermentation. Some of the wines are also distilled into spirits, and a natural dessert wine in the style of a Vin Doux or Mistelle is made by combining fermenting grape juice with Eau de Vie de Vin. The first still wines are resting in tank until they are ready for release.
The Limeburn Hill Range
To Summon a Golden Oriole
The first still wine, a rich amber made using a rolling fermentation of Solaris, followed by Sauvignac and completed with Orion - three grape varieties that share a Riesling ancestry. Naturally fermented in steel with wild yeasts, it has no added sulphites, comes in at 12% ABV and is priced at £30 per bottle.
Beltain Pet Nat Amber
An 'orange' or amber wine whose golden hues come from skin-contact fermentation with the aromatic Orion grape. Elderflower on the nose gives way to apple, pear and stone fruits on the palate, with a savoury complexity at the finish. Beltain is named for the Celtic festival of spring, contains no added sugar or sulphites and is 10.5% ABV.
Lammas Pet Nat Rosé
A clean, delicate sparkling rosé made from Pinot Noir and Seyval Blanc co-fermented on the skins before being pressed into stainless steel tanks. Flavours of strawberry and citrus are bottled using the ancestral method. Named for the Celtic festival celebrating the abundance of summer, it is 11.5% ABV.
Samhain Pet Nat Red
A juicy, fruity burst of hedgerow flavours with pink bubbles. This five-day skin-contact red is a co-ferment of Regent and Rondo, redolent of damsons, blackberries, blackcurrants and a hint of spice. Named for the Celtic festival of autumn, Samhain is 10.5% ABV and comes with the winemaker's notes artfully folded into the neck label.
Summer Mixed Box
A four-bottle case containing one of each of the 2025 Pet Nats - Beltain, Lammas and Samhain - together with a bottle of the still amber To Summon a Golden Oriole. Priced at £115 per box, it is available direct from the vineyard by appointment, from markets, or by courier for an additional £15.
Genius Loci Eau de Vie de Vin
Smooth and rounded grape spirit distilled by Circumstance Distillery in Bristol. The flavour of the grape intensifies to dried fruits such as raisins and figs alongside caramel. The label, sealed with cork and wax, represents a slice through the vineyard from beneath the earth to the cosmos. 40% ABV, 200ml.
Qindred Spirit
Grape spirit macerated for a year with fresh quince, named for the union between the two fruits. Citrus, fragrance and a long finish. 25% ABV, 200ml. Both spirits are certified biodynamic by Demeter.
Shop, Stockists and Direct Sales
Wines and spirits can be bought direct from the vineyard on tours or by appointment, or in larger quantities from the online shop. A network of stockists carries the wines and spirits in the south west, London and the north, including Carouse Wines, Kask in Bristol and Gloucester Road, Le Vignoble in Plymouth and Bristol, Native Vine in Bedminster and Redfield, and Unwined in Tooting. Restaurants such as Cor, Oak in Bath, Pasture, The Pig near Bath and Elliot's Borough also pour Limeburn Hill wines. Bottleshops include Salthouse Bottleshop, L'Affinage du Fromage and Monty Wines.
Tours and Tastings
Limeburn Hill opens its gates during the summer months for tours, tastings, private events and fire feasts. Public tours are led by one of the owners at a relaxed pace, gently leading visitors through the vines to the top of the hill where chilled wines are waiting. Along the way, guests learn about the cycles of the vineyard year, the biodynamic treatments that promote soil health and biodiversity, and the natural winemaking that uses only grape juice and wild yeasts.
Public tours for 2026 are ticketed through Eventbrite and run for two hours, with weekend dates including Sunday 9 August (11am and 2.30pm), Sunday 30 August (11am), and Sunday 20 September (11am). Gift vouchers for the 2026 season cost £20 per person plus £3 postage, and Robin and Georgina hand-write direct-to-recipient vouchers on request.
Private tours and tastings are available for groups, parties, families, friends and work teams of 12 or more, with locally-sourced lunch platters from Somerset producers such as Westcombe Dairy, Homewood Cheeses, Bristol Cheesemonger, Bath Soft Cheese, Whitelake Cheese, The Bristol Loaf and the Real Olive Co. Bookings and gift-voucher enquiries go to info@limeburnhillvineyard.co.uk.
Workshops and Courses
As well as producing wines, Limeburn Hill is an education centre for biodynamic growing. Two flagship workshops run each year, both capped at 12 people to allow plenty of discussion.
- Workshop: My Tiny Vineyard - Sunday 9 May 2027 (10am - 4pm) and Sunday 16 May 2027. A one-day practical course for anyone wanting to plant or look after a micro vineyard in a garden or allotment. Includes teaching, vineyard tour, wine tasting, vegetarian lunch and refreshments. £90.
- Workshop: Introduction to Biodynamic Winegrowing - Sunday 6 June 2027 (09:30 - 16:00). Led by Robin Snowdon, covering biodynamic viticulture and viniculture, vineyard management, compost teas and plant-based sprays, the biodynamic preparations, a vineyard tour and a tasting. Includes two-course vegetarian lunch. £90.
Both are also offered from time to time as online courses; an earlier five-session Online: Introduction to Biodynamic Viticulture included video seminars and interviews with biodynamic winemakers from around the world.
Upcoming Events at the Vineyard
The vineyard's annual calendar is varied - tours, workshops, fire feasts and external festivals. Upcoming events include:
- Good Stories in Food: Wine and Cheese Tasting Tour - Friday 7 August 2026. A full-day minibus tour of the Chew Valley with lunch at The Pony restaurant and visits to a Cheddar cheesemaker and Sutton Ridge Vineyard in Blagdon.
- eat:Totnes - Sunday 23 August 2026. Limeburn Hill will be at Steam Quay and Longmarsh in Totnes with Pet Nats and oysters from Dart Mariculture.
- eat:Bedminster - Sunday 6 September 2026. Return to the eat:Bedminster food festival on East Street and Dean Street.
- Workshop: My Tiny Vineyard - Sunday 9 May 2027.
- Workshop: Introduction to Biodynamic Winegrowing - Sunday 6 June 2027.
Recent highlights from the 2025 - 26 calendar included the Summer Solstice Gathering with Ubuntu Food, the Trade Tasting & Summer Social, the Harvest Supper at Oak Restaurant in Bath, the Cheese & Wine evening with L'Affinage du Fromage in Bristol, and a stand at the UNFILTERED Real Wine and Contemporary Art Fair in Frome.
Community, Collaborations and Volunteers
The vineyard has become a creative hub as well as a place of work. Artists, photographers, musicians, poets and chefs have all taken inspiration from the hillside, and there are ongoing collaborations with restaurants such as Crocadon in Cornwall, The Pig near Bath and Where the Light Gets In in Stockport.
Limeburn Hill is an official host for WWOOF UK (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) and welcomes a few summer guests each year to experience vineyard life. Volunteer days and limited places on the harvest are offered by emailing the team directly.
Journal entries - including A Cornish bothy supper, The quest for the 'Dalston Melon' and The Ouessant Boys - capture the storytelling side of the estate, and the vineyard's Instagram at @limeburnhill carries the latest news from the vines.
Plan Your Visit
Limeburn Hill Vineyard is at Westfield Farm, Chew Magna, BS40 8QW. Visits are by appointment only, so booking a tour, workshop or event in advance is essential. From Bristol it is a 20-minute drive; from Bath or Wells around 30 minutes. For tour and tasting tickets, gift vouchers, or to be added to the volunteer and harvest lists, email info@limeburnhillvineyard.co.uk.
Wine, spirits and mixed cases can be ordered through the online shop, where the current Pet Nat cases - Beltain, Lammas and Samhain - are each priced at £120 for four bottles, the Summer Mixed Box at £115, and the still amber To Summon a Golden Oriole at £30 a bottle.