New Hall Vineyards

Tucked into the rolling, south-facing slopes of the Crouch Valley in rural Essex, New Hall Wine Estate is one of the oldest commercial vineyards in England. A short drive south of Maldon and within easy reach of London, the family-run estate at Purleigh has been quietly rewriting the rulebook on cool-climate English wine since 1969. With 120 acres under vine, a brand-new winery, a contemporary cellar door and a panoramic tasting shed, New Hall has earned a reputation as a flagship producer of both still and sparkling wines from the East of England.

What sets the estate apart is a combination of heritage, terroir and a fiercely independent, third-generation family team. From vine to bottle, every step happens on site, and every bottle tells a story that stretches back more than fifty years, and arguably a great deal further, to a medieval vineyard planted within 500 yards of today's winery in the year 1120.

Where to Find New Hall Wine Estate

New Hall is based at Chelmsford Road, Purleigh, Essex, CM3 6PN, with its own private car park available to all visitors. It is one of the closest English vineyards to London: hop on a Greater Anglia service from London Liverpool Street to North Fambridge and the estate is just a short pre-booked taxi ride away (Happicabs is recommended). The drive from Maldon takes around 10 minutes, while Chelmsford, Southend and Colchester are all within easy striking distance.

The vineyard sits at the heart of the Crouch Valley wine region alongside neighbours Clayhill Vineyard and Crouch Ridge Vineyard. The trio makes for an excellent self-built "Crouch Valley trail", starting with coffee at Clayhill, lunch at Crouch Ridge, and finishing with tastings and a vineyard walk at New Hall.

A Vineyard With a Thousand-Year Story

New Hall's story is unusually deep for a British wine estate. Vineyards have come and gone in Purleigh across the centuries, and the chalky clay soils of the Crouch Valley were coaxing ripeness out of grapes long before Pinot Noir and Bacchus were household names in English wine.

Medieval Origins in Purleigh

Local Parish records show that the first vineyard in Purleigh was planted in 1120, just 500 yards from where the modern winery stands today. It covered three acres on the southern-facing slopes by All Saints Church. News of the flourishing vineyard reached London, and by 1163 it had been taken over by the Crown and commissioned to supply wine back to the capital. In 1207, two barrels of Purleigh wine were ordered by the Crown (at a cost of 18s 6d each, less than 1p per bottle) to be sent ahead to Bury St Edmunds for the arrival of King John, and Purleigh wine was drunk during the sealing of the Magna Carta in 1215.

Stepping into the 1970s

The modern era began in 1969, when Bill and Sheila Greenwood planted the first 850 Reichensteiner vines at New Hall Farm in Front Meadow. Vines were bought at auction for 23p each and supported by hundreds of railway sleepers used as trellis posts, an act of resourceful farming that gives the now-iconic Railway Barn collection its name. In 1970 the team planted 2,800 Huxelrebe and Muller Thurgau vines by hand, imported from Geisenheim in Germany. The first vintage was produced in 1971 from just over 30 kg of fruit, made and bottled by Mrs Greenwood in her kitchen, a total of 18 bottles. By 1972 the first commercial harvest produced over three tonnes of fruit, and Bill Greenwood began extending the cellar at New Hall House to hold 40,000 bottles. The first New Hall Wine Festival was held in the cow shed that year, a building still standing on site as the Railway Barn.

The Sparkling Pioneers of the 1980s

In 1976 New Hall entered the International Wine and Spirit Competition and won a Gold Seal for its 1974 Huxelrebe and a Silver Seal for its 1974 Muller Thurgau, beating entries from 90 countries. The first Bacchus vines were planted by Bill and his son Piers in 1977, and in 1983 Piers Greenwood became the first viticulturalist and winemaker in England to produce a Traditional Method Sparkling Wine, made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grown at New Hall in partnership with Kenneth McAlpine of Lamberhurst Vineyards. It was a breakthrough for the English wine industry.

The Modern Greenwood Family Era

From the late 2000s the estate expanded rapidly. In 2011 New Hall Bacchus won the Jack Ward Memorial Salver plus two Gold medals and a Silver for its Classic Sparkling Brut 2009. Piers Greenwood was named UKVA Winemaker of the Year in 2013, the year New Hall also acquired an extra 35,000 litres of stainless steel tank capacity. In 2015 Piers retired and sold the business to his brother-in-law Chris Trembath, keeping it firmly within the Greenwood family. Chris's daughter Becki joined the team the following year, taking the estate into its third generation. In 2018 New Hall planted the neighbouring Church Hill with Bacchus, Pinot Noir Précoce and Pinot Meunier, doubling down on the varietals that now define the portfolio.

The 2019 vintage marked the estate's 50th anniversary, with special anniversary releases including the Purlai Red 2017, White Hart 2017 and a Silver Medal-winning Chardonnay 2017. The current winery was upgraded in 2021, and in 2024 a brand-new Tasting Room was built and opened to the public. By 2025 the new Tasting Room and a slate of summer tour and tasting events were fully launched, alongside major sustainability upgrades that have put the estate on course to generate more than 100,000 kWh of clean energy each year.

The Estate Today

New Hall today is a working wine estate of genuine scale. The 120 acres of vineyard are split across 35 individually-farmed parcels, each picked, pressed and fermented separately so that the winemaking team can build blends from a palette of 49 or more individual tanks in a typical year. Production capacity is around 250,000 bottles a year. The Estate has three iconic buildings that give the New Hall logo its meaning: the Grade A listed Black Barn (heritage), the Railway Barn (present, now used for events and tastings), and the newly upgraded Winery (future).

All of New Hall's wines are suitable for vegans, and the still wines are sealed with screw caps in a deliberate switch away from cork stoppers. The estate has partnered with Recorked, the UK's leading natural wine cork recycling programme, to collect and recycle any remaining corks.

The Team Behind the Wines

Although the wines are made by a sizeable full-time team, a few names are worth knowing.

• Chris Trembath, Owner - Bill and Sheila Greenwood's son-in-law. Chris oversees the estate's commercial direction and is a passionate advocate for the Crouch Valley wine region. His favourite New Hall wine is the Purlai Gold dessert wine, paired with a cheese board.
• Becki Trembath, Owner and General Manager - third-generation family member, joined the business in 2016. Becki's go-to glass is the estate Bacchus, with a Muller Thurgau on a warm summer's day.
• Andy Hares, Vineyard Manager - joined in 2015 after vintages in Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion. Andy looks after 122 acres of vines with five permanent staff, two part-time colleagues and an army of more than 20 seasonal pickers at harvest. His winter treat is a pint of Guinness; in summer he reaches for a glass of the Classic Cuvée.
• Lucy Winward, Commercial Manager - WSET Level 3, First Class BSc in Viticulture and Oenology, with a wine apprenticeship that included Bergerac in France. Lucy leads the weddings, events and corporate side of the business. Her favourite tipple is a glass of Barons Lane White, or a Bloody Mary with extra Tabasco.
• Jacques Huysamer, Head Winemaker - a graduate of the University of Stellenbosch with a BSc in Viticulture and Oenology, Jacques joined the team in August 2023 and was promoted to Head Winemaker in early 2026. He brings South African and Walker Bay experience to the Crouch Valley and is leading the development of a new range of Old Vine wines from the oldest blocks on the estate.
• Sophia Joubert, Assistant Winemaker - raised on a South African vineyard, Sophia has worked harvests in South Africa, the USA, Australia, France and now the UK. Her focus is on getting to know the Crouch Valley's terroir and people.
• Christine Rethman, Leasing and Cellar Door Manager - joined in July 2026 after 37 years in the wine trade.
• James Roberts, Warehouse Supervisor - runs the labelling line in the Haybarn. His favourite is the Single Estate Bacchus.
• Jana Miklosova, Sales and Operations Assistant - longest-serving member of the team, with New Hall since 2006. Jana's glass is always something pink and bubbly.
• Paul Laurie, Wine Ambassador - WSET Level 3, with two decades of hospitality experience across Essex. Paul hosts tastings, the Soulful Sundowner evenings and the popular Wine Dinners alongside his brother, Chef Christopher Laurie.

Sustainability at New Hall

Looking after old vines is a long-term commitment, and New Hall's sustainability story begins in the vineyard. Estate Manager Andy Hares, who learnt his craft in French organic vineyards, has introduced a low-chemical intervention policy, mechanical weed control, a diverse range of cover crops and almost five acres of wildflower meadow. The estate is also a partner in the RSPB's Operation Turtle Dove to monitor and support one of Britain's fastest-declining bird species.

2025 was a landmark year for the estate's infrastructure. The team installed 218 solar panels and 157 kWh of battery storage, generating around 100,457 kWh of clean electricity a year, around 77% of the estate's average usage. Over the system's 25-year lifespan that offsets the equivalent of 764,000 fewer kilometres of car travel or the planting of more than 4,000 trees. A DEFRA-supported scheme has also concreted an area at the rear of the winery to prevent water run-off and protect the nearby watercourse.

All of New Hall's still wines are now sealed with screw caps rather than cork, and the estate continues to recycle used corks through its partnership with Recorked.

The Wine Portfolio

New Hall's range is split across four collections, with a handful of limited releases, mixed cases and gift accessories available online or from the cellar door. The wines are vegan-friendly across the board.

Railway Barn Collection

The Railway Barn range is "playful creations inspired by good times" - modern, energetic wines built around New Hall history but reimagined for celebrations. The collection includes:

• Railway Barn Sparkling Bacchus - tropical, sunshine-in-a-glass English fizz, ABV 12%, £23.00.
• Railway Barn Sparkling Rosé - cobalt-pink Charmat-method fizz, Silver at the 2024 Essex Wine Awards, ABV 12%, £23.00.
• Railway Barn Muller Thurgau 2025 - classically floral, fragrant still white with peach and pear, ABV 11%, £15.50.
• Railway Barn Double the Fizz Double the Fun - limited online-only pair of Sparkling Bacchus and Sparkling Rosé, £43.00 (was £46.00).

Barons Lane Collection

The Barons Lane tier is New Hall's everyday-drinking range, named after a track on the estate. It's the workhorse of the cellar door and includes:

• Barons Lane White 2022 - crisp, dry, fruit-driven white with pear, grapefruit, lemon, honeysuckle and English hedgerow, ABV 11%, £14.50.
• Barons Lane Rosé 2024 - pale salmon with summer fruits, red apple, white peach and a tart, balanced finish, ABV 11%, £14.75.
• Barons Lane Red 2021 - multiple award-winning smooth, velvety red with black cherry, bramble and smoky peppery character.
• Barons Lanes Collection - online-only mixed case from the Barons Lane tier.

Single Estate Collection

The Single Estate tier showcases the best parcels of the estate's oldest and most expressive vines:

• Single Estate Bacchus 2023 - vibrant, aromatic sipper with spring blossom, passionfruit, fleshy stone fruit and Mirabelle plum. Featured on television, £17.75.
• Old Vine Single Estate Bacchus Fumé - sustainably nurtured for over 40 years, textured with orchard fruit, citrus, vanilla and gentle spice. Award-winning, £23.00.
• Single Estate Pinot Noir Précoce 2024 - early-ripening Pinot with black cherry, sweet spice and silky tannins. Silver at the 2024 Essex Wine Awards, ABV 11%, £19.00.
• Single Estate Pinot Noir Précoce Rosé 2025 - white flowers and rosewater on the nose, ripe summer fruit and honeydew melon on the palate, £16.65 (was £18.50). Silver at the 2026 IEWA.
• Winemakers' Signature 2025 - aromatic blend with lychee, rosehip, opulent stone fruit and subtle spice, ABV 11%, £16.75. Gold at the 2026 Essex Wine Awards.

Traditional Method Sparkling Wines

New Hall's Traditional Method sparkling wines hark back to Piers Greenwood's 1983 breakthrough:

• English Classic Cuvée Brut NV - aromas of red apple, conference pear and elderflower; ripe apricot, baked apple and roasted hazelnut on the palate. Silver at the 2025 Essex Wine Awards, £29.50.
• English Rose Brut NV - wild strawberry, lemon sherbet and rosewater with an elegant mineral finish. Silver at the 2025 Essex Wine Awards, £30.00.

Limited Editions, Mixed Cases and Gift Ideas

• Double the Fizz Double the Fun - online-only pair of Classic Cuvée Brut and Rose Brut, £56.50 (was £59.50).
• Taste of the Estate - limited-edition three-bottle case featuring Classic Pinot Noir Rosé, Pinot Noir Précoce and Bacchus, £50.00 (was £54.50).
• Celebration Box Family Size
• Valentine's Pink Passion Trio
• Triple Gift Bag - burgundy gift bag for three bottles, £3.00.
• Twin Gift Bag - burgundy gift bag for two bottles, £2.50.
• Single Gift Box - burgundy single-bottle gift box, £1.80.
• New Hall eGift Card - available in £25, £50, £100, £150 and £200 denominations (or a custom amount). Redeemable online and in the Cellar Door Shop.

Visit the Cellar Door Shop

Cellar Door Shop opening times are:

• Spring and Summer (Easter Weekend to Mid September): Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, Saturday 11am to 5pm, Sunday closed. Closed on Bank Holidays.
• Autumn and Winter (Mid September to Easter Weekend): Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, Saturday and Sunday closed. Closed on Bank Holidays.

The shop is a relaxed, barrel-top tasting room where visitors can sample the entire range of red, white, rosé and sparkling wines. The team offers seasonal offers and "Mix and Match" case discounts, and guides first-time English wine drinkers through the range. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome. There is no restaurant on site, but The Purleigh Bell, the local village pub, is a short drive away and stocks New Hall wines so the vineyard experience can carry on over lunch.

Cellar Door Saturdays and Social Saturdays

Every Saturday from Easter Weekend through to Saturday 19 September 2026, the Cellar Door and Tasting Shed are open from 11am to 5pm (last orders at the wine bar at 4pm). The Shed is the social hub of the summer: bring a picnic, a good book or a pack of cards, grab a glass of wine by the glass, and stay a while. A range of pre-selected self-guided wine flights changes each weekend, so visitors can taste three wines at their own pace.

The Cellar Door Saturdays also partner with a rotating line-up of local food and drink producers. Confirmed pop-ups for 2026 include:

• Fays Pizza - Saturday 30 May, 20 June, 27 June, 11 July, 25 July, 1 August, 15 August and 5 September.
• 1942 Street Food - Saturday 25 April, 20 June, 18 July, 8 August, 22 August and 12 September.

On Saturdays where there is no food pop-up picnics are welcome. No booking is required - simply drop in. Large groups of six or more should email office@newhallwines.co.uk in advance so the team can prepare flights.

Tours and Tastings

Friday Tour & Tasting Experience

New Hall's flagship visitor experience is a two-hour interactive tour and guided tasting, suitable for individuals, couples and small groups. Tours start at 11.30am and are led by the senior team and Winemakers. Guests gain a unique insight into the art and alchemy of English wine production in the Winery before moving into the picturesque Tasting Shed for a generous guided tasting of the current wines. The experience finishes with the chance to purchase favourites from the Cellar Door Shop.

Summer 2026 Friday Tour dates were released earlier in the year (8 May, 29 May, 26 June and 31 July 2026) and are now fully booked. The booking calendar and any standby slots are at newhallwines.com/booking-calendar/friday-tasting-experience, and Summer 2027 dates will be released at the end of November.

Soulful Sundowner Crouch Valley Guest Wines Tour & Tasting

A new event for Summer 2026, hosted by Wine Ambassador Paul Laurie (the "Essex Wine Man"). The tour and tasting features not only New Hall wines but guest wines from across the Crouch Valley. The Friday 14 August 2026 session runs from 3pm to 5pm. Booking is essential and spaces are limited.

That same evening, between 6pm and 9pm, the Soulful Sundowner Beats & Eats evening turns the Estate into an open-air wine bar with Crouch Valley wines by the glass, soulful DJ sets and food from Canatelz. No booking is required for the evening - guests turn up and stay for as long as they like.

Wine Dinners with Paul Laurie

New Hall's Wine Dinner series is a collaboration between Wine Ambassador Paul Laurie and his brother, Chef Christopher Laurie. The format is a four-course tasting menu built around locally grown Essex produce, each course paired with a glass of New Hall wine and hosted by Paul. Vegetarian menus are available, but the kitchen cannot accommodate other individual dietary requirements because every dish is part of a paired tasting experience.

Three dates have been announced for 2026:

• Saturday 11 July 2026 - USA vs New Hall
• Saturday 19 September 2026
• Thursday 17 December 2026 - Christmas Special

Guests arrive from 6pm, with the first course served at 7pm. Bookings are taken by email at paul@newhallwines.co.uk, with name, number of guests and meat/fish or vegetarian menu choice. Paul replies with payment details.

Corporate Wine Experiences

New Hall offers tailor-made corporate away-days for groups of 25 to 30, available mid-week throughout the year. A typical day includes a glass of fizz or coffee in the vineyard on arrival, a mini-vineyard masterclass with Estate Manager Andy, a Classic Cuvée tasting and dosage demo in the Sparkling Wine Cellar, a tour of the Winery with the production team, an immersive tasting masterclass with Paul Laurie, a competitive wine quiz, locally-sourced sharing platters and a set lunch menu at The Purleigh Bell. Branded gift bags with a company logo can be arranged.

Every corporate day is built around the visiting business, and enquiries are handled by Lucy at newhall@newhallwines.co.uk.

Own Your Own Vineyard

New Hall's "Own Your Own Vineyard" lease scheme is one of the most distinctive offerings in English wine. For one year, leaseholders become the owners of a row of 80 to 90 well-established vines. Based on the estate's 30-year average, a single row produces around 240 bottles of wine per year. The grapes are made into wine by the New Hall winemaking team, and leaseholders are free to choose the style - English Dry, Medium/Dry, Medium, Rosé, Red, White, Traditional Method Sparkling or Charmat Method Sparkling.

Leaseholders also receive a 10% discount "Owners Membership" card for use against bottle sales in the Cellar Door Shop. Leases for the 2026/27 year are now open. Existing leaseholders are given first refusal, with any unallocated rows released on a first-come, first-served basis. Information packs and application forms are available from Christine at office@newhallwines.co.uk.

Wedding and Event Wine

New Hall is a popular choice for couples planning an English country wedding. Lucy and Anna host wine tastings so the still and sparkling wines can be sampled and the right pairings chosen for the menu and the toast. A specially reduced rate is available on wedding orders with a minimum of 24 bottles, and wines can be mixed and matched for guests.

For a personal touch, the Custom Label option lets the team design and print a one-off label for bottles - perfect for wedding favours. The estate was recently awarded "Most Unique Drink Provider" at the Quirky Wedding Awards 2024, judged across Inclusivity & Accessibility, Sustainability, Customer Service and Uniqueness. Wedding and event wine enquiries are submitted through the enquiry form.

Local Accommodation and Attractions

For those who want to make a weekend of it, there are plenty of places to stay within a short drive of the estate.

Places to Stay

• Novoli Farm Campsite - a two-minute walk from the vineyard, with electric and non-electric pitches and a luxury Shepherd's Hut with hot tub.
• Hill Top Glamping - three Shepherd's Huts with kitchens and private hot tubs, two minutes' walk from the vineyard.
• Airbnb Bungalows - purpose-built self-contained bungalows in Southminster sleeping up to 19, around 20 minutes by car.
• Le Bouchon Brasserie & Hotel - a Grade II listed, 300-year-old Georgian building in Maldon, 15 minutes by car. New Hall wines are served in the brasserie.
• Staycations Maldon - luxury apartments in the 16th-century Grade II listed Kings Head Centre on Maldon High Street, 10 minutes from the vineyard.
• 7 Church Street - spacious four-bedroom holiday home in the heart of Maldon, with private off-street parking for three cars.

Nearby Attractions

• Tiptree Jam Museum and Tearoom - 25 minutes by car.
• Maldon Oysters - 5 minutes by car; visit on Fresh Fish Fridays.
• Adnams Brewery - 1 hour 40 minutes by car in Southwold.
• Colchester City Centre - 40 minutes by car; Britain's first recorded city.
• National Trust Northey Island - 10 minutes by car; a remote tidal island in the Blackwater Estuary.
• Topsail Charters - 15 minutes by car to Maldon; traditional Thames Barges now carrying passengers.
• Southend Pier & Railway - 45 minutes by car; the longest pleasure pier in the world.
• Hadleigh Olympic Cycle Trails - 35 minutes by car; the 2012 Olympic mountain-biking venue.

Awards and Recognition

New Hall's trophy cabinet has grown steadily across the last decade. Highlights include:

• 2026 Essex Wine Awards: Gold for the Winemakers' Signature 2025 vintage; Silver for the Pinot Précoce Rosé 2025.
• 2026 IEWA (Independent English Wine Awards): Silver for the Pinot Précoce Rosé 2025; Bronze for the Old Vine Bacchus Fumé 2024.
• 2025 Essex Wine Awards: Silver for the English Classic Cuvée and the English Rose Brut.
• 2025 IEWA: Silver for the Pinot Précoce Rosé 2024 and the Pinot Noir Précoce 2024.
• 2024 London Wine Competition: Silver for the Single Estate Bacchus 2022 vintage.
• 2024 IEWA: Silver for the Barons Lane Red 2022 and Barons Lane Signature 2022; Bronze for the Barons Lane Rosé 2022.
• 2024 Essex Wine Awards: Silver for the Railway Barn Sparkling Rosé, Barons Lane Signature 2022, Single Estate Pinot Noir 2022; Bronze for Barons Lane Red 2022.
• 2024 Quirky Wedding Awards: "Most Unique Drink Provider", judged across Inclusivity & Accessibility, Sustainability, Customer Service and Uniqueness.
• 2016 UKVA Winemaker of the Year.

Head Winemaker Jacques Huysamer is currently developing a small range of new Old Vine wines from the historic blocks of the estate, while Assistant Winemaker Sophia Joubert focuses on building a deeper understanding of the Crouch Valley's individual parcels.

Plan Your Visit

New Hall Wine Estate is open year-round, with a fuller programme of Saturday openings from Easter to mid-September. The visitor offer covers almost every kind of trip:

• Casual drop-in - visit the Cellar Door Shop for barrel-top samples, wine flights and bottle sales.
• Saturday social - spend a Saturday afternoon on the terrace with a glass of fizz, a picnic and a rotating food pop-up.
• Tour and tasting - book onto a Friday Tour & Tasting Experience or the new Soulful Sundowner Crouch Valley Tour on 14 August 2026.
• Special occasion - enjoy a paired Wine Dinner with Paul Laurie and Chef Christopher Laurie.
• Corporate away-day - book a tailor-made team experience with Lucy.
• Vineyard ownership - lease a row of vines through the Own Your Own Vineyard scheme.

Bookings, trade enquiries and general questions are handled on 01621 828 343 and at office@newhallwines.co.uk. Commercial enquiries go to Lucy at newhall@newhallwines.co.uk, lease and cellar door enquiries to Anna at the office address, and Wine Ambassador Paul Laurie can be reached on +44 7535 716234 or at paul@newhallwines.co.uk. The estate sits at Chelmsford Road, Purleigh, Essex CM3 6PN, is wheelchair accessible throughout the Winery, Cellar Door Shop and tasting areas, and offers accessible parking, ramps and an accessible toilet.