In the past two decades, Denbies has risen to become one of England's most important wine tourism hotspots.
While the classically boutique, small-scale wine operations in England may not yet have jumped on the trend to host tens of thousands of thirsty visitors in their vineyards, Denbies has embraced wien tourism with gusto. Over 350,000 people head to this Surrey vineyard annually, whether it be to try their fantastic sparkling, stay at the carbon-neutral hotel, eat in their award-winning restaurant, or run a quick marathon in aid of the Drinks Trust.
The wines themselves more than hold up. John Worontschak joined the business in 2001, and quickly set about organising Denbies' 100ha of chaotic, overgrown vineyards that had been planted with every varietal imaginable. Seeing the potential in Denbies' south-facing chalk slopes, John quickly set things to rights. Now, the vineyards are some of the best in southern England, with the wines more than demonstrating the quality of the winemaking and terroir.