THE WOODMAN STORY
Woodman is a newly planted vineyard in Hampshire’, located just a stone’s throw away from Winchester, in the pretty village of Sparsholt.
The vineyard, planted in May 2022, sits on south-facing, sloping chalk fields and is set in the beautiful grounds of The Deane House and its renowned gardens, which are open to visitors through the National Garden Scheme.
The proprietors, Chrissie and Richard Morse, combining their love of nature and wine, have embraced the opportunity to move away from intensive farming by planting a vineyard which exists symbiotically with the plants, creatures and people around it.
Spread over 2.9 hectares, 15,000 vines have been planted.
These vines will produce exceptional bottles of English Sparkling Wine and Rosé. The ‘terroir’ lends itself particularly well to the grape varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Gris, all of which will be used in the Woodman winemaking process. Like with all good things, wine takes time, so it will be three years before the first harvest (2024/25) and a further three years to produce the first bottles of Sparkling Wine (2027/28). Woodman hope to produce between 12 - 18,000 bottles a year once the vines have matured.
sustainability & community.
Richard and Chrissie, who have lived in Sparsholt for just shy of 30 years, are placing a strong emphasis on sustainability in their new venture, avoiding chemicals, minimising traffic miles, and using harvested rainwater to protect vines from frost during colder spells in May. Excitingly, plans are already afoot to build a tasting room and cafe for visitors and the local community which is set to open in 2023. This is a space where wine can be shared and enjoyed in the surroundings of the vineyard.