Danbury Ridge, England

Danbury Ridge Wine Estate is the creation of two generations of the Bunker family, Michael and Heather, together with their daughters, Janine and Sophie. After several years living in Asia, Michael and Heather returned to their native Essex, settling in the village of Danbury, just a few miles from where they grew up.

It was during a walk on the family’s land that a friend suggested the idea of planting vines. The notion seemed improbable; the fields, lean and arid, had long been dismissed by local farmers as unsuitable for crops, serving instead as winter gallops for racehorses. Yet a detailed feasibility study told a different story, one of promise, provided the right varieties were chosen and the work approached with precision.

In 2014 the first vines were planted, with a particular focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay clones that could harness the site’s unique mesoclimate. Within only a few seasons, the quality and ripeness of the fruit were unprecedented in the UK.

Encouraged by these results, the family invested in building one of the most advanced wineries in Europe. Unlike many English estates that model themselves on the great houses of Reims and Épernay, Danbury Ridge has looked instead to the grower-producers and small domaines, prioritising individuality over scale.

Now, just a handful of vintages since its inception, Danbury Ridge is producing wines that critics have already compared favourably to some of the most esteemed names in the world.