Little Waddon Vineyard: A Boutique, Low-Intervention English Wine Estate on Dorset's Jurassic Coast
Nestled at the base of steep, due-south-facing chalk and limestone downs, just inland from the West Fleet at Langton Herring, Little Waddon Vineyard is one of Dorset's smallest and most distinctive boutique wine estates. The vineyard sits within a gentle open valley full of sea breezes, looking out to sea along the iconic World Heritage Jurassic Coast. Run by Simon and Karen, who took over the site in the summer of 2018, Little Waddon produces a small but award-winning range of low-intervention, sustainable, pesticide-free English wines.
A Jurassic Coast vineyard with a unique micro-climate
Little Waddon's terroir is one of the most distinctive in England. Beneath the vines the soil is a shallow layer of rich loam mixed with flint, chalk and limestone, sitting on truly ancient, deep Kimmeridge clay that gives excellent run-off and drainage. The valley opens out to Lyme Bay, and the vineyard enjoys the same unusual micro-climate as the famous Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens a few miles to the west. On a warm summer's day, the owners note, the slopes feel more like the South of France than West Dorset, a remarkable habitat where vines clearly thrive.
The vines themselves were originally planted in 2004 and are made up of three varieties: Seyval Blanc, Regent and Phoenix. From the moment Simon and Karen bought the vineyard, they set about converting it to a regenerative, sustainable, pesticide-and-herbicite-free system, allowing the vines to thrive naturally.
The wines
Little Waddon's small-batch wines are made with minimal intervention, resulting in what the team describes as truly authentic terroir. The current range, all bottled at 75cl and labelled as Wine of England, is available to buy directly from the online shop with UK mainland delivery or click-and-collect from the vineyard.
Sparkling wines
- Three Summers 2018 Traditional Method Brut - £35.00. The flagship sparkling, made from 100% Seyval Blanc naturally fermented in oak barrels from its own wild yeasts. The 2018 grapes took three summers from grape to glass, producing a wonderfully complex dry wine packed with fruit and a stream of fine bubbles. 12.5% vol.
- Three Summers Rosé 2019 Traditional Method Brut - £35.00. 96% Seyval Blanc with a sprinkle of Regent for colour, offering wild strawberries, hedgerow fruit and tayberries with honey. 11.5% vol.
- Col Fondo 2023 Sparkling White - £25.00. An award-winning 100% Seyval Blanc ancestral method semi-sparkling, with a second fermentation in bottle and not disgorged. The sediment (con il fondo) is an intended part of the style. Won Silver at the WineGB Wessex 2024 Competition. 11% vol.
- Col Fondo Rosso 2021 Sparkling Red - £25.00. A blend of 59% Regent and 41% Triomphe D'Alsace, given 22 days of skin-contact maceration under CO2 followed by a wild fermentation and a portion of oak barrel aging. A frizzante red with loganberry, vanilla pods, blackberry and a hint of red chocolate. 10% vol.
Still wines
- Willow White 2022 - £20.00. The 2022 vintage still white, made exclusively from Phoenix grapes grown on the estate. Part hand destemmed and foot crushed, left on skins, then whole-bunch pressed with a wild yeast fermentation, unfiltered and unfined, with no sulphur added at any stage. Nicely dry, with elderflower, citrus, peach and buttery toasted almonds. 10.5% vol.
Merchandise and gifts
- Little Waddon Vineyard Wooden Gift Box - £5.00. A sustainably sourced wooden wine gift box branded with the vineyard's lid, available with any wine order.
- LWV 'Bag for Life' - £5.00. A grey jute shopping bag printed with AZO-free dye, with soft padded handles and a wipe-clean laminated lining.
- Dorset Delights Tea-Towel - £14.00. 100% unbleached cotton, machine washable, featuring an original illustration by artist Becca Perl celebrating Dorset food and drink producers, including the vineyard's Col Fondo, alongside Dorset Sea Salt, Baboo Gelato, Dorset Blue Vinny and more.
Tour & Tasting experiences
Visitors are invited to book a Tour & Tasting on the vineyard, a wonderful two-hour experience led by Simon and Karen. The tour begins with a gentle walk through the vines where Simon tells the story of the vineyard, the growing methods and the wines, before arriving at the Terrace or the Tasting Room for a flight of three wines (75ml per glass) with complimentary nibbles.
The standard Tour & Tasting costs £35 per person, with booking essential. Optional food boards are available as an added extra when booking:
- Cheese board - £20. Fresh artisan bread and crackers, pickle, seasonal fresh grapes and three types of cheese.
- Baked camembert board - £30. Fresh artisan bread, a freshly baked Camembert with rosemary and garlic, cranberry sauce and fresh vegetable crudités.
- Cream tea board - £20. Karen's homemade fruit scones, Cornish clotted cream, strawberry jam, homemade shortbread and fresh seasonal berries.
- Vegan board - £20. Fresh artisan bread, Karen's homemade humous, roasted tomatoes, seasonal fresh grapes and a dipping dish of virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Tour & Tasting dates tend to fall on Saturdays at 2-4pm. Dogs on leads are welcome; due to the vineyard's alcohol licence and insurance, under-18s are not able to attend. Bookings can be made by emailing Karen at info@littlewaddonvineyard.co.uk.
Private Tours & Tastings
For larger gatherings or company events, Little Waddon hosts Private Tours & Tastings run all year round with a minimum of 16 adults. The format follows the same two-hour event (guided tour, tasting flight of three wines and nibbles), but with exclusive use of the Terrace or Tasting Room overlooking the vines. Also priced at £35 per person, with the same food board upgrades available.
Stay on the vineyard: The Hide
For a truly unique Dorset escape, guests can stay on the vineyard in The Hide, a romantic glamping hideaway for two tucked into a quiet corner of the vineyard. The accommodation is adults-only (no children or pets) and consists of a hand-crafted Dorset Plankbridge Shepherd's Hut, a separate cabin with a kitchen and wood-burner, a warm shower room and a private wood-fired hot tub set on decking with overhead shelter, a gas BBQ and west-facing views out over the valley and to the sea.
The hot tub is freshly filled with water and a large crate of wood is provided to heat it to a perfect 38°C; an additional £50 per stay charge covers the fresh water, split wood and cleaning. There is also a £30 admin fee per booking.
The Hide rates
- May - from £150 per night (10% discount currently running)
- June - £150 - £170 per night
- July - £170 - £180 per night
- August - £170 - £175 per night
- September - £165 - £170 per night
- October - £160 - £170 per night
- November - £160 - £165 per night
- December - £160 - £180 per night
Minimum stays are 2 nights in autumn, winter and spring, and 3 nights in summer. Availability can be checked via the Hide availability calendar and booking enquiries go to Karen at Karen@LittleWaddonVineyard.co.uk.
Pop-up events across Dorset
Little Waddon's wines appear at food and drink events around the county throughout the year. Highlights include:
- Chesil Bank Country Fair - Chesil Recreation Ground, Portesham, Sunday 16 August.
- Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival - Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September, 10am - 5pm both days.
- Dorset Food & Drink at Athelhampton House - Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November.
- Poundbury Christmas Market - Saturday 28 November.
- RNLI Christmas Market - RNLI College, Poole, 6 December.
- Dorchester Christmas Cracker - Sunday 13 December.
- Pier Journal Winter - St Peter's Church, Poole, Saturday 19 December.
Visiting Little Waddon Vineyard
The vineyard is at Winters Lane, Waddon, Dorset, DT3 4ER, around 1.3 miles to the west of the village of Portesham and just inland from the West Fleet at Langton Herring. Drivers can find the exact spot using the what3words address ///Leap.Winemaker.Hatter. The X53 Jurassic Coaster bus runs from Weymouth Station to Portesham, from where the vineyard is a walk along Winters Lane just east of Corton Hill.
On-site parking is reserved close to The Hide for guests, and a secure free parking space is available for tour visitors. As a working boutique vineyard surrounded by native tree species and abundant wildlife (woodpeckers in the vines, swallows and bats above them in summer, pheasants and owls in winter), Little Waddon is the kind of place where you quickly lose track of time. Booking is essential for both tours and stays, and there is a no children, no pets policy at The Hide.
Connect with Little Waddon Vineyard
General enquiries: info@littlewaddonvineyard.co.uk · Telephone: 07890 478634.
Find Little Waddon Vineyard on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for the latest from the vineyard, the wines and the pop-up calendar.