Welcombe Hills Vineyard: A Family-Run English Wine Estate Overlooking Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon
Perched high on the Welcombe Hills with sweeping views across Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon, Welcombe Hills Vineyard is a quietly remarkable pocket of English wine country in the heart of Warwickshire. Family-run by Jonathan and Nichola Kelsey, the vineyard has been crafting award-winning still and sparkling English wines for more than two decades. With a south-facing slope, frost-friendly climate, and well-drained clay soils that roll down to the River Avon, it is one of the Midlands' most delightful places to grow - and sip - English wine.
While vineyard tours are taking a seasonal pause during 2026, the team is still hosting a select number of relaxed cellar-door wine tasting sessions on the hilltop, with the wines available year-round from the online shop and from local stockists.
Where Shakespeare's countryside meets English wine
Welcombe Hills Vineyard lies just outside the village of Snitterfield, roughly three miles north of Stratford-upon-Avon town centre. The site is part of the historic landscape that once belonged to the Shakespeare family; more recently it sat within the well-known Snitterfield Fruit Farm. Today, the vineyard is still surrounded by plum and apple orchards and even a strawberry field, which gives its wines a distinctive sense of place. The estate's what3words reference is ships.voices.warms, and the postcode for sat-navs is CV37 0QB.
The vineyard enjoys a remarkably gentle microclimate for the Midlands. A south-facing aspect, rocky clay terroir and free-draining slopes down towards the River Avon mean the site shrugs off late frosts more readily than many of its neighbours, giving the Kelsey family the confidence to plant varieties - including Pinot Noir - that are only just at home this far north.
How to find the vineyard
From the M40, leave at Junction 15 and take the second exit at the first roundabout towards Stratford, then take the A46 at the second roundabout. Continue for around 1.5 miles, take the next roundabout's second exit still on the A46, and after another two miles or so turn left into Kings Lane (signposted Snitterfield). The vineyard entrance is around 300 metres on your right. From Stratford town centre, take the A439 towards Warwick, then turn left after 1.5 miles onto Ingon Lane (signed Snitterfield); after another 1.5 miles turn left onto Kings Lane, where the entrance lies about 450 metres on the left.
A family business that fell in love with a vineyard
Welcombe Hills Vineyard was first planted in 2001 as a "hobby vineyard" and has grown steadily ever since. The current chapter of the story began in 2017, when a job change moved the Kelsey family 100 miles north from London to rural Warwickshire. They fell in love with a house on the Welcombe Hills that overlooked Stratford-upon-Avon - and which came, almost incidentally, with a small working English vineyard attached. Despite having no prior experience, Jonathan and Nichola decided from the outset to manage the vineyard themselves, and the result, in their own words, has been "a rollercoaster of a ride".
The vineyard was originally just half an acre, planted in 2001 with Pinot Noir, Dornfelder and Bacchus. In 2003, 1,200 more vines - Bacchus, Auxerrois, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Précoce - were added and harvested for the first time in 2007. A third planting of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Précoce followed in 2010. In 2020 the estate expanded again with another 3,500 Chardonnay, Bacchus and Pinot Noir vines, taking the total planted area to 4.5 acres and around 6,000 vines across nine grape varieties.
Welcombe Hills Vineyard has built a reputation at both local and national level for producing award-winning English wines of high quality. Recent honours include five silver medals in 2021 from WineGB and the IEWA, followed by further silvers and the estate's first gold medal - awarded to its Twelfth Night Sauvignon Blanc/Bacchus blend - in subsequent vintages.
The nine grape varieties grown at Welcombe Hills
For a vineyard of its size, Welcombe Hills has an unusually wide palette of varieties. In order of volume, the estate grows Pinot Noir, Bacchus, Pinot Précoce, Chardonnay, Auxerrois, Dornfelder, Seyval Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Kerner - a portfolio that allows the team to create small-batch, exclusive blends rarely found in English wine.
Pinot Noir
One of the most northerly plantings of Pinot Noir in England, this thin-skinned variety produces wines that ooze summer flavours of ripe cherries, wild strawberries and crushed berries, with a velvety smoothness and underlying complexity. It is also a key component of the estate's English sparkling blend.
Bacchus
Often called the English answer to Sauvignon Blanc, Bacchus is grown almost exclusively in the UK. The cooler climate - and especially the Midlands - helps the variety retain acidity while still ripening. Expect hedgerow, elderflower and pear notes, and a natural affinity with seafood.
Chardonnay
Different climates give Chardonnay very different finishes. The English cool climate produces a buttery Chardonnay with citrus-led fruit rather than tropical notes. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the vineyard's sparkling blends, providing structure and finesse, and stands alone as a Blanc de Blancs.
Pinot Précoce
An early-ripening mutation of Pinot Noir, Pinot Précoce is well matched to the cooler UK climate. Wines made from it are practically indistinguishable from classic Pinot Noir in flavour, but with slightly fuller flavour development and lower acidity thanks to the longer effective ripening window.
Auxerrois
A white grape important in Alsace, Germany and Luxembourg, Auxerrois is a full sibling of Chardonnay. It ranges from neutral to honeyed and asparagus-like depending on production method and oak ageing, and only has a small representation in English wine - making Welcombe Hills' use of it quite distinctive.
Dornfelder
A dark-skinned German variety bred originally to deepen the colour of pale reds. Dornfelder produces velvety, slightly floral wines with plum, blackberry and cherry notes, typically oaked, with a hint of sweetness. Its early ripening makes it well suited to the English climate.
Kerner
An aromatic white crossing of Trollinger and Riesling. Kerner produces fresh, racy and fruity wines with milder acidity than Riesling and a more pronounced, often Muscat-toned bouquet. Grown in very small quantities at Welcombe Hills, it tends to appear in one of the estate's blends rather than as a standalone bottling.
Sauvignon Blanc
Originally from Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc in the cooler English climate tends to show noticeable acidity and "green flavours" of grass, green bell pepper and nettles, balanced by tropical fruit and elderflower notes. It is the other half of the Twelfth Night blend.
Seyval Blanc
A hybrid white variety that ripens early and suits fairly cool climates. Seyval Blanc carries a characteristic citrus aroma and a minerality often compared to white Burgundy.
The Welcombe Hills wine range
Every Welcombe Hills wine is named after a Shakespeare play or character - a nod both to the vineyard's proximity to Stratford-upon-Avon and to the land's historic Shakespeare family connection. The current release line-up is available to buy from the online shop, with free UK delivery on orders over £100 and a click-and-collect option by appointment from the vineyard itself.
Still wines
- The Tempest - Bacchus 2023 (£18.00). A pale, elegant English white. Floral on the nose with white blossom and elderflower, with peach, pear and grapefruit on the palate and a beautifully balanced, strong finish. The vineyard suggests pairing it with goat's cheese and English asparagus. Buy The Tempest Bacchus 2023.
- A Rose by any other name - 2023 Pinot Précoce & Dornfelder (£16.00). A vibrant English rosé with aromas of melon, subtle peach, orange peel, raspberry and rose petals. The palate is delightfully fresh and dry, with crisp acidity balancing juicy red-fruit flavours and a lingering zesty finish. A perfect summer barbecue rosé. Buy A Rose by any other name 2023.
Sparkling wines
- Ophelia 2023 Classic Cuvée (£35.00, product page). An inviting golden-hued English sparkling wine with fine, persistent bubbles. Fresh orchard-apple aromas lead on the nose, layered with delicate brioche and subtle pastry richness. The palate is bright and refined, balancing crisp acidity with rounded fruit character and finishing with notes of baked apple and lightly toasted bread.
- Ophelia Blanc de Blanc 2021 (£35.00, product page). A 100% Chardonnay English Blanc de Blancs aged on the lees for three years. Fine, persistent bubbles and a delicate golden hue lead into aromas of green apple, lemon zest and toasted brioche, with vibrant citrus and orchard fruit mingling with creamy texture and subtle nuttiness on the palate.
Six-bottle case deals (10% saving)
Welcombe Hills offers several 10%-off case deals for those who want to stock the cellar or give a generous Shakespearean gift.
- English Rosé Case Deal - 6 bottles of A Rose by any other name 2023, reduced from £95.94 to £86.35. Shop the rosé case.
- The Tempest English - 2023 Bacchus 6 bottle case deal - reduced from £107.94 to £97.15. Shop the Bacchus case.
- English still and sparkling 6 bottle Case Deal - a mixed case of two bottles each of Ophelia 2023 Classic Cuvée, Ophelia 2021 Blanc de Blanc and The Tempest 2023 Bacchus. Reduced from £175.94 to £158.35. Shop the mixed case.
- Ophelia Classic Cuvee 2023 6 Bottle Case Deal - reduced from £209.94 to £188.95. Shop the Classic Cuvée case.
- Ophelia Blanc de Blanc 2021 Case Deal - reduced from £209.94 to £188.95. Shop the Blanc de Blanc case.
Grazing boards for tastings
- Graze Board for 1 (£10.00). A selection of Warwickshire charcuterie and English cheese, designed as a perfect accompaniment to the wine flight. Exclusively available for customers attending a wine tasting event. Add a Graze Board.
Free glass hire for parties at home
Planning a wedding, birthday or corporate party? Welcombe Hills offers a FREE Glass Hire service alongside its award-winning English wines. Wine glasses and champagne flutes are loaned at no charge on orders of a minimum of 12 bottles within 20 miles of CV37 0QB, with a £1 fully refundable deposit per glass (charged at £1 per broken glass). The team will deliver and pick up the glasses at your convenience, taking the stress out of hosting.
Wine tasting events at the vineyard
Welcombe Hills Vineyard traditionally welcomes visitors on selected dates from May to September for vineyard tours and wine tastings. Public vineyard tours are currently taking a seasonal pause throughout 2026 while the team focuses on the land, the wine and a few behind-the-scenes projects. Trade tastings remain available by appointment, and anyone holding a valid tour voucher can redeem it for a curated at-home tasting package instead.
That said, the cellar doors are opening once again in 2026 for a selection of dedicated wine tasting sessions on special dates. The team has published its 2026 wine tasting event calendar with a handful of intimate Saturday slots. Tickets are £15.00 per person (or from £15.00 to £25.00 depending on options), with optional upgrades for additional wines and Warwickshire charcuterie plates on the day.
2026 cellar-door wine tasting dates
All sessions take place at Welcombe Hills Vineyard, King's Lane, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 0QB. Note that many of the August slots are already sold out at time of writing, with September dates also sold out.
- Sat 22 Aug 2026, 12:00 - 13:30 - Wine Tasting
- Sat 22 Aug 2026, 14:30 - 16:00 - Wine Tasting
- Sat 22 Aug 2026, 17:00 - 18:30 - Wine Tasting
- Sat 12 Sept 2026, 12:00 - 13:30 - Wine Tasting
- Sat 12 Sept 2026, 14:30 - 16:00 - Wine Tasting
- Sat 12 Sept 2026, 17:00 - 18:30 - Wine Tasting
Each session includes a curated flight of three wines chosen to highlight the best of the vineyard. While no formal tour is offered during these particular sessions, guests are welcome to wander through the vines at their own pace and soak up the scenery.
Paint & Pinot - art and wine combined
For something a little different, the vineyard hosts Paint & Pinot workshops in its Tasting Room overlooking the vines. Led by resident artist Sara Huxley-Edwards, each session welcomes beginners and enthusiasts alike. The current price is £60 per person, which includes welcome coffee and biscuits, a tasting flight of four award-winning Welcombe Hills wines, expert step-by-step tuition and all art materials (canvas, paints and brushes). Charcuterie and cheese boards are available as a £15 per person upgrade. Tickets are sold per event and tend to book up quickly.
Welcombe to You - home wine tasting
If you can't get to Stratford-upon-Avon, the team will come to you. The Welcombe to You wine tasting experience brings a WSET-qualified host to your home or office to guide you through four Welcombe Hills wines, explain the basics of tasting and food pairing, and answer questions - no babysitter, designated driver or washing-up required. Prices start from £35 per person with a minimum group of six, and an optional cheese & wine pairing upgrade adds £10 per person. Home experiences are postcode dependent.
Wine & cheese pairing evenings
The vineyard's popular Wine & Cheese pairing evenings explore four different cheese and wine combinations (cheeses and wines vary slightly depending on stock availability) and pick up transferable tips for matching food and wine at home. The next dates are announced periodically.
Adopt a Vine gift experiences
One of the most popular Welcombe Hills gift experiences is Adopt a Vine. Four packages are available, each including a named vine, two vineyard tour & tasting tickets and a digital or printed gift. The tiers add a bottle of still wine, a bottle of sparkling wine, a still-and-sparkling duo with a charcuterie & cheese plate and a gift box, or a six-bottle case with the same food upgrade. The team currently has gift vouchers paused for voucher-experience sales while they work through existing redemptions, but the Adopt a Vine packages remain a firm favourite.
A flexible gift card for any online-shop amount is also available year-round, as are dedicated gift packs when in stock.
Corporate wine gifting
English wine has gained significant recognition and popularity in recent years, and Welcombe Hills now offers a tailored corporate wine gifting service. The team works directly with companies to match gifting budgets across a range of award-winning English wines, English wine gift experiences and locally produced chocolates and charcuterie made with their wines. Corporate enquiries can be sent to hello@welcombehills.co.uk or by phone on 01789 628075.
Where to buy Welcombe Hills wines
The full range of wines, gift cards and gift experiences is available from the online shop, with FREE UK delivery on orders over £100 (a delivery charge applies to smaller orders) and a free click-and-collect service from the vineyard by appointment. The winery also offers FREE local delivery within a 20-mile radius of Stratford-upon-Avon.
Welcombe Hills wines are stocked by a number of independent shops, bars and restaurants around the Midlands and beyond, including The Farm Stratford, Vin Neuf, The Very English Wine Company, The British Wine Cellar and Church Street Tastings, as well as selected restaurants like Restaurant Hem and The Woodsman.
Delivery, returns and the practical bits
Orders are typically delivered within 3 - 5 working days (excluding weekends) for orders received before 1pm. Standard delivery charges are calculated at checkout and waived for orders over £100, with click-and-collect from the vineyard available free of charge. The team accepts all major credit and debit cards via Stripe as well as PayPal. Returns and refunds are handled in line with the published delivery and returns policy; the terms and conditions set out the wider framework for online sales and tour bookings, including the seven-day notice requirement for rearranging vineyard tour dates. The vineyard's wines are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, using bentonite clay and other non-animal fining agents.
Where to stay when you visit
The vineyard sits within stumbling distance of some of Warwickshire's most welcoming places to stay, from five-star B&Bs and holiday cottages to glamping and a quiet orchard caravan park. A curated shortlist of options within a few miles of the vineyard gate:
Hotels and B&Bs
- Shakespeare's View - Kings Lane, Snitterfield CV37 0QB (01789 731824), just 0.1 miles from the vineyard gate. A 5-star B&B surrounded by pretty grounds and a fruit orchard, with floor-to-ceiling windows in the dining room overlooking one acre of garden and orchards.
- The Hill Cottage - Kings Lane, Snitterfield CV37 0QA (07895 369387), 0.2 miles from the vineyard. A characterful early-19th-century house with views across orchards and the golf course.
- The Arden Hotel - Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6BA (01789 298682), 3.8 miles away. A 45-bedroom luxury hotel opposite the Royal Shakespeare Company Theatres, with No.44 Brasserie and a stylish Champagne Bar.
- The Stratford Park Hotel & Golf Club - Ingon Lane, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 0QE (01789 731857), 1.2 miles away. A 14th-century country house with its own 18-hole golf course.
- Hotel Indigo Stratford-upon-Avon - 4 Chapel Street, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6HA (01789 279953), 3.9 miles away. A boutique hotel in a partly 15th-century building close to New Place and Shakespeare's birthplace.
- Travelodge Stratford-Upon-Avon - 251 Birmingham Road, Stratford-Upon-Avon CV37 0BF (08719 846414), 2.7 miles away.
Holiday cottages
- Prestige Cottages - Kings Lane, Snitterfield CV37 0QA (01789 731711), 0.2 miles from the vineyard. Luxury 5-star self-catering barn conversions with an indoor heated swimming pool, outdoor hot tub, and on-site farm shop, deli and restaurant.
- Bolthole Retreats (01242 851208) offers a curated portfolio of holiday cottages throughout the Cotswolds.
Camping and glamping
- Greengates Caravan Park - Kings Lane, Snitterfield CV37 0QA (01789 730623), 0.2 miles from the vineyard. A simple orchard setting with five hard-standing pitches; expect free-roaming deer and rabbits.
- The Apple Farm Snitterfield - Kings Lane, Snitterfield CV37 0QA (07517 753 777), 0.4 miles away. Glamping tents with a fire pit and BBQ outside each pitch and a private bathroom a short walk away.
Harvest, the vineyard team and community
Harvest at Welcombe Hills usually runs from mid-September to mid-October, with three or four picking dates each season as different varieties reach their peak sugar and acidity. Pinot Précoce and Bacchus tend to be the early runners; Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc are given as long on the vine as possible. Volunteers are welcome to help pick the grapes - registration of interest opens earlier in the year, with a simple invitation email sent out a week in advance. Pickers start around 9am, finish for lunch and are rewarded with lunch and a glass of wine.
The estate also keeps close ties with the local community. Annual events have included a centuries-old Blessing of the Vines ceremony - led one memorable year by the Reverend Hugh Bearn with the High Sheriff of Warwickshire - and wassailing alongside other local producers. The team's charity request policy prioritises local schools and registered charities within five miles of Snitterfield, alongside sponsorship of staff fundraising (5% of sums raised, up to £100).
From the Welcombe Hills blog
The vineyard's blog covers a range of topics for prospective visitors and English-wine enthusiasts, from how to taste wine for the first time and pairing cheese and wine to New Year's resolutions for wine lovers. A few highlights:
- New to wine tasting? Here's what you need to know - a friendly, four-step guide (look, smell, taste, discuss) to getting more from every glass.
- Cheese and Wine Tasting Event: A Perfect Pairing - what to expect from one of the vineyard's cheese-and-wine pairing evenings.
- What's included in your Wine Tasting Experience and Vineyard Tour? - a walk-through of the classic 90-minute tour format.
- Paint. Sip. Have Fun. - an introduction to Paint & Pinot with resident artist Sara Huxley-Edwards.
Visiting and contact details
Welcombe Hills Vineyard is, by appointment and licensing necessity, not open for casual drop-ins. Trade customers are welcome by appointment, and pre-booked tasting sessions run on the dates listed above. The team is reachable on hello@welcombehills.co.uk or 01789 628075 (corporate and charity enquiries) and +44 (0)7765 862755 (general). The vineyard's registered office is at Vine Cottage, Kings Lane, Snitterfield, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 0QB (company number 13303237, incorporated in England and Wales).
New releases, special offers and any late-release tasting tickets are shared with subscribers to the mailing list, with regular updates also on Facebook and Instagram. Visitor reviews are also collected on TripAdvisor.