Wellhayes Vineyard - A Devon Sparkling Wine Story
Wellhayes Vineyard - A Devon Sparkling Wine Story
Nestled on a sheltered south-facing slope above the small village of Clayhanger, on the southern edge of the Brendon Hills in mid-Devon, Wellhayes Vineyard is a small, family-run one-hectare estate producing traditional method English sparkling wine from grapes grown and vinified entirely on site. Planted by hand in 2008 by Simon and Alison Routh and now approaching its second decade, the vineyard is a model of how a single carefully chosen site - deep, free-draining red Devonian soil over shillet - can yield elegant, award-winning fizz in one of England's most underrated wine-growing pockets.
A Family Vineyard with a Slow, Deliberate Story
The Wellhayes story began in May 2008, when Simon and Alison Routh planted 150 vines by hand in five trial rows to test the suitability of the soil. They started with one row each of Reichensteiner, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Bacchus. Encouraged by the results, in 2011 they expanded the vineyard to a full hectare, adding further Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Reichensteiner to bring the total to 2,500 vines.
The early years were, in their own words, labour intensive: installing trellising and the seemingly endless job of keeping grass and weeds under control. The site's south-facing aspect, mid-Devon location and free-draining red Devonian soil over shillet meant that the vines' roots went straight down and the fruit ripened reliably. The first full harvest came in 2014, producing 3 tonnes of grapes which were turned into 2,000 bottles of Wellhayes Sparkling Wine - the inaugural vintage, launched in September 2016. Subsequent harvests have regularly exceeded that total: in 2022 the team picked 3.8 tonnes with the help of local volunteers, and in 2023 a similar crop of 3 tonnes was already in tank before the Chardonnay had even been brought in.
Grape Varieties and the Sparkling Wine Style
Wellhayes' sparkling wine is a unique blend, reflecting the four varieties that perform best on the site:
- Chardonnay - the structural backbone, contributing freshness, citrus character and ageing potential.
- Pinot Noir - adds body, red-fruit depth and colour.
- Pinot Meunier - softens the blend and brings early-drinking appeal.
- Reichensteiner - a German crossing widely planted in England for its high sugar and reliable ripening; lends floral, elderflower notes.
Because the wine is made on site in an old stone barn by the traditional method (secondary fermentation in bottle) and only from grapes grown in the vineyard, each vintage is a singular reflection of that year. There is no blending between years - every bottle of Wellhayes is a snapshot of the weather and the fruit of a single Devon season. The wines are stored on the lees for three years before disgorgement, building the fine mousse and toasty complexity typical of classic method traditionnelle fizz.
The Current Releases
Wellhayes Sparkling Wine 2021 Vintage - £33.00
The current release is the 2021 vintage, described as having a lively mousse and fresh acidity with a complex layer of stone fruits and a surprisingly long finish. Stored on the lees for three years and bottled at 11.5% vol, the wine has been awarded a silver medal at the Independent English Wine Awards, where judges praised notes of apple, pear and light pastry, with a mature, balanced, fine mousse and an attractive, approachable traditional method style. Suitable for vegans. Available in standard 75cl bottles via the online shop.
Historic Vintages - £33.00 to £40.00
For collectors and curious drinkers, Wellhayes keeps a limited allocation of historic vintages - currently 2018, 2019 and 2020 - sold as a single bottle per vintage per order. Because no blending between years is practised, these older bottles are a true reflection of the weather of each season. Prices vary by vintage; the historic vintages range is available to order.
2022 Sparkling Wine Stillage (En-Primeur) - £1,450.00
A strictly limited offer (only six stillages available) for the 2022 vintage, which is currently in store having completed its second fermentation and will be formally released in May 2027. Each stillage contains 72 bottles sold en-primeur, pre-disgorging. At current duty rates this works out at less than £23 per finished bottle, and purchasers can hold the bottles (and draw them down in minimum batches of 12 with six months' notice) for as long as they like, watching how the wine matures over time. An annual statement of balance is provided at the end of each calendar year. Full details of the 2022 stillage offer are available online.
Spirits and Liqueurs Made from the Wine
Nothing is wasted at Wellhayes. The team distil two spirits on site from their own wines:
- Wellhayes Fire (£9.00 - £20.00) - a 42% ABV brandy made from Wellhayes wine, presented in 25cl bottles. This is the same spirit used to make the estate's liqueur chocolates and is also used in the cuvée for the brandy truffles at cask strength (60% ABV).
- Welhayes Marc (£5.00) - a 40% proof spirit made from Wellhayes Sparkling Wine, sold in 10cl bottles. Marc is the classic by-product of pressing, ideal for spicing up fruit salads or simply enjoying as a digestif, and is the spirit used to flavour the milk chocolate truffles.
Hand-Made Chocolates
The Wellhayes chocolate range is the work of an internationally renowned, award-winning local chocolatier, made exclusively with the estate's own spirits. There are two styles:
- Milk chocolate truffles - dusted with cocoa and infused with 14% spirit of Wellhayes Sparkling Wine at 59% ABV. Available in a 2-truffle sample box, a presentation box of 8 or a large traditional ballotin of 16.
- Brandy truffles - dark chocolate infused with Wellhayes Fire brandy at cask strength 60% ABV, covered in white chocolate for a striking two-tone finish. Available as a 2-truffle sample box or a presentation box of 8.
- Mixed presentation box of 8 - four of each chocolate, awarded a Gold medal by Food Drink Devon.
Prices range from £2.50 to £16.50 depending on box size. The full Wellhayes chocolates range is available to order.
Visit the Vineyard
Wellhayes Vineyard sits in rolling mid-Devon countryside just outside the village of Clayhanger, between Tiverton and the Brendon Hills. The estate is open seven days a week, subject to availability, for casual visitors who simply want to pop in and see the vineyard.
Guided Vineyard Tour with Cream Tea - £30 per person
The signature experience. Guided tours (with wine tasting) run by appointment on Sundays and Wednesdays at 3pm, from May to September. Lasting approximately one and a half hours, the tour includes:
- A walk through the 1-hectare vineyard
- A visit to the working winery in the converted stone barn
- A glass of Wellhayes Sparkling Wine
- A sample of the Wellhayes liqueur chocolates
- A traditional Devon cream tea
Gift vouchers can be purchased in advance via the Vineyard Tour Gift Voucher booking page. Tours can be booked directly via the vineyard tour booking system.
Vertical Wine Tasting - from £229 (group experience)
For drinkers who want to dig deeper into how vintage variation shapes the wine, Wellhayes offers an exclusive vertical tasting of four previous vintages (2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021). The tasting is for up to 12 people, arranged at a date and time that works for the group, and includes:
- Tasting of the four vintages side-by-side
- A platter of selected meats and cheeses
- Samples of the Wellhayes liqueur chocolates
The basic vertical tasting is £229 for the whole group (around £19 per head). An optional Plus Vineyard Tour upgrade adds a visit to the winery and vineyard for an additional £60 for the whole group. Bookings and full details are available via the Vertical Wine Tasting page.
Music @ Wellhayes - Classical Concerts Above the Winery
Each year the function room above the winery plays host to a programme of classical music concerts, organised in partnership with the Wellhayes concerts programme. The 2026 season is unusually distinguished and includes:
- Gary Cooper performing Bach's Goldberg Variations
- Ivana Gavric returning to play Schubert and Rachmaninov
- The Boarte Piano Trio, visiting from Warsaw
- The Quatuor Agate, performing ahead of their Wigmore Hall date in September
- A special concert with the Brodsky Quartet joined by renowned bass Sir Willard White on Thursday 11 June 2026 at 7.30pm at St Andrew's Wiveliscombe - an evening of Gershwin (Porgy & Bess), Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and Samuel Barber's Dover Beach, moved to the larger church to meet demand
- Martin Roscoe closing the season
Full programme details and ticket bookings are available via the Music @ Wellhayes programme.
Awards and Recognition
Wellhayes' wines have gathered a strong set of medals over recent vintages:
- Bronze medal, International Wine Challenge 2025
- Silver medal, Independent English Wine Awards 2025
- Silver medal, Independent English Wine Awards 2026
- Bronze medal, Independent English Wine Awards
- Silver medal, Food Drink Devon Awards for the chocolates range
Plan Your Visit
Wellhayes Vineyard
Clayhanger
Tiverton
Devon
EX16 7NY
Tel: +44 (0)1398 361 612
Email: info@wellhayesvineyard.co.uk
Tours can be booked via the online booking system, and wines, chocolates, spirits, gift vouchers and the en-primeur stillages can all be ordered through the Wellhayes online shop.
Whether you come for the wine, the music, the cream tea, or simply a quiet walk through the vines above Clayhanger, Wellhayes is one of mid-Devon's most rewarding small producers.