Simpsons' Wine Estate: Award-Winning English Wines from the North Downs of Kent
A Kentish Estate Rooted in Chalk, Romance and Resolve
On the sheltered, south-facing slopes of the North Downs, a few miles south of Canterbury, Simpsons' Wine Estate is quietly redefining what English wine can be. Here, in the unspoilt Elham Valley, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the intensely lime-rich chalk that stretches beneath the White Cliffs of Dover and on through Champagne into Burgundy rises once again to the surface. It is on this revered terroir that Ruth and Charles Simpson have built one of the most exciting wine estates in the United Kingdom.
What began in 2012 as a husband-and-wife venture, drawing on two decades of winemaking experience at their southern French estate, Domaine Sainte Rose, has blossomed into a 30-hectare vineyard, a state-of-the-art winery, a thriving cellar door and a packed calendar of tasting experiences. The estate's wines have accrued a long list of accolades, from a Decanter World Wine Awards "Best in Show" for The Roman Road Chardonnay 2018 to the title of National Champion, Best English Sparkling Wine for the Flint Fields Blanc de Noirs 2018 at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships. The Simpsons are also members of Walpole, the official body for UK luxury, and founder members of the Wine Garden of England.
The Story So Far
Ruth and Charles Simpson are seasoned international winemakers. Between 2002 and 2012 they built Domaine Sainte Rose in the Languedoc into a 40-hectare, award-winning estate, selling wines around the world. Their English adventure began in 2012, when they were drawn back to the UK by the quality of the Kentish terroir and the opportunity to help shape one of the most dynamic wine regions in the world.
The first 10 hectares of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir were planted on the Roman Road Vineyard in 2014, on a site that follows the route the Romans first marched when they invaded Britain in AD 43, bringing with them the first vines to these islands. A further 20 hectares of the same three grape varieties were established on the southern slopes of the village during 2016 and 2017, on a site the couple named Railway Hill Vineyard after the Canterbury to Folkestone light railway that once passed through it. In May 2022, a third vineyard, Bonny Bush Hill, was planted, adding a further eight hectares of Burgundian Chardonnay clones to meet the growing demand for the estate's still wines. From 2019 all three established vineyards have been in production, and the estate has the potential to produce upwards of 250,000 bottles a year of English still and sparkling wine.
Provenance, Terroir and Micro-Climate
The Simpsons' chalk soils, a continuation of the same ridge that runs from southern England through the Champagne region and into Burgundy, are, in the couple's view, the most desirable in the world for the time-honoured trio of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. The chalk is free-draining yet able to absorb water, protecting the vines from thirst even in the driest of summers, a quality the Simpsons know intimately from their years farming the limits at Domaine Sainte Rose.
The estate is one of the sunniest corners of the British Isles, with vineyards facing almost due south to maximise heat accumulation, and excellent cold air drainage at night. The maritime influence is significant: the estate is less than eight miles from the coast on three sides, insulating the fruit against extremes of temperature and delivering the long, cool ripening period that gives English wines their pure varietal flavours, elegant acidity and finely drawn aromatics.
Sustainability at the Heart of the Estate
In July 2022, both Simpsons' vineyard and winery teams achieved full Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (SWGB) certification, the first vintage to carry the trademark on its label being 2022. The estate's sustainability objectives include maintaining and improving soil health, conserving the vineyard environment and promoting biodiversity, reducing pesticide and fertiliser inputs, and cutting its carbon footprint per hectare.
In the winery, the team works to reduce water and non-renewable energy consumption, and in 2021 installed a 30 kW solar PV array that, at optimum production, covers all normal office and winery functionality. Simpsons' also subscribes to the Walpole Sustainability Manifesto, championing a circular economy and "responsible" suppliers, with a particular emphasis on packaging recyclability across all product development.
The Wines of Simpsons'
Every bottle of Simpsons' is estate-grown, hand-tended and crafted in the couple's own winery, with no aspect of viticulture or winemaking outsourced. By personally delivering the lightest of touches at each step, the team believes they are creating wines of great provenance and presence, wines that lead the drinker back to the North Downs with every sip.
Classic Method Sparkling Wines
Each bottle of Simpsons' sparkling wine is made according to the Great British Classic Method. The base wines are expertly vinified, then bottled and sealed under crown cap with their liqueur de tirage, a carefully crafted combination of yeast and sugar, at which point the secondary fermentation begins, generating fine, perfectly formed bubbles. Each bottle then matures for between fifteen months and three years, depending on style, in the meticulously monitored conditions of the winery, allowing the autolytic flavours to develop and softening the distinctive, racy acidity of English wine.
The flagship sparkling wine is the Chalklands Classic Cuvée N.V., a blend of 30% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Meunier and 40% Pinot Noir, with 12 to 18 months of lees ageing. Pure gold in colour with a delicate mousse, it has a delightfully fresh nose of crisp green apple and flint, with linear precision, impressive structure and length on the palate. It was launched as a non-vintage blend in 2022 to celebrate the estate's tenth anniversary, was served in British Airways' Club World cabin from October 2023, and was celebrated in The Guardian's "Christmas Unwrapped" gift guide.
The Flint Fields Blanc de Noirs is the estate's premium sparkling wine, made from estate-grown Pinot Noir Clone 115, hand-picked separately over a ten-day period to create a more full-bodied style. The 2018 vintage was crowned National Champion, Best English Sparkling Wine, and Best in Class, English Blanc de Noirs, at the 2022 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships, with a luxurious vanilla and fine pastry nose, elegant poise, poached pear and generous red fruit flavours, almond croissant, savoury nuances and a smooth, elegant finish.
The White Cliffs Blanc de Blancs takes its name from the estate's proximity to the iconic White Cliffs of Dover and the intensely lime-rich chalk soil on which the vines are planted. Created from 100% estate-grown Chardonnay and crafted using the Great British Classic Method, the wine is pale gold with a fine mousse, classic aromas of citrus and green apple, subtle toasted brioche and distinctive minerality, ending in a rich, persistent finish. The 2017 vintage was an extremely limited release of 1,500 bottles.
The Canterbury Rose Sparkling Rosé is a delicate, refined pink sparkling with delicate honeysuckle and fresh raspberry sorbet on the nose, exotic fruits of wild strawberry and smooth lychee on the palate, balanced with tangy lime for a clean, complex finish. It was listed by John Mobbs of Great British Wine as one of his English sparkling rosés to watch for Valentine's Day, and in 2018 was selected for a special Simpsons' x Serendipity limited-edition Valentine's gift set with dark chocolates, pistachio, raspberry and rose.
Still Wines: Spearheading the Category
The estate's still wines are made from still wine varietal clones and are designed to challenge perceptions of English still wine, nationally and internationally. The status of the category came to the fore in 2020, when The Roman Road Chardonnay 2018, named for the Roman road that runs alongside the vineyard, was awarded a Platinum Medal and the highest accolade of "Best in Show" at the Decanter World Wine Awards, an honour bestowed only on the top 50 wines entered into the world's largest and most influential international wine competition.
The Gravel Castle Chardonnay is described by wine writer Charlotte Kristensen as bright and zesty, and is a popular aromatic, approachable white with the Estate's hallmark finesse. The Rabbit Hole Pinot Noir is an internationally acclaimed, Burgundian-clone English red whose success gave the team the confidence to push the boundaries even further.
The most ambitious expression of the estate's still wine ambition is the Q Class, a super-premium range produced only in remarkable years. Inspired by the Q Class engines that once traversed the Canterbury to Folkestone light railway through the Railway Hill Vineyard, the wines are powerful yet elegant, the Q Class 2020 Chardonnay and Q Class 2020 Pinot Noir being the inaugural releases in magnum format, each sealed with wax by hand and presented in a beautiful gift box. The 2022 vintage of both Q Class wines has now been released, again in magnum only.
The estate's Provençal-style pink is the Railway Hill Rosé, a 100% estate-grown Pinot Noir with delicate bouquet, attractive pale colour and a crisp, refreshing redcurrant character. The 2021 vintage was paired with The PIG at Bridge Place's chicory, braised fennel and apple salad for Great British Rosé Week 2022. The 2022 release was the first to be presented in the equally elegant Conica Inversa bottle with a natural cork closure, owing to industry-wide glass shortages at the time.
The Derringstone Pinot Meunier rounds out the still range, the 2022 vintage having been a particular favourite of Assistant Winemaker Den'e Van Wyk for its unique flavour profile, and the 2023 release now available to taste and buy.
The Method: From Grape to Glass
Simpsons' custom-built winery was opened in September 2016 by renowned wine personality Oz Clarke and is located within walking distance of the two original vineyard sites and equidistant between them, a proximity the Simpsons consider crucial to ensure minimal transportation and manipulation of the grapes during the harvest period. The winery was extended in 2019 and now houses two Vaslin-Bucher Inertys grape presses, specially selected to protect the purity of the juice and expand the potential flavour spectrum of each variety.
No aspect of viticulture or winemaking is outsourced, a reflection of the estate's belief in balance, detail and integrity. The team's approach is unhampered by the weight of old world tradition: they take a fresher approach, hand-picking from both time-honoured traditions and modern technology, and are committed to maintaining the exceptional level of still wine production that the Roman Road Chardonnay demonstrated is possible.
Visit the Estate: Experiences and Tours
The estate's Experiences are curated by an in-house Events Team and are designed to share the beauty of the vineyards and the story of the wines with visitors. All experiences are for over-18s only, and, because they take place in a working winery, dogs cannot be accommodated (except for registered assistance dogs). Ample on-site parking is available, with easy drop-off and collection from the winery, although overnight parking is not.
Core Experiences
The Wine Tasting Experience is a 90-minute guided tasting scheduled across the week, priced at £25 per person. Guests are welcomed into the elegant Glass House Tasting Room, which offers a wonderful vantage point overlooking the world-class winery, and guided through a special tasting of the award-winning still and sparkling wines, with the full range available to purchase afterwards via the Cellar Door.
The Vineyard & Winery Tour & Tasting Experience, at £45 per person, runs on Saturdays and some Friday afternoons. The visit begins with a walking tour of the iconic Roman Road vineyard, where guests learn how the vines are planted, trained, nurtured and harvested, followed by a guided tour of the winery covering both still and Classic Method winemaking, and culminating in a tasting of the estate's wines in the Glass House Tasting Room.
For summer evenings, the Sunset Sessions 2026 are a particular highlight, priced at £70 per person. Running on select Friday evenings through summer 2026, the experience begins with a walk to the Roman Road Vineyard with a glass of one of the estate's sumptuous sparkling wines, continues through the winery with a guided tour, and finishes in the Glass House Tasting Room with a tasting of current releases paired with a delectable platter of locally-sourced cheese and charcuterie from Macknade, the South East's leading food hall in Faversham. The evening ends with a flourish, with a trip down the winery's helter-skelter.
Limited Edition Event: Wine Dinner with Hide & Fox
For 2026, the team is once again hosting its celebrated wine dinner with two-Michelin Star friends Hide and Fox, in its fifth year. The Wine Dinner with Hide and Fox takes place on Sunday 13 September 2026 from 4pm to 10pm, priced at £250 per person. Chef Patron Allister Barsby and fellow owner Alice Bussi present a five-course dinner in the atmospheric Red Winemaking Quarter in the estate's cellar, each dish paired with a different Simpsons' wine. The evening begins with a gentle stroll through the village of Barham to the Roman Road Vineyard, where guests enjoy a glass of award-winning sparkling wine and hear about the establishment of the estate, before moving on to the Glass House Tasting Room for appetisers and another exquisite sparkling pour.
Shop the Collection
The estate's wines, magnums and mixed cases are available to buy online and to taste and purchase at the Cellar Door during office hours (9am to 5pm). UK mainland delivery is offered at a flat rate by case size: 6 bottles £10, 12 bottles £15, 18 bottles £20, 24 bottles £25, with complimentary delivery on orders over £400. A 30-day return policy applies to unopened items in original packaging, and the estate keeps tickets valid for a year from purchase for any cancelled Experience bookings.
The current still range includes the Gravel Castle Chardonnay 2025, Rabbit Hole Pinot Noir 2024, The Roman Road Chardonnay 2023, Railway Hill Rosé 2023, Derringstone Pinot Meunier 2023 and the classic English still trio, while the sparkling shelves are lined with the White Cliffs Blanc de Blancs 2020, Canterbury Rose Sparkling Rosé 2022, Flint Fields Blanc de Noirs 2021 and the ever-popular Chalklands Classic Cuvée N.V. The Q Class 2022 Chardonnay and Q Class 2022 Pinot Noir, as well as the Chalklands Classic Cuvée N.V. Extended Lees Ageing Magnum & Gift Box, the Railway Hill Rosé 2022 Magnum and the Q Class 2022 Pinot Noir Magnum, offer the chance to taste the estate's most ambitious cuvées in larger format.
Gift options include the Simpsons' Wine Estate Gift Card, the Tasting Experience Gift Certificate for Two, the Simpsons' Ice Bucket and Stopper and a curated Gift Hamper. The estate also offers a bespoke mixed case builder, allowing customers to make their own selection of six or twelve bottles from across the award-winning range.
Getting to the Estate
The entrance to Simpsons' Wine Estate is on Church Lane in Barham, directly opposite St John the Baptist Church, a 15-minute drive from Canterbury. The estate is a short taxi journey from Canterbury West station, where the hourly high-speed trains from London St Pancras stop. Recommended taxi providers are Nashat Hamdallah Taxis (07920 424372) and Longleys Taxi Company (01227 710777). Directions are available on the estate's Google Maps location.
Simpsons' is committed to providing equal access for all visitors. Ample on-site parking, drop-off and collection, a unisex accessible ground-floor toilet and a single-level winery with doorways suitable for wheelchair users are all in place. Access to the Glass House Tasting Room, however, is up two flights of stairs, so guests with specific mobility requirements are encouraged to contact the team in advance on 01227 832200 to make suitable arrangements, including for tastings held on the ground floor.
Partnerships and Community
Simpsons' is a full member of Walpole, the official body for UK luxury, having been selected as one of its Brands of Tomorrow in 2020. Ruth and Charles Simpson themselves were named two of the "50 Most Influential People in British Luxury" on the Walpole Power List in January 2022, in the Custodians category, joining figures from Chanel, Bentley and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The estate is also a founder member of the Wine Garden of England, a partnership of pioneering Kent producers working to create a world-class wine trail and visitor experience.
From 2026, the estate is the official wine partner of The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, an independent charity that is one of the UK's most successful large-scale regional theatres. Three of the estate's still wines (Gravel Castle Chardonnay, Railway Hill Rosé and Rabbit Hole Pinot Noir) and one sparkling (Chalklands Classic Cuvée NV) are poured across the theatre's bars and the Green Room restaurant. The Marlowe is a Creative Green organisation, sharing Simpsons' commitment to sustainability and the local community.
Long-standing local partners include Macknade in Faversham, which provides the Sunset Sessions platters; The PIG at Bridge Place, with which the estate runs a series of pairing events; the Cheese Makers of Canterbury, Gilda Bakery, Gibson's Farm Shop, Annie Brown Aromathérapie, The Oak and Rope Company, and Barretts Land Rover. The estate has raised thousands of pounds for Demelza Hospice Care for Children through its popular biannual Open House events, and has supported Pilgrims Hospices, Be Inclusive Hospitality and Produced in Kent.
Plan Your Visit
Whether drawn by the chalk-soil wines, the meticulous winemaking, the sweeping Kent views or a long Sunday lunch with Hide and Fox, visitors find Simpsons' Wine Estate a place where provenance, craft and welcome come together. Bookings and enquiries are taken by email at info@simpsonswine.com or by phone on 01227 832200, and experiences and wines can be booked and bought online. The estate is active on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter) and LinkedIn, where harvest reports, release news and event announcements are shared throughout the year.
The Barns, Church Lane, Barham, Canterbury, Kent, CT4 6PB. A few miles from Canterbury, a few hours from London, and a very long way from ordinary.