Simpsons' Wine Estate: English Wines of Provenance on the North Downs of Kent
Tucked into the chalky seams of the Elham Valley, just a 15-minute drive south of Canterbury, Simpsons' Wine Estate has rapidly become one of the most talked-about names in English wine. Co-founded by Ruth and Charles Simpson in 2012, the estate today spans some 30 hectares of vineyard across the North Downs of Kent, a state-of-the-art winery opened by Oz Clarke in 2016, and a growing portfolio of still and Classic Method sparkling wines that have accumulated an enviable list of medals and trophies. Visitors are at the heart of the project: a dedicated events team curates a calendar of tours, tastings and long-table dinners that invite the public to experience the wines where they are grown and made.
Provenance: A unique corner of England
The Simpsons' philosophy is built on the word provenance. The couple believe that the finest wines convey a rich sense of place, rooted firmly in the characteristics and nuances of their terroir. To that end, in 2014 they laid down the first 10 hectares of vines on a south-facing slope above the village of Barham, a site that follows the route the Romans marched in AD 43 when they brought the first vines to England. This is the Roman Road Vineyard, planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir.
A further 20 hectares of the same three varieties were planted on the south-facing slopes to the other side of the valley in 2016 and 2017. This is the Railway Hill Vineyard, named for the Canterbury-to-Folkestone light railway that crossed the site in the late 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. In May 2022 the Simpsons planted a third site, Bonny Bush Hill Vineyard, eight hectares of carefully chosen Burgundian Chardonnay clones designed to underpin the estate's expanding still wine production.
Chalk soil and a maritime micro-climate
All three sites sit on the same intensely lime-rich chalk that runs in an unbroken seam from southern England through the French Champagne region and on into Burgundy. Free-draining yet able to retain moisture through the driest summers, this chalk is widely regarded as the most desirable soil in the world for the time-honoured trio of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. The estate lies in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), is less than eight miles from the coast on three sides, and enjoys one of the sunniest micro-climates in the British Isles. The combination of aspect, shelter from ancient woodland, chalk substrate and maritime influence gives the Simpsons an unusual degree of consistency in a famously fickle country.
The people behind the wines
Ruth and Charles Simpson are not newcomers to the wine world. As a husband-and-wife team they have been producing award-winning wines at Domaine Sainte Rose, their 40-hectare estate in the Languedoc, since 2002. The experience and savoir-faire they honed in southern France underpins every decision made in Kent. Today, the team around them is deliberately international: the Estate Manager is from New Zealand, the Assistant Winemaker Den'e Van Wyk is from South Africa, and there is a further Assistant Winemaker from Australia. A 50/50 gender split runs from Co-Founders to vineyard, winery, sales, marketing and events.
Ruth serves on the board of WineGB and is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the sector. The estate is a full member of Walpole, the official body for UK luxury, having been selected as one of its Brands of Tomorrow in 2020, and is a founder member of the Wine Garden of England partnership, which promotes Kent as a world-class wine tourism destination.
Method: the new tradition
The Simpsons' approach to winemaking is described as "the new tradition": the lightest of touches at every step, hand-picking from time-honoured techniques and modern technology alike. No aspect of viticulture or winemaking is outsourced. The winery sits within walking distance of the two original vineyard sites and is equidistant from them, ensuring the absolute minimum of transport and manipulation during harvest. Extended in 2019, the winery now houses two Vaslin-Bucher Inertys presses, selected specifically to protect juice purity and expand the flavour spectrum of each variety. The estate is capable of producing upwards of 250,000 bottles of English still and sparkling wine per year.
Spearheading English still wine
Still wine is now a flagship category for Simpsons'. The estate's reputation in this field was cemented at the 2020 Decanter World Wine Awards when the 2018 vintage of The Roman Road Chardonnay was awarded a Platinum Medal and the highest accolade of "Best in Show" - a title reserved for only the top 50 wines entered into the world's largest and most influential international wine competition.
The Great British Classic Method
Every bottle of Simpsons' sparkling is made according to the "Great British Classic Method". Base wines are expertly vinified, bottled and sealed under crown cap with their liqueur de tirage, and then undergo a secondary fermentation in bottle. The wines are aged on their lees for between fifteen months and three years, depending on style, in the meticulously monitored conditions of the winery, softening the racy acidity that is the hallmark of English wine and allowing the emergence of complex autolytic flavours. There is, the team says, no place for impatience in sparkling winemaking.
Sustainability
In 2022 both the vineyard and winery teams achieved Sustainable Wines of Great Britain certification, meaning the mark can appear on Simpsons' labels from the 2022 vintage onwards. A 30 kW solar PV array installed in 2021 covers all normal office and winery functionality at optimum production. The estate also subscribes to the Walpole Sustainability Manifesto, which promotes a transition towards a circular economy and traceability across the supply chain.
The wines
Simpsons' Wine Estate produces a tight, award-winning range of still and Classic Method sparkling wines, all made exclusively from estate-grown fruit. The current collection, available to buy online by the bottle or case, includes:
Still wines
- Gravel Castle Chardonnay - a bright, zesty Burgundian-style Chardonnay named for the chalk scree slopes of the Elham Valley; a 2025 vintage is currently available.
- The Roman Road Chardonnay - the flagship still white, made from Burgundian still-wine clones grown on the original Roman Road site; the 2018 vintage was awarded Best in Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2020.
- Rabbit Hole Pinot Noir - a still red that helped establish Simpsons' reputation for serious English Pinot Noir.
- Derringstone Pinot Meunier - a comparatively rare English still Pinot Meunier that has quickly become a talking point among enthusiasts.
- Railway Hill Rosé - a delicate, Provençal-style Pinot Noir rosé whose elegant Vinolok-stoppered bottle became something of an icon.
- Q Class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Magnums - super-premium still wines released only in exceptional vintages (the 2020 vintage was the inaugural release), produced in magnum format, hand wax-sealed and presented in luxury gift boxes.
Sparkling wines
- Chalklands Classic Cuvée N.V. - the estate's flagship non-vintage Classic Method blend of 30% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Meunier and 40% Pinot Noir, with 12 to 18 months of lees ageing. Pale gold, with a delicate mousse and notes of crisp green apple and flint. Launched on British Airways Club World flights from October 2023.
- White Cliffs Blanc de Blancs - 100% estate-grown Chardonnay, pale gold with a fine mousse, classic citrus and green apple aromas balanced with subtle toasted brioche and a distinctive mineral finish.
- Flint Fields Blanc de Noirs - the premium English sparkling made from Pinot Noir Clone 115, selected for a fuller, more luxurious mouth-feel. The 2018 vintage was crowned "National Champion, Best English Sparkling Wine" at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships 2022.
- Canterbury Rose Sparkling Rosé - an elegant, fruit-forward sparkling rosé with honeysuckle, wild strawberry and sorbet notes on the palate.
All Simpsons' wines are vegan and vegetarian friendly. The team also offers a bespoke mixed case builder so customers can put together their own selection of six or twelve bottles from the range, and a tempting gift and hampers collection that includes limited-edition collaborations, gift cards, the Simpsons' ice bucket and stopper, and a tasting experience certificate for two.
Experiences at the estate
The Simpsons' Experiences programme is one of the most considered in the English wine industry. All tours and tastings are reserved in advance and, because the winery is a working production environment, are for over-18s only. Ample free on-site parking is available, and the estate is a 15-minute drive from Canterbury with recommended taxi partners on hand for those arriving by train at Canterbury West.
Wine Tasting Experience - £25 per person
A succinct and sumptuous 90-minute guided tasting hosted in the elegant Glass House Tasting Room, which overlooks the working winery. Guests are guided through the award-winning still and sparkling range, with wines available to purchase afterwards through the Cellar Door. The tasting is scheduled across the week.
Vineyard & Winery Tour and Tasting Experience - £45 per person
Run on Saturdays and selected Friday afternoons, this is the deep-dive experience. Weather permitting, 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. The tour then returns to the winery for a guided exploration of Simpsons' Classic Method winemaking, finishing with a tutored tasting of the range in the Glass House Tasting Room.
Sunset Sessions 2026 - £70 per person
On selected Friday evenings throughout summer 2026, the estate opens for an after-hours experience that begins with a stroll to the Roman Road Vineyard and a glass of Simpsons' sparkling in the evening light. Back at the winery, guests enjoy a guided tasting in the Glass House and a locally-sourced cheese and charcuterie platter supplied by Macknade, finishing with a trip down the winery's helter-skelter.
Wine Dinner with Hide & Fox - £250 per person
The flagship event of the year, this is the fifth iteration of Simpsons' celebrated collaboration with the two-Michelin-Star team at Hide and Fox in Saltwood, Kent. On Sunday 13 September 2026, from 4pm to 10pm, Chef Patron Allister Barsby and fellow owner Alice Bussi present a five-course dinner, each course paired with a different Simpsons' wine. The evening starts with a gentle walk through Barham to the Roman Road Vineyard for a glass of award-winning sparkling, continues in the Glass House Tasting Room with appetisers, and concludes in the atmospheric "Red Winemaking Quarter" cellar.
Visiting the estate
Simpsons' Wine Estate sits just outside the picturesque village of Barham, with the entrance on Church Lane directly opposite St John the Baptist Church. The postcode for sat-navs is CT4 6PB. Office hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, when cellar-door wine purchases and Click & Collect orders can be collected. All tasting experiences require advance booking online or by calling 01227 832200.
Accessibility
The estate is committed to providing equal access for all visitors. The winery is all on one level for tours, with doorways suitable for wheelchair users and a unisex accessible toilet on the ground floor. Parking is close to the entrance and the vineyard can be reached by vehicle if mobility is compromised. Please note that the Glass House Tasting Room is up two flights of stairs, but ground-floor tastings can be arranged on request by calling the team in advance.
Recent highlights and accolades
- 2020: The Roman Road Chardonnay 2018 awarded Platinum Medal and "Best in Show" at the Decanter World Wine Awards.
- 2021: Selected as a Walpole Brand of Tomorrow.
- 2022: Flint Fields Blanc de Noirs 2018 named "National Champion, Best English Sparkling Wine" at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships; both vineyard and winery teams achieve Sustainable Wines of Great Britain certification; the Simpsons plant a third vineyard, Bonny Bush Hill.
- 2023: Ruth and Charles Simpson named on the Walpole Power List of the "50 Most Influential People in British Luxury"; Chalklands Classic Cuvée N.V. launched on British Airways Club World.
- 2024: Announced as the official wine partner of The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury.
- 2026: Continued as official wine partner of The Marlowe Theatre, with the Simpsons' still and sparkling wines listed across the theatre's bars and Green Room restaurant.
Community and charity
Simpsons' is a long-standing supporter of Demelza Hospice Care for Children, with the biannual Open House events having raised thousands of pounds for the charity over the years. The estate also supports Pilgrims Hospices, Be Inclusive Hospitality and a wide network of Kent-based producers, from Cheese Makers of Canterbury to Gibson's Farm Shop and Gilda Bakery.
Order, gift and explore
Wines from the Simpsons' range can be ordered online by the bottle, the case or through a hand-curated mixed case, alongside a gift and hampers collection that includes limited-edition collaborations, gift cards, the Simpsons' ice bucket and stopper, and a tasting experience certificate for two. Mainland UK delivery is offered on cases from £10 to £25 depending on size, with complimentary delivery on orders above £400.
For the team, every glass of Simpsons' English wine is meant to lead you back to the North Downs, to the chalk soils, the maritime skies and the quiet, ancient valley that first drew Ruth and Charles Simpson home. It is a confident, modern take on English provenance, and one well worth raising a glass to.