Sandridge Barton: A 40-Year-Old Devon Vineyard Reimagined on the River Dart
Tucked into a hidden, south-facing bowl of the Dart Valley near the village of Stoke Gabriel in South Devon, Sandridge Barton is one of England's oldest and most quietly adventurous wine estates. Although the Sandridge Barton name is comparatively new, the team behind it has been growing grapes and making English wine on the banks of the River Dart since 1981, making them founding figures of the modern English wine movement. Today, 38 acres of vines roll down toward the tidal Dart, and the estate produces over 80 tonnes of fruit a year - all of it crafted into award-winning still, sparkling and skin-contact wines that have begun to compete with the very best of Burgundy, Champagne and the New World.
A heritage reaching back to Sharpham
The Sandridge Barton story really begins in the early 1980s on the sunny slopes of the old Sharpham Estate, also on the Dart. Maurice and Ruth Ash - who had built Sharpham's reputation around its Jersey herd and acclaimed soft cheeses - trialled 13 different grape varieties in 1981. The little-known French variety Madeleine Angevine stood out, and it became the foundation of the first vineyard. The early wines found an enthusiastic market, especially Dart Valley Reserve, which became the first and only English wine to be selected as the Co-op's own-label English wine, selling more than 10,000 bottles at a time when the UK was thought to be too cold for serious viticulture.
Through the 1990s and 2000s, Mark Sharman and head winemaker (and now CEO) Duncan Schwab expanded the range, adding Pinot Noir, Dornfelder, Phoenix and others. National and international recognition followed: three consecutive Sommeliers Choice Awards Golds, Decanter World Wine Awards golds, and a string of WineGB medals. By the mid-2000s the team was being asked to make wine from a new Dart Valley site at Sandridge Barton itself, and in 2020 they completed their final transition across the river, building a purpose-designed winery and opening a new visitor centre in 2022.
Sharpham is no longer a vineyard: the original site has been re-wilded and returned to organic management by the Sharpham Trust. The story, however, continues at Sandridge Barton, where the same team now releases all of its wines under a single, freshly rebranded Sandridge Barton label - a natural evolution rather than a departure.
The Dart Valley vineyards
The estate sits across three distinct vineyard sites, each with its own soil, microclimate and personality - and together producing the full range of single-vineyard wines that the team has been quietly launching since 2020.
Sandridge Barton vineyard (32 acres)
First planted in 2008 about 3 km downriver from the original Sharpham site, this is the heart of the estate. It sits in a south-facing bowl that slopes gently toward the Dart, benefiting from the warming influence of the tidal river and Devon's mild maritime climate. The geology is varied: most of the sandy loam topsoil rests on volcanic tuff (Schalstein), with a few pockets of limestone and slate. Varieties include Madeleine Angevine, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Bacchus, Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc.
Stonyfield vineyard (8 acres)
Planted in May 2021 on a raised bed of limestone - itself the relic of a shallow tropical reef, one of only a few in the UK - Stonyfield is planted with Burgundian and Champagne clones of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, all of which thrive on limestone soils. The first crop was harvested in 2024 and is currently ageing in barrel, with the first Stonyfield single-vineyard releases expected within the next year.
Reservoir Field vineyard (8 acres)
The newest planting went into the ground in May 2023 on the site of a former reservoir immediately adjacent to the main vineyard. It combines Madeleine Angevine, Bacchus and Pinot Noir Précoce across volcanic tuff and limestone bedrock - a planting specifically designed to express both soil threads in a single site. The first crop is expected this year.
A regenerative approach to farming
Sandridge Barton is part of the Higher Level Countryside Stewardship Scheme and a member of Sustainable Wines of Great Britain. Across the estate, the team is rewilding pockets of ground, planting trees, installing wildflower meadows and putting up bird and bat boxes. Pesticides and herbicides are banned; from 2025, all under-vine tilling has stopped, replaced by diverse cover crops that feed soil life and gently compete with the vines - pushing roots deeper and building natural resilience.
In the winery, the philosophy is the same: do less, but do it with intention. Ferments are spontaneous and rely on indigenous yeasts from the vineyard, sulphur additions are very low, and most wines are bottled unfined and only gently filtered. Red wines are matured in French oak barrels and 1,000-litre wooden foudres, while the on-site riddling and disgorging line allows traditional-method sparkling to be completed from start to finish on the estate.
The buildings themselves embody the same approach. The winery and visitor centre are powered by solar energy, temperature-controlled with air-source heat pumps, supplied by an on-site spring and rainwater harvesting, and their waste is processed through a closed-loop aerobic digester.
The wines
The Sandridge Barton range falls into three loose families: the established Sharpham-legacy wines, the single-vineyard range that captures each site on the estate, and the experimental Don't Feed the Ponies range. Most bottles are priced individually; four current favourites offer a useful snapshot of where the estate is right now.
Classic Cuvée Rosé 2022 - £34.00 per bottle
A traditional-method sparkling rosé that has won multiple Golds, including at the Global Sparkling Wine Masters. Bright, fruit-forward and bone dry, it's an excellent English alternative to premium pink Champagne and a popular aperitif at the cellar door. View the Classic Cuvée Rosé 2022.
Dart Valley Reserve 2023 - £14.95 per bottle
The estate's best-seller for many years and the wine that first put Dart Valley fruit in front of UK wine drinkers. A soft, ripe, fruit-forward white - typical of the estate - that pairs brilliantly with local seafood and is widely available in South Devon pubs and restaurants. View Dart Valley Reserve 2023.
East Field Madeleine Angevine 2024 - £24.00 per bottle
From the Single Vineyard range: old-vine Madeleine Angevine from the East Field block, on iron-rich Devonian red soils with volcanic influence. The 2020 and 2022 East Field Pinot Noirs already won Golds at the WineGB Awards, and the same meticulous single-site approach is now being applied to white varieties. View the East Field Madeleine Angevine 2024.
'Little Bee' Skin Contact Pinot Gris 2025 - £23.00 per bottle
A soft, fruit-driven orange wine, part of the Don't Feed the Ponies range. Inspired by producers such as Radikon and Gravner, 'Little Bee' spends time on its skins after pressing, picking up gentle raspberry, grapefruit and blood-orange notes - far more approachable than many orange wines and a brilliant gateway into the style. View Little Bee 2025.
Other names to know
The wider portfolio includes the Classic Cuvée (a Gold-winning traditional-method white sparkling), the Blanc de Noirs 2020 (the first wine released under the Sandridge Barton label and a Master Medal winner at the Global Sparkling Masters 2023), the Sandridge Barton Pinot Noir 2022 (Silver at the Global Pinot Noir Masters 2025 and Gold at WineGB), the Bacchus 'Stop Ferment' and the New Release - the team's annual Beaujolais-style celebration bottled each third Thursday in November. The playful Don't Feed the Ponies range also includes 'Sonny' 2022, 'Figgie Daniel' 2023 (a 100% Madeleine Angevine Col Fondo, bottled-fermented with its lees), 'Billy' 2023, and from the 2025 harvest a brand-new 'Chub' Nouveau - a juicy carbonic-maceration red made possible by the earliest harvest on record.
Visiting the vineyard: tours and tastings
Sandridge Barton offers one of the most complete vineyard visitor experiences in the West Country. Every tour is led by an in-house sommelier, and well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome across the site.
Vineyard Safari - £48 per person
The flagship experience: a guided walk through the vines and into the winery, finishing with a structured tasting of the current range. Lasts about 2 hours. Book a Vineyard Safari or send it as a gift voucher.
Guided Tasting - £24 per person
A relaxed one-hour tutored tasting of three wines, with a tour of the winemaking facilities and a sample of Sharpham cheese. Max 14 per session. Book a Guided Tasting or gift a voucher.
Self-Guided Wine Tasting - £15 per person
A one-hour time-slot in the cellar-door bar, a tasting booklet, and the choice of four wines from the range, paired with a small-plate bar menu featuring local cheese and charcuterie. Open from 10 am for coffee and cake, and a brilliant option if you have children in tow (under-18s can't drink but are very welcome). Book through the self-guided tasting calendar or pick up a gift card.
Private tours
Private tours can be arranged directly through either the self-guided or guided tasting booking pages for groups wanting a more bespoke experience.
ROAM: a Devon restaurant rooted in the land
Since 9 July 2025, the on-site ROAM restaurant has been open five days a week (Wednesday to Sunday, 12 - 4 pm), led by local hospitality veteran Ian Alexander, with Sean Blood in the kitchen (bistro-style cooking rooted in European and Basque traditions) and Miles Tuddenham - formerly of Noble Rot, Planque and Norman's Café - heading up front of house.
The menu follows the rhythm of the season: meat from the farm, vegetables from the kitchen garden, and produce from no-dig and regenerative growers nearby. The all-day bar menu (served when ROAM is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays) includes local cheese, charcuterie and small plates designed to pair with a flight of wines. Reservations run through the ROAM booking system, and the team can be reached on info@roamrestaurant.co.uk or 01803 732203 (option 2). A sample lunch menu and the current bar snack menu are available to view.
Meetings, weddings and corporate events
The estate also offers two distinctive private-hire spaces. The brand-new Vine Room is a light, open-plan conference space with views over the small vineyard and orchard, centred on a bespoke elm table set in micro-cement. Half-day hire is £200 and full-day hire £350; both packages include coffee from local roaster The Curator and Exmoor Tea, with optional add-ons for wine tastings and a bespoke menu from ROAM. Larger events - drinks receptions, conferences for up to 40, private dining - can be hosted in the traditional Gallery Bar, the renovated tasting barn that still shows off its original features and rural charm. Enquiries can be made via email or the dedicated line.
Stay on the estate
Three self-catering holiday properties are available through Sandridge Barton Accommodation, each with its own character.
- Sandridge Barton House - a six-bedroom, five-bathroom Georgian farmhouse in the heart of the Dart Valley, once home to the Elizabethan navigator John Davis. Sleeps 12, with a heated indoor pool (30 × 15 ft), a games barn with full-size snooker and table tennis, and a south-facing terrace with views across the river.
- The Boathouse - an 1850s two-bedroom cottage tucked into the tidal bank of the River Dart. Reached via 71 steps, with a balcony, wood burner and uninterrupted water views; a hideaway for couples or small families.
- Lower Well Farmhouse - a four-bedroom, dog-friendly converted farmhouse right next to the winery, shop and ROAM restaurant, sleeping up to eight guests and looking out over the orchards and small vineyard.
Family-friendly vineyard walks
Beyond the tours, visitors can explore a free 1.5 km walking trail that runs from the visitor centre up to the new Stonyfield vineyard, passing woodland with information boards and brass-rubbing posts for children. There's a small woodland clearing with stepping stones and stocks to build dens, plus printed nature-trail booklets - and because dogs are welcome on leads throughout the estate, it's become a popular weekend walk for South Devon families.
Vineyard Vibes: the events calendar
Sandridge Barton runs one of the busiest cellar-door event programmes in the South West. From August through November 2026, the events calendar includes two recurring music strands - Vineyard Vibes Saturday Sessions (DJ-led afternoons with resident James G, the Sunset Social Club and visiting acts) and Vineyard Vibes Acoustic Sundays (live classical guitar, harp and other acoustic sets) - alongside a rolling programme of Ground wellness and creative workshops, guest speakers and longer-form evenings.
Highlights still to come in 2026
- Vineyard Vibes: Balearic House with James G & Friends - 8, 22 and 29 August (and 5 September), 4 pm. Free entry; grab a table or picnic blanket on the lawn.
- Dine in the Vines: Sophia Pelizzoli - 8 August, 5 pm. A Mediterranean long-table dinner in the vines with a tomato-inspired cocktail and three-course feast. £65.00.
- Quiz Night - 13 August, 6 pm. Monthly pub-quiz-style evening with bar menu; £1 cash entry per person, max teams of six.
- Sunset Social Club - 15 August and 12 September, 4 pm. Sun-drenched Saturday-afternoon house takeover.
- Sculpt & Wine - 9 August and 4 October, 12 pm. Hand-building pottery with ceramicist Lizzie Kirwan, with a glass of Sandridge Barton wine. £70.00.
- 6AM Club Yoga Pop-Up - 16 August, 9 am. Outdoor sunrise yoga in the Dart Valley. £10.00.
- Stretch & Sketch - 13 September and 1 November. Yoga and life-drawing collaboration. £55.00.
- Fermenting Workshop - 16 September and 18 November. Hands-on fermentation class; take home jars and recipes. £40.00.
- Fabric Block Printing Workshop - 26 September, 10 am. Print a piece of hand-cut fabric inspired by the vineyard. £65.00.
- Written in Stone & Stars: An Evening of Dartmoor Archaeology - 24 September, 6:30 pm. A talk on Dartmoor's stone circles and astronomical alignments. £7.21.
- Spoon Carving Workshop - 9 October, 9:30 am. Carve a cooking spoon from a log with Alex Finberg. £65.00.
- Wild Words: An Evening of Dartmoor Stories - 22 October, 6:30 pm. Local writers, poets and storytellers in the Dartmoor Preservation Association series. £7.21.
- Fabric Wreath Making - 14 November, 10 am. Festive wreath-making with a four-wine flight included. £45.00.
Two exhibitions also bookend the autumn: Becoming by ceramicist and painter Lizzie Kirwan runs throughout October, and a wildlife photography exhibition by Brian and Sheree Sedgbeer (BRS Images) shows through August.
Sustainability, awards and what's next
Sandridge Barton's wines have picked up major Gold and Silver medals at the Sommeliers Choice Awards, Decanter World Wine Awards, WineGB Awards and the Global Sparkling/Pinot Noir Masters - and in 2025 the estate was confirmed as the second most awarded producer in the UK across the year. Head winemaker (and CEO) Duncan Schwab continues to be recognised as one of the Master Winemakers Top 100, while the team is also rolling out an exclusive Sandridge Barton Wine Club offering limited releases, member workshops, and access to events not open to the general public.
Looking further ahead, the team is fast-tracking the single-vineyard range (East Field, Stonyfield, Reservoir Field), planting more herbal and wildflower margins to support biodiversity, and using only regenerative practices in both vineyard and winery. It's a long-term project built on patience - and one that's quietly turning South Devon into one of the most talked-about fine-wine regions in England.
Plan your visit
Sandridge Barton is open daily from 10 am (5 pm close, with extended Friday and Saturday hours to 8 pm). The cellar-door bar serves coffee, cake, cheese boards and the full wine list from 10 am; ROAM is open Wednesday to Sunday for lunch from 12 pm. Dogs on leads, children and well-behaved adults are all welcome.
The estate sits less than a mile from the village of Stoke Gabriel and is signposted from the A385; the nearest train stations are Totnes and Paignton (both about 5 miles away, on the main line from London Paddington), with onward buses and local taxis. The front gate is at what3words: elephant.cheered.rollover.
For any enquiries - tasting bookings, holiday lets, weddings, group tours or simply a question about the wines - the team is reachable at info@sandridgebarton.com or on 01803 732203. To order wine, gift cards or workshop vouchers, head straight to the online shop.
Find & connect
- Sandridge Barton Wines, Lower Well Farm, Waddeton Road, Stoke Gabriel, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 6RL
- Email: info@sandridgebarton.com
- Phone: 01803 732203
- Website: sandridgebarton.com
- Shop: shop.sandridgebarton.com
- Tours & tastings: sandridgebarton.com/select-a-tour
- Events: sandridgebarton.com/events
- Facebook: @sharphamwine
- Instagram: @sandridgebarton
- Twitter/X: @SharphamWines
- TripAdvisor: Sharpham Wine and Cheese reviews