Saffron Grange Vineyard: Award-Winning English Sparkling Wine in the Heart of the Saffron Region
A boutique Essex vineyard with a very big chalk seam
Sitting on a gentle, south-facing slope just outside the medieval market town of Saffron Walden, Saffron Grange Vineyard is a small, family-run English wine estate that punches well above its weight. Its wines are grown on the same band of Cretaceous chalk that runs beneath Champagne and the South Downs, here capped by a thin, free-draining clay-loam soil sprinkled with flint. That rare combination - porous chalk, free-draining clay-with-flint, a sheltered meso-climate and slightly warmer nights than its neighbours - has turned what was once arable farmland into one of the most talked-about boutique sparkling-wine producers in the east of England.
Since the first vines went into the ground in 2008 and the first commercial vintage was released a decade later, the vineyard has collected an impressive stack of regional, national and international trophies, including Wine GB East Wine of the Year, Essex Wine Award golds, and medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards. All four current releases are PDO English Quality Sparkling Wine, all are vegan, and every bottle is hand-disgorged on site at the wooden winery building at Rowley Hill Farm.
The story of a chalk seam, a woolly mammoth and a saffron crocus
The Saffron Grange story begins with a piece of very old geology and a very old piece of local history. A hundred million years ago, the land that is now the vineyard lay under warm tropical seawater. Macroscopic calcareous algae and shellfish left behind layers of chalk that, much later, became the spine of the North Downs, the backbone of Champagne, and - hidden under north Essex - the bed on which every Saffron Grange vine now grows. On top of that chalk, a thin layer of clay-loam developed, just enough to hold summer moisture without water-logging the roots in winter.
The site is also intimately linked to its region's namesake crop. Centuries ago, fields of crocuses made Saffron Walden one of the medieval world's great centres of saffron production. The same mineral-rich, well-drained soil that grew the crocus now grows the classic Champagne grape varieties, and the vineyard's mission is to help turn the Saffron region into a renowned centre for fine English sparkling wine.
The vineyard's striking logo, a woolly mammoth, is no marketing whim. Tusks and teeth of woolly mammoths have been unearthed in the River Slade, which runs along the bottom of the site, and a Pleistocene-era tusk was found in a gravel pit on Little Walden Road in 1875 (it is now on display at Saffron Walden Museum). For the team, the mammoth stands for strength, opportunity, adaptability and durability - qualities they like to think their wines share.
The team behind the wines
Saffron Grange is, in every sense, a family business. Owner Paul Edwards spent decades in the international food and drinks industry before returning to his native Essex to begin the project. His wife Ross, an active figure in the local community, coordinates the troops at harvest and helps to organise events; sons Nick (Sales and Front of House) and Aimie (Operations Manager, marketing and the day-to-day running of the cellar door) have both joined the business. Vineyard Manager Paul Harrison, who studied viticulture at Plumpton College after a career as a Chartered Surveyor, leads a small team of seasonal workers, while winemaker Matthieu Elzinga of Litmus Wines brings French and UK winemaking experience to every pressing. Viticultural consultant Duncan McNeill, who trained in New Zealand's Central Otago and worked in Germany's Rheinland Pfalz, has overseen the planting of hundreds of acres of vines across southern England and continues to advise on the site-specific technique needed for this corner of Essex.
Perhaps the most distinctive members of the team, however, are the volunteers. Each October more than 80 local residents join the harvest, hand-picking the grapes alongside the staff. It is hard, sociable work, and the team credits that local input with much of the wine's character.
The terroir: 100 million years in the making
The chalk seam on which Saffron Grange sits is the same one that runs all the way from Northern France through Sussex and into Essex. Because chalk is porous, rainfall drains through it almost immediately, so the vine roots are never water-logged. In dry summer weather, however, the thin overlying clay-loam holds just enough moisture to keep the vines hydrated and to encourage flavour development in the run-up to harvest. Flint, broken from the upper chalk, adds a subtle mineral tension to the wines that the team refers to as their "signature flint minerality".
The vineyard is also slightly more sheltered than its elevation would suggest. Rows of Italian alder trees have been planted between the plots as windbreaks and frost breaks, while hedgerows and wildflower meadows - full of oxeye daisies, poppies and scabious - buffer the site from cold air drainage. That mix of shelter and slope is one reason the site can ripen Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reliably in a region that many still think of as too cool for fine sparkling wine.
The Saffron Grange sparkling wine range
Patience shapes every release from Saffron Grange, and the wines show it. The vineyard's flagship style is a traditional-method blend of 50% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier, with each cuvee spending a minimum of 30 months on its yeast lees - well in excess of the 15 months required for non-vintage English Quality Sparkling Wine and the 24 months typically expected for vintage. The current range of four core releases is available through the online shop.
Classic Cuvée (2022) - £38 per bottle, £212 per six-bottle case
The signature wine and the most decorated of the line-up. The 2022 vintage picked up the Wine GB East Wine of the Year Trophy and an Essex Gold Medal. On the nose it shows plums and quince; the palate adds apricot, patisserie notes and the hallmark flinty finish. A clean, fruit-forward style with a hint of toast, great acidity and very fine bubbles - designed to pair with grilled chicken, scallops or a creamy risotto. The six-bottle case is priced at £212.
Sparkling Rosé (2023) - £34 per bottle, £192 per six-bottle case
The 2023 Sparkling Rosé is the first vintage made exclusively from first-press juice (the very best quality run-off from the press), and it won the Best Sparkling Rosé Award at the 2026 Wine GB East Awards. The blend is 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay, with a minimum of 19 months on lees. Aromas of red apple, cranberry and peach lead into pomegranate, pear and creamy lemon curd on the finish. Pair with seared tuna, a peach and burrata salad, or - for a more indulgent match - a plate of fresh oysters from Saffron Fish Co.
The Rebel - Blanc de Gris (2023) - £30 per bottle, £168 per six-bottle case
The newest and most unusual wine in the line-up, and the first ever release to feature the Pinot Gris vines planted at the vineyard in 2018. A 75/25 blend of Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, it is aged for 10 months on lees, disgorged in May 2025, and bottled at 5 g/l residual sugar. Vibrant, aromatic and a clear departure from the classic Cuvee style, with notes of citrus, lychee, ripe pear, honeydew melon and a hint of almond and spice. The team's recommended match is a British blue cheese and quince jelly.
Seyval Blanc Reserve
A textbook partner for English asparagus with goat's cheese and lemon, pan-fried sea bass with samphire slaw, or Coronation quiche, the Seyval Blanc Reserve is the most food-flexible of the still wines and the one most often paired with seafood. It does not currently appear on the shop page but remains a reference point in the cellar.
Cases of six are discounted relative to single-bottle prices, and all wines are also available to taste at the cellar door, either as a flight or paired with cheese, charcuterie or seafood plates from Norfolk's Marsh Pig, Cambridge's Rennet & Rind and Saffron Fish Co.
Gifts and accessories
For anyone looking for a present rather than a bottle, the Gifts section of the shop stocks a small but well-curated range. Best sellers include the Baby Mammoth Package (£55) - a knitted woolly mammoth rattle, a copy of the children's book How To Wash A Woolly Mammoth and a bottle of the award-winning Classic Cuvee, plus optional Baby Boy and Baby Girl Greetings Cards illustrated by local artist Helen Wiseman (£2.50 each). A stainless-steel Bottle Stopper (£7.50) keeps an open bottle of fizz fresh for up to three times longer, and a sturdy Saffron Grange Tote Bag featuring the brand's mammoth mascot (£5) doubles as a useful carrier for any wine purchases.
Sundowners at Saffron Grange - every Friday in summer
From May to the end of August, the vineyard opens late every Friday evening for its hugely popular Sundowners at Saffron Grange series. From 5pm, the bar opens, a different local food truck pitches up each week, and visitors can spread out on the picnic blankets or relax in the marquee as the sun sets behind the vines. Live DJs Tom Root and Alex C take turns on the decks on selected evenings, providing the soundtrack to what has become one of the most convivial Friday-night rituals in north Essex.
The 2026 Friday line-up includes Elder Street Proper Dogs (17 July, 14 August, 28 August), Nomadough sourdough flatbreads (24 July), Steak & Honour American-style burgers (31 July, 7 August) and Bonnefire Box Pizza (21 August). Bar service runs until 9pm, with cocktails, Wylde Sky beers, low-alcohol and soft drinks on offer alongside the vineyard's own sparkling wines. Pre-orders can be placed direct with each food truck or via the vineyard's Hatches Up page; menus normally go live a week in advance.
On-site parking is free but limited, so the team encourages car-sharing, walking or cycling. Well-behaved dogs on short leads are welcome, children are admitted but must be supervised (the vineyard is a working site with uneven ground, machinery and the occasional stinging nettle), and visitors are politely asked to buy food and drink on site in support of the local vendors.
Wine Down Sundays & Seafood Sundays
For 2026, the vineyard has added a brand-new Sunday programme to complement its Fridays. From May to August, the site opens from 11am to 4pm for Wine Down Sundays, a relaxed mix of food trucks, local makers, live music and a brand-new strand of wellness events. Once a month, the Sunday takes on a Seafood Sunday theme in partnership with Saffron Fish Co., when fresh oysters, prawns, scallops and cured fish are served alongside the vineyard's own fizz.
The summer 2026 Sunday schedule includes The Greatest Doughman Turkish pides and wraps (19 July, 16 August), Smash 'N' Grab burgers (9 August), Firenze Pizza (23 August), Elder Street Proper Dogs (2 August) and the ever-popular Saffron Fish Co. Seafood Sundays on 26 July, 30 August and a bonus late-season edition on 27 September. Wellness add-ons for 2026 include Life Drawing in the Vineyard with illustrator Sarah Smart, Bloody Good Sunday Pilates and an Outtrain run/yoga/sauna/cold-plunge morning, each with separate ticketing through the relevant partner.
Vineyard tours and tastings
The vineyard is open by appointment for tours from May to September, with a winter programme running from November through to the spring. Both the Summer Vineyard Tour and Tasting and the Winter Vineyard Tour & Tasting are priced from £25 per person and run for approximately 90 minutes. The summer tour takes in a walk through the vines - with a guide explaining canopy management, frost protection, soil management and the work that goes into producing exceptional quality fruit - followed by an educational but informal tasting of the three most recent releases, with optional cheese, charcuterie or seafood plates to pair. The winter version is a smaller, more intimate experience (max 12 guests) that adds a visit to the winery to see the presses, tanks and riddling racks.
Tickets are non-refundable but can be transferred once if at least two weeks' notice is given. Unfortunately, children are not admitted on the tours themselves (babes in arms are welcome) and group bookings are capped at four people per tour to keep the experience relaxed. Well-behaved dogs on short leads are permitted. The terrain is mainly grass on a slope, so suitable footwear is essential and the tour is not currently suitable for wheelchair users. Summer 2026 tours are fully booked; post-harvest tours for late 2026 and Spring 2027 will be released later in the summer once the harvest dates are confirmed. The mailing list is the best way to hear first.
Cellar door, Try Flight and food plates
Visitors who would rather drop in than book a full tour can book a table in the Tasting Room for a Try Flight - a self-guided tasting of all three current sparkling releases for £15 per person - and add a pre-ordered Cheese, Charcuterie or Seafood Plate. The charcuterie plate is supplied by Norfolk-based Marsh Pig, the cheese plate by Cambridge cheesemongers Rennet & Rind, and the seafood plate by Saffron Fish Co, all served with Mini Miss Bread sourdough and seasonal accompaniments. Tables are seated inside the Tasting Room but, in good weather, guests are welcome to move outside. Advanced booking of at least two days is recommended to guarantee availability.
The annual Mammoth Day Out
The highlight of the Saffron Grange calendar is the Mammoth Day Out, a family-friendly open day that returned for its fourth year in 2026. The 2026 edition took place on Saturday 5 September from 12pm to 8pm, with live music, vineyard meanders, children's entertainment, inflatable fun, a wide range of food and drink stalls, and - for adults - a complimentary glass of Saffron Grange sparkling wine served in a keepsake branded flute. Tickets for 2026 have now sold out, but the team promises another packed day in 2027. On-site parking is limited and pre-bookable for a £5 fee (which includes a charitable donation to the 5th Saffron Walden Scout Group), so the vineyard encourages walking or cycling from the town.
Sustainability, biodiversity and the wider landscape
Look at the wider estate and it quickly becomes clear that the team is as interested in what lives between the vines as in the grapes themselves. Wildflower meadows, hedgerows, three-yearly coppicing cycles, alder windbreaks and a small flock of Southdown sheep - borrowed from a neighbouring Linking Environment And Farming-awarded farm in Thaxted - all form part of a holistic, regenerative approach to viticulture. The sheep provide a "natural closed loop" by grazing the cover crop and fertilising the soil, reducing the need for synthetic inputs. Trials are under way with Johnson-Su bioreactors and a windrow composting system to turn pruning wood and grape pomace into vineyard compost, with the long-term aim of a fully closed nutrient loop.
Research is a big part of the approach. Saffron Grange has hosted PhD research with Dr Natalia Zielonka of the University of East Anglia's School of Biological Sciences, whose work on bird song and visitor experience in vineyards found that "enhanced soundscapes" measurably improved how relaxed, optimistic and engrossed visitors felt during tours. The vineyard has also worked with DEFRA's Animal and Plant Health Agency on national biosecurity surveys, taking part in a clean-bill-of-health check for pests and pathogens including Pierce's disease. Other partnerships have seen the vineyard trial VR and robotics in partnership with Extend Robotics and Queen Mary University of London, in a DEFRA-funded precision-viticulture project to help detect pests and diseases more efficiently.
More than 1,300 native trees have been planted on and around the site in partnership with the charity Creating Nature's Corridors, the alder windbreaks are topped and crown-lifted to balance frost protection with airflow, and more than 80 local volunteers are involved in the harvest each year. It is an approach that has been noticed: Wine GB has described the 2024 vintage - a year of record rainfall, late frosts and a pre-harvest frost on 11 October that cost roughly 15% of yield - as a "winegrowers' vintage", a label the Saffron Grange team is happy to accept.
Food and wine at home
Classic pairings the team recommends include the Classic Cuvee with grilled chicken, scallops or a creamy risotto, and at Christmas with smoked salmon blinis. The Sparkling Rosé is a versatile match for seared tuna or a peach and burrata salad in summer, and for cranberry and orange mince pies in winter. The Rebel - Blanc de Gris is a natural with a British blue cheese and quince jelly, while the ever-popular Seyval Blanc Reserve is a textbook partner for English asparagus, goat's cheese and lemon, or for pan-fried sea bass with samphire slaw as recommended by Matt at Saffron Fish Co.
The vineyard has also built a strong relationship with Provenance Kitchen, a 15-minute drive from the vineyard, which was the very first restaurant to stock Saffron Grange wines when they launched in 2019 and which now lists the Sparkling Rosé and the Classic Cuvee alongside its seasonal British menu.
Planning your visit
Saffron Grange is at Rowley Hill Farm, Little Walden, Essex, CB10 1UZ, just outside Saffron Walden. Postcodes can be unreliable in this part of the countryside, so the team recommends searching for "Saffron Grange Vineyard" or "Rowley Hill Farm". From Cambridge, leave via the Babraham Road, follow the A1307 to Linton, then turn right onto the B1052 through Hadstock and Little Walden - the vineyard is on the right about 400 yards after a small hump bridge, marked by a white picket fence. From the M11, leave at junction 9, follow signs to Saffron Walden via the B184, then follow Little Walden Road (B1052) for just over a mile out of town. Once on site, drive through the black electric gates, take the first right and follow the gravel road down to the wooden winery building.
For any questions, the team can be reached on 01799 516597 or at vineyard@saffrongrange.com. Harvest volunteers should email harvest@saffrongrange.com in the autumn; anyone interested in joining the vineyard's team for pruning, tying down or leaf-plucking days can write to Vineyard Manager Paul Harrison at paul.harrison@saffrongrange.com.
For summer 2026, the cellar door is open Thursday to Sunday - Thursday and Saturday 10am - 4pm, Friday 10am - 9pm (Sundowners 5pm - 9pm), Sunday 11am - 4pm (Wine Down Sundays). The online shop delivers throughout the UK to customers aged 18 and over, and the full experiences programme covers Sundowners, Wine Down Sundays, vineyard tours, the Try Flight and the next Mammoth Day Out.