Penn Croft Vineyards: Regenerative English Winemaking in the Hampshire North Downs
Penn Croft Vineyards: A Planet-Friendly Winery in the Hampshire North Downs
Penn Croft is one of England's newest and most quietly ambitious wineries. Tucked onto the gentle, sun-trapping slopes at the western end of the North Downs in the village of Crondall, Hampshire, the estate combines a 12-acre regenerative vineyard with a state-of-the-art winery and a cosy tasting café known as the Cellar Door. The winemaking team is led by head winemaker Ben Smith, who produces small-batch, low-intervention still and sparkling wines that have already won bronze and silver medals at the WineGB Awards and praise from critics including Matthew Jukes and Jamie Goode.
Visit the vineyard on a guided Summer or Winter Winery Tour, and you will be immersed in the world of conservation viticulture: a vineyard that has been farmed regeneratively for more than two decades, a winery built around solar panels, low-energy LED lighting and natural wetland waste-water recycling, and a winemaking philosophy that prizes purity, texture and balance above all else.
How to Find Penn Croft
The winery and Cellar Door are located at Clifton Farm, Croft Lane, Crondall, GU10 5QD. Parking is available at the winery (but not at the vineyard itself), and visitors are encouraged to car-share for tours and events. Signage directs guests to the Cellar Door opening times, which change between the winter and summer seasons. The site is a working winery, and visitors are kindly asked not to explore the rest of the estate unaccompanied.
The Story Behind Penn Croft
Penn Croft was born from a meeting of minds. Simon Porter, a farmer with more than forty years on the Hampshire land and twenty of those spent advocating regenerative agriculture, joined forces with Malcolm Walker, a BBC and ITV director whose wine travels for the TV series Cellar Rats had taken him behind the scenes at pioneering wineries across the world. Their shared vision was to create a planet-friendly winery that uses sustainably grown grapes and champions biodiverse viticulture.
Simon planted the first vineyard in 2019 on the south-facing slopes of Penn Croft Farm. Construction of the winery, converted from two old barns, followed in early 2020, and the team was open for business by harvest that September. Their debut Bacchus, made in collaboration with sister company Itasca Wines, won a bronze medal at the 2021 WineGB Awards. Since then the estate has expanded its range, opened the Cellar Door café, launched the sister venue Cranborne Lodge for weddings and private hire, and attracted notable guests including Liberal Democrat MP Alex Brewer.
Sustainability at the Core
Penn Croft's philosophy is plain: wine is "inextricably bound to the land," and the team's job is to protect that land. Simon Porter's regenerative approach follows three core principles: minimal soil disturbance, natural cover for the soil, and biodiverse planting wherever possible, building carbon storage, supporting earthworm populations, and replenishing the water, carbon and nitrogen cycles.
The winery itself is engineered to match the vineyard's low-impact ethos:
- Solar panels on the roof
- Low-energy LED lighting throughout
- Thermo-controlled stainless-steel tanks
- Natural recycling of waste water through constructed wetland ponds
- Reuse of third-fill Burgundy barrels sourced from France
Even the suppliers on the Cellar Door menu, including Lyburn Farmhouse Cheesemakers, The Real Cure, Heron Valley, Andwell Brewing Co, Moon Roast Coffee and The Street Bakeshop, are chosen for being small, family-run British producers who share the same values.
The Wines
Penn Croft's range is built around a single philosophy: detailed, small-batch, low-intervention winemaking that lets the fruit do the talking. Every wine is aged on its lees, minimally fined, and bottled at the winery.
Penn Croft Bacchus 2023
The estate's flagship white, a 12.5% ABV Bacchus balancing complexity and simplicity with delightful aromas of wet stone, crushed oyster shell and pithy citrus zest. Nectarine and flint flavours give way to a distinctly bone-dry finish. View bottle.
Penn Croft Bacchus Reserve
A more premium expression of Bacchus (12.66% ABV) with floral notes that intermingle with lemon and citrus fruits, building a wine with beautiful weight, texture, poise and length. Matthew Jukes called it "a wine lover's wine." View bottle.
Penn Croft Village Sparkling
Penn Croft's first foray into bubbles, promising effervescent elegance with a tingling freshness. Subtle, toasty and honeyed notes, ripe citrus and orchard fruit on the finish. 12% ABV. Serve chilled as a refreshing aperitif or pair with cured meats and cheeses. View bottle.
Penn Croft Sparkling Rosé 2020
Copper-pink and pale in appearance, with a delightfully delicate nose of wild strawberry, shortbread, citrus zest and faint red berries, balanced by generous texture and a fine mousse. 13% ABV. View bottle.
Penn Croft Single Vineyard
A pure, precise and premium wine made exclusively from grapes grown at Penn Croft's own vineyard. Elegant aromas of nectarine skin and orchard fruits, hints of citrus zest, and a sophisticated mineral backbone. 13% ABV. View bottle.
All wines are available to buy directly from the Penn Croft shop, with a 15% saving on cases of six bottles applied automatically at checkout. Local collection is from the Cellar Door at Clifton Farm.
The Winemaker: Ben Smith
Head Winemaker Ben Smith joined Itasca Wines in spring 2020, just as the Penn Croft winery was being built. A Plumpton College graduate with 14 vintages behind him, Ben has worked in New Zealand, Western Australia, Tasmania, Canada, the Alsace and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. While at Oxney Organic he created the 2018 still Chardonnay that received a perfect 20/20 score from a critic, the first (and so far only) perfect score ever given to an English wine.
In a recent interview with Penn Croft, Ben described his approach: "Tradition is important, but only when it enhances quality. In England, we're fortunate to have fewer restrictions than other regions, allowing us to innovate freely. We use state-of-the-art equipment alongside traditional methods like aging in French oak barrels." His favourite grape to work with is Pinot Noir ("incredibly versatile"), and his desert-island wine would be a Mosel Kabinett Riesling in magnum from JJ Prüm.
Vineyard, Grapes & Method
The 12-acre Penn Croft vineyard sits on a south-facing gentle slope at Lower Swanthorpe field, on a perfect combination of clay and chalk soils: clay to retain water, chalk to drain it. The site uses the Scott Henry training system, designed for cool-climate vineyards to improve grape yields and quality by dividing the canopy vertically. Cover crops, including mustard, radishes, clover and Phacelia, are planted between the vine rows to improve soil fertility and provide biodiversity; the grass at the row ends is deliberately left long for insects to colonise.
Grapes are hand-picked at optimum ripeness to preserve intact bunches, protecting freshness, acidity and purity of flavour. Once picked, they are sorted and crushed using state-of-the-art presses to produce a clean, delicate juice, fermented in either stainless-steel tanks or third-use Burgundy oak barrels. The wines are divided into sub-lots and treated differently according to their needs, using different yeasts and varying fermentation times, so they come together perfectly in the final blend.
Tours and Tastings
Penn Croft's guided tours are the best way to understand the project. They run in two formats across the year, with both tours including a tasting of the current Penn Croft wine flight, a cheese and charcuterie board (adaptable for vegan and dairy/gluten-free diets on request), 30% off any case of wine bought on the day, 15% off any in-house purchases, and a 15% discount voucher for a future tour.
Summer Winery Tour (May to September)
Wander through the 12-acre vineyard with a welcome glass of sparkling wine, then explore the winery and wetlands on a guided tour before an in-depth tasting. Tours last approximately 2 to 2.5 hours and run on Saturdays at 11am and 2pm (September is 11am only due to harvest). Friday mornings are reserved for private tours. Book a Summer Winery Tour.
Winter Winery Tour (October to April)
Wander into the winery for a guided exploration of the 600-tonne capacity facility and wetland ponds, followed by a tasting of the Penn Croft flight paired with a cheese and charcuterie board. Tours run on Saturdays at 11am. Book a Winter Winery Tour.
Both tours require a minimum of 2 guests and can accommodate a maximum of 18 per group. All participants must be over 18. A no-refund policy applies, though bookings can be moved once with at least 72 hours' notice. Tour vouchers are available as gifts via the Gift Cards collection.
Stay-and-Tour Partnerships
Penn Croft has teamed up with two local hotels to make a tour-and-stay break easy:
- Penn Croft × Audleys Wood, Basingstoke: book a Winery Tour during your stay and receive an exclusive 10% off, plus 25% off traditional afternoon tea at the hotel. View package.
- Penn Croft × The Red Lion, Odiham: book a room at the Red Lion and combine it with a Penn Croft tour to receive a 10% discount code for tours and wine. View package.
The Cellar Door & Café
The Penn Croft Cellar Door is a roomy yet cosy affair: 30 indoor seats around a wood-burner, plus an outside heated area fully canvassed against the Hampshire weather. The all-day brunch menu runs through the summer and includes warm toasties, baps, pastries, sandwiches, sharing boards, nibbles, sweet treats, kids' food boxes and even doggie ice cream. The drinks list showcases the full Penn Croft wine range, alongside local beers, ciders and juices. Download the food and drinks menus.
From spring 2025 the Cellar Door is also a collection point for Little Fish sushi and pan-Asian food, crafted by Michelin-trained chef Neil Witney. Pre-order at least 12 hours ahead via the Little Fish website for collection from the Cellar Door (2pm to 8pm Thursdays, 2pm to 6pm Fridays and Saturdays). Jude's Ice Cream, with salted caramel, ginger spice and more, is also available on site.
The Cellar Door is cash-free. Table reservations are only taken for pre-arranged parties, events or group tours (parking is limited).
Upcoming Events at the Cellar Door
The Cellar Door runs an ever-changing programme of food-truck evenings, live music, brunches and seasonal celebrations. As of summer 2026, the upcoming food-truck dates confirmed by the winery include:
- Elio's Pizza Truck: Friday 7th August, 5pm to 7pm
- Phillys Mexican Street Food: Friday 15th August, 1pm to 7pm
- Peppones Modern Mexican / African / Greek: Saturday 22nd August, 5pm to 7pm
- Elio's Pizza Truck: Saturday 29th August, 5pm to 7pm
- Bank Holiday Monday Opening: Monday 31st August, 11am to 3pm
Other recent and forthcoming highlights include Music Evenings with local artists (such as Lucy Lou on 1st May 2026), Mother's Day and Father's Day brunches, Easter family days with treasure trails and seed-planting, Yoga & Wine in the Vines sessions (hosted in summer with a sunset glass of wine, lasting approximately 90 minutes), Wreath Making Evenings with Nicole of Jasmine Flowers (3rd and 4th December, £95pp including a glass of Bacchus), and the festive 12 Days of Christmas prize draw.
The Cellar Door is also available for private hire, from baby showers, hen dos, pre-wedding breakfasts, afternoon teas and BBQs, to corporate events and larger celebrations. Email cellardoor@penncroftvineyards.com to enquire.
Sister Venue: Cranborne Lodge
In summer 2025 the team unveiled Cranborne Lodge, a new wedding and events venue set within 28 acres of gardens, woodland and sweeping lawns in the heart of Cranborne Chase. The Peony Bar is open Monday to Friday 5pm to 9pm, Saturday 12pm to 9pm and Sunday 12pm to 5pm, serving Penn Croft wines and charcuterie boards on the terrace. Cranborne Lodge is also available for exclusive hire, with 11 bedroom suites in the main house and the option of marquee events on the lawn.
Visiting Hampshire and the Local Area
Penn Croft is handily placed between Farnham, Odiham and Fleet in one of the most beautiful corners of north-east Hampshire. Recommended pubs, inns and hotels within easy reach include Audleys Wood Hotel (Basingstoke), The Red Lion (Odiham), The Plume of Feathers (Crondall), The Hampshire Arms (Crondall), The Chequers at Well, The Mill House (North Warnborough), The Pig in the South Downs, The Star Inn (Bentley), Bel & The Dragon (Odiham), Bush Hotel (Farnham) and Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire. Dog owners will be pleased to hear the estate is dog-friendly.
For walkers, the Winery to Vineyard Self-Guided Trail runs through woodlands, open fields and past the vineyard back to the winery, with a downloadable map available.
Wine Society and Trade Enquiries
Penn Croft runs a Wine Society offering members exclusive discounts, events and tours. The team is also happy to talk to trade buyers; contact info@penncroftvineyards.com. Press enquiries are handled via the same address.
Practical Information
- Address: Penn Croft Winery, Croft Lane, Crondall, Hampshire, GU10 5QD
- Cellar Door Collection Point: Clifton Farm, Croft Ln, Crondall, GU10 5QD
- Phone: 01252 279830 (general) / 01256 279830 (Itasca Wines)
- Email: info@penncroftvineyards.com (general, trade, press) / tours@penncroftvineyards.com (tours) / cellardoor@penncroftvineyards.com (events and private hire)
- Age policy: All tour and wine orders are over-18s only. Challenge 25 applies at delivery.
- Refunds: No refunds on tours and events. Bookings can be moved once with 72 hours' notice.
- Dog-friendly: Yes, and there is even doggie ice cream at the Cellar Door.
Penn Croft is one of the most exciting young projects on the English wine scene, a Hampshire winery where every glass of Bacchus or sparkling tells a story of regenerative farming, low-intervention winemaking and a small team determined to prove that English wine can stand toe-to-toe with the best in the world. Whether you arrive for a vineyard tour, a Cellar Door brunch, or simply to pick up a case of the Single Vineyard, expect a warm welcome, a glowing wood-burner, and a glass of something remarkable.