Pewley Down Vineyard
Pewley Down Vineyard sits on a south facing chalk slope in a small valley on the southern edge of Guildford within walking distance of the town. We are the only working vineyard in central Guildford with a GU1 postcode.
The vineyard is planted with classic cool climate varieties of vines producing both red and white grapes. These were selected after detailed research to match the growing conditions at our location and our soil. Beneath the topsoil and flints the underlying chalk holds water like a sponge so the vines survive dry spells without additional water. The flints and chalk also provide minerals giving the grapes additional beneficial qualities which flow through into the wines. This ultimately adds a unique flavour profile to our finished wines. We create ‘Single estate’ wines only using grapes that our grown on our vineyard.
Big Ideas, Real Impact.
We carefully selected four varieties of grapes (2 white and 2 red) for our vineyard. These had to be suitable for our unpredictable climate and suit our soil. We are lucky to be south facing which along with varying temperatures have proven to be a perfect match to the varieties selected. We achieved record harvests in 2022 and 2023 which were unexpected but highlight the fragile nature of farming. The two wines we currently offer are from that period. Scroll down to find out more about the grapes we use.
Our Grapes
Bacchus
Our Grape Vines
Bachus Grapes are a white grape variety developed in the 1920’s by the German wine industry. They were not suited to a slightly warmer climate in their country of origin making them little used but they are much loved by English Wine Makers for their tolerance and ability to thrive in cooler temperatures.
“The wine and sustainability are our passions”
Passion for nature
The vineyard benefits from uninterrupted exposure to sunshine enhanced by the gentle south facing slope. Wildlife is abundant with wild bees, wasps, butterflies, deer, foxes, badgers, squirrels and many different birds all visiting regularly. Most of the year the wildlife cause no trouble but near to harvest the fruiting zone of our vines is gently wrapped in fleece to protect the grapes which would otherwise be eaten.
"The wine and sustainability are our passions" says Mark Hargreaves, vineyard owner and manager.
Embedded carbon in the equipment is minimal. The two tractors are old (nearly as old as Mark!) and everything else is done by hand. The wine is the priority and harvest is timed each year to capture the day when optimal balance between natural acidity and sugar levels in the grapes is achieved.
“Our wine and sustainability
are our passions”
— Mark Hargreaves