Our story
A family vineyard, fifty years on
About four acres on a south-facing slope in East Hendred, in the Vale of the White Horse, about twelve miles south of Oxford.
- Over fifty years
- Four acres
- Chalky limestone
- A natural spring
- Pinot Noir
- Seyval Blanc
- Madeleine Angevine
- Bacchus
01 / Beginnings
Planted by the McKinnon family
Hendred Vineyard was established over fifty years ago on a south-facing slope in East Hendred, about twelve miles south of Oxford. The McKinnon family founded it, with help from local expert Biagio Grillo.
It has stayed small ever since: about four acres on chalky limestone, worked by hand wherever possible.
02 / Today
Eileen, David and family
The vineyard is run today by Eileen, David and their family, with Philippe Desaint looking after maintenance and improvements.
Our newest wine, Hendred Red, is a Pinot Noir from the 2025 vintage, and the Bacchus vines planted in 2021 are now in the bottle.
Four acres of chalk, worked by hand wherever we can.
03 / How we work
Small by choice
i
By hand
Hand-worked wherever possible, with minimal spraying. We’re not certified organic.
ii
With expert partners
Pressed and fermented at expert partner wineries. Sparkling wines are made by the traditional method, as in Champagne.
iii
Vegan-friendly
All of our wines are vegan-friendly.
iv
Boutique
We don’t offer tours or tastings. Collection from the vineyard shop is by pre-booked slot. Visit and collect
04 / The year at Hendred
Four seasons
Open a season to read about it.
i
Spring
Budburst
Budburst, and the anxious weeks. Spring frost is the biggest risk to the year's yield.
ii
In leaf
Summer
The vines are worked by hand wherever possible, and the slope's airflow helps keep mildew and botrytis at bay with minimal spraying.
iii
September
Harvest
A typical harvest is 2 to 5 tonnes of grapes, or about 2,000 to 5,000 bottles.
iv
Under snow
Winter
The slope under snow. At our partner winery, still wines are bottled after about eight months; the sparkling wines mature for years before release.
05 / The grapes
Four varieties
Pinot Noir
Hendred Red, Hendred Rosé and both sparkling wines
Seyval Blanc
Hendred Brut and Hendred Brut Rosé
Madeleine Angevine
Madeleine Angevine 7672, the grape behind Hendred Furlong
Bacchus
Planted in 2021, now Hendred Bacchus
06 / Grapes to wine
From the slope to the glass
The grapes are pressed and fermented at expert partner wineries. Still wines are bottled after about eight months. The sparkling wines are made by the traditional method, as in Champagne, and mature for years before release.
2–5 tonnes
A typical harvest.
2,000–5,000
Bottles from a typical harvest.
8 months
Roughly how long still wines wait before bottling.
07 / Neighbours
We share the slope
With the spring and as little spraying as we can manage, the vineyard is busy with visitors: kingfishers, deer, otters, egrets and birds of prey.
Taste the slope: six wines, by the bottle or the case.
