Pewley Down Vineyard - A Single-Estate English Wine Producer on the Edge of Guildford
Pewley Down Vineyard is a single-estate, hand-tended English vineyard with a GU1 postcode on the southern edge of Guildford, Surrey, on a chalk slope that has been quietly producing award-winning rosé wines since the early 2010s. Tucked into a small valley within walking distance of the town centre, it is the only working vineyard in central Guildford. The project is run by owner and manager Mark Hargreaves, whose driving philosophy - "the wine and sustainability are our passions" - runs through every decision made on the farm, from the way the soil is tended to the gentle, low-impact methods used in the winery.
What makes Pewley Down stand out in an increasingly busy English wine scene is the combination of a textbook cool-climate site, a tightly chosen palette of four grape varieties, and a sustainability ethic that extends well beyond the trellis. The vineyard sits alongside a growing biodiversity project on unimproved chalk grassland, supports grazing cattle in partnership with the Surrey Wildlife Trust, and offers wines that are explicitly suitable for vegetarians and vegans. There are no formal tours or tastings on site - the vineyard is in a residential area and is not open to the public - but customers can order directly online with free local delivery to a wide swathe of Surrey postcodes.
A south-facing chalk slope in the heart of Surrey
The vineyard occupies a south-facing chalk slope on the southern edge of Guildford, in a small valley within walking distance of the town centre. Beneath the topsoil lies a layer of flint above classic chalk bedrock, and it is this underlying chalk that gives the site much of its character. The chalk acts like a sponge, holding water through dry summers, so the vines rarely need supplementary irrigation. The flints and chalk also leach minerals into the grapes, which the team believe contribute to the flavour profile of the finished wines.
The plot is exposed to long hours of uninterrupted sunshine, enhanced by the gentle south-facing gradient, and the team selected grape varieties after detailed research to match both the soil and the unpredictable British weather. Wildlife is abundant: wild bees, wasps, butterflies, deer, foxes, badgers, squirrels and a wide variety of birds all visit the vineyard regularly. Near to harvest, the fruiting zone of each vine is gently wrapped in fleece to keep the grapes from being eaten before the pickers arrive.
A brief history: planted in 2007, replanting for the next chapter
The vineyard was laid out and planted in 2007, with the first commercial wines released in 2013. Cool climate varieties were chosen - two white and two red - for their tolerance of English conditions and their ability to ripen reliably on this site. After two decades in production the original vines were, by the spring of 2026, beginning to show their age. In spring 2026 the tired old vines were mostly removed, together with the rotten trellis posts, with a view to replanting in the following winter and spring. The transition has been openly shared as the start of the next chapter for the estate.
Commercial harvests from the original planting included the celebrated 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2021 Sparkling Rosé vintages and the 2017 and 2019 Still Rosé vintages, all of which are now sold out. The current releases are the 2022 English Sparkling Rosé and the 2024 English Still Rosé, both drawn from the record harvests of 2022 and 2023.
Four grape varieties, two wines
Pewley Down grows exactly four varieties on the estate. Two white - Bacchus and Schonburger - and two red - Rondo and Pinot Noir Early. Bacchus, a German crossing developed in the 1920s, was little used in its country of origin because it prefers cooler temperatures, but is well suited to English conditions and is widely loved by English winemakers for its reliability and tolerance of marginal climates. Schonburger contributes aromatic lift and structure, while Rondo and Pinot Noir Early provide colour, fruit and body for the rosé styles. All are harvested by hand at the moment the team judges the balance between natural acidity and sugar to be optimal.
The hand-picked grapes are carefully transported to professional contract wineries, where the winemaking teams turn them into two current releases - a traditional-method English Sparkling Rosé and a still English Rosé. The winemaking approach is firmly traditional: the sparkling wines undergo secondary fermentation in the bottle and are aged on yeast lees before disgorgement, allowing the wines to develop the fine, complex character that has become the Pewley Down signature. Both wines are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
The 2022 English Sparkling Rosé
The current sparkling release is a 2022 vintage blend of Bacchus, Schonburger, Rondo and Pinot Noir. Generous light bubbles and a light pink texture invite you in, followed by a beautifully dry and delicious bouquet of fruit. The wine has a persistent mousse of fine bubbles and complex fruit flavours and is excellent as an aperitif. It pairs particularly well with lobster and other meatier fish, and is described as "first class for celebrations of all kinds". The technical analysis reads 7.5 g/l acidity, 6.1 g/l residual sugar and 12% abv. It is sold at £26.00 per bottle or £140.40 for a case of six (a 10% discount applies automatically on the case price). Earlier vintages including 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2021 are all listed as sold out.
The 2024 English Still Rosé
The 2024 vintage is the most recent still rosé release. The winemakers describe it as a beautifully light, quaffable wine traditionally produced from the estate's blend of grapes grown in a sustainable environment that puts nature first. On the palate it gives "strawberries and cream" at first taste, followed by a raspberry jam aftertaste, and is best served chilled. The team suggests it as an ideal aperitif and a natural partner for al fresco dining. The technical analysis is 6.5 g/l acidity, 7.5 g/l residual sugar and 11% abv. It is sold at £16.00 per bottle or £86.40 for a case of six (10% discount applies to the case). Earlier vintages from 2017 and 2019 are listed as sold out.
Awards and recognition
The wines have been recognised in two of the most respected UK competitions. The vineyard's wines have been awarded medals in both the Independent English Wine Awards and the Wine GB Awards. The Sparkling Rosé in particular is described by the team as a "firm favourite with those 'in the know' with many repeat customers", an indication of the loyal following the small-release, single-estate style has built up.
The biodiversity project: vineyards and chalk grassland side by side
In 2020 the team acquired two adjacent fields on the opposite, north-facing slope in the same valley. These fields are classified as "unimproved chalk grassland" - a rare habitat that has never been ploughed, sown or fertilised - and are being managed to encourage biodiversity by allowing the naturally occurring flora and fauna to prosper, alongside gentle management of hedges and invasive scrub. In winter the fields are grazed by Belted Galloway cattle provided courtesy of the Surrey Wildlife Trust.
The two fields form part of a Site of Nature Conservation Interest together with the adjoining meadow to the east and south (the Rosamund Trust) and the recently established Pewley Meadows to the west. Embedded carbon in the vineyard equipment is deliberately kept low: the two tractors are old - described by the team as "nearly as old as Mark" - and almost everything else on the vineyard is done by hand. For a small estate it is a strikingly complete sustainability story, treating wine quality and biodiversity as inseparable parts of the same vision.
Where to buy Pewley Down wines
Pewley Down offers three purchasing routes: the online shop, a small network of independent Surrey stockists, and direct contact with the team for larger orders.
Online shop
The Pewley Down online shop is the most reliable route. The full price list, with links to each product page, is:
- Pewley Down Vineyard English Sparkling Rosé 2022 - £26.00 per bottle (product page).
- Pewley Down Vineyard English Sparkling Rosé 2022 - Case of 6 (10% Discount) - £140.40 (product page).
- Pewley Down Vineyard English Rosé 2024 - £16.00 per bottle (product page).
- Pewley Down Vineyard English Rosé 2024 - Case of 6 (10% Discount) - £86.40 (product page).
Online sales are restricted to customers aged 18 or over resident in the United Kingdom (excluding Northern Ireland). The vineyard is unable to offer a collection service, but free local delivery is available to GU1, GU2, GU3, GU4, GU5, GU6 and GU7 postcodes; the team will arrange a mutually suitable date and time. Orders outside the free-delivery area may attract a delivery charge at cost. The Corkage and Village Greens Farm Shop pages are useful entry points for in-person discovery.
Local stockists
For customers who prefer to pick up wine in person, the wines are stocked at a small group of carefully chosen independent retailers across Surrey. The team's main outlet in Guildford is Corkage on Quarry Street, where the sparkling wine is sold by the bottle and often served by the glass:
- Corkage, 60 Quarry Street, Guildford, GU1 3UA - wine by the bottle and by the glass.
- Village Greens Farm Shop, Denbies Wine Estate, London Road, Dorking.
- The Charcuterie Box, 10 The Street, West Horsley, KT24 6AX.
- Surrey Hills Beer and Gin Company, Middle Street, Shere, GU5 9HF.
- Horsley Wines, 4 Station Parade, East Horsley, KT24 8QN.
- Kingfisher Farm Shop, Abinger Hammer, Surrey, RH5 6AG.
- Wine Rack, 26 London Road, Burpham, GU4 7JS.
For larger orders, enquiries can be sent to the team directly through the contact details below.
Visiting the vineyard
Pewley Down is a working vineyard in a residential area and is not open to the public. There are no tours, tastings or events held on site.
How to get in touch
- Email: pewleydownvineyard@aol.com
- Telephone / text: 07787 554465
- Address: Pewley Down Vineyard, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 2HF
- Website: pewleydownvineyard.co.uk
- Instagram: @pewleydownvineyard
- Facebook: Pewley Down Vineyard
A small estate with a clear point of view
Pewley Down is a useful case study in how a very small, single-estate Surrey vineyard can deliver distinctive, medal-winning rosé wines while taking the wider landscape seriously. The combination of a textbook chalk site, a deliberately narrow range of four cool-climate grape varieties, traditional-method winemaking, and a hands-on approach to biodiversity gives the brand a clear identity in a crowded marketplace. With the original plantings being replaced in winter 2026 and the spring of 2027, the current 2022 Sparkling Rosé and 2024 Still Rosé will be the last releases from the founding generation of vines.