Based in Dorking, Surrey, Litmus Wines was established in 2008 and is owned and operated by John Worontschak, Mike Florence and Matthieu Elzinga. Winemaker John has been making English wine since 1988 and in 2010, decided to create the first Litmus wine, Element 20.

Jamie Avenell, Bibendum buyer for England, says, “In the UK the English sparkling wine industry is excelling and we’ve now found a real gem producing still wines. Which is what makes the Litmus Wines all the more exciting. Produced by the winemaking team at Denbies, Litmus is their personal project. Winemaker Jon Worontschak, originally from Adelaide, has plenty of experience in managing the unique conditions we have here, and the challenges that come with it."

Litmus' aim is to highlight the best of cool climate, while moving away from the traditional fruity and sometimes one-dimensional English wine style. The wines are made from the best fruit from sites spanning Surrey, Sussex, and Essex. They use older barriques and extended lees contact to produce more food-orientated wines. Element 20, a blend of Chardonnay and Bacchus, was their first wine, but it is now joined by an excellent White Pinot, a Pinot Noir and an Orange Bacchus.