Denbies Wine Estate is a delightful 265 acre vineyard in an area of Outstanding Beauty which has been producing wines since 1986 and as English wines finally receive the recognition they deserve, the family owners have this year opened England’s first vineyard hotel.
Overlooking the vineyard the 17 room Denbies Vineyard hotel has a charm that is both English country house and contemporary in style. There is a lovely conservatory restaurant and two pretty cabanas in the grounds. We find ourselves in the cabanas for wine tasting and pairing later that day, sampling some of the estate’s finest as the sun goes down over the surrey hills. Our appetite for both food and wine had been whetted earlier as we enjoyed a tour of the vineyard with the resident wine expert. Tours can be made of the vineyard and winery as well as visits to the Estate’s deli and farm shop.
In line with Denbies’ commitment to establish best practice in green-tourism, the new hotel has been designed to achieve carbon neutral status, reducing the impact on the environment and blending the hotel building into the natural surroundings of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the North Downs. The energy performance of the hotel is published on-line.
Rooms are spacious and tastefully furnished with king size beds and lots of home comforts including coffee machine, Wi-Fi, flat screen TV and the elegant bathroom has luxurious toiletries.
Dining in the hotel's Vineyard restaurant is a pleasant affair with dishes and a hearty breakfast in the morning is a great start to a day of walking, cycling or just enjoying the wines!
