Kent Wine Tours / Vineyards / Biddenden Vineyards
Vineyard guide · Biddenden
Visiting Biddenden Vineyards
Biddenden started as an apple farm in the Weald and planted its first vines in 1969, which is why it calls itself England’s original vineyard. Ortega is the grape to know here. Come between May and September for a guided tour, and leave room in the car for cider.
Seasonal note: The self-guided and Open Tours run from May to September. In their place the indoor Behind the Glass tour runs from October to November and from January to March, and the shop closes at weekends from 12 January to 8 February.
Biddenden Vineyards at a glance
| Founded | 1969, first wine bottled 1972 |
|---|---|
| Known for | Ortega, still and sparkling, plus Kentish cider and apple juice |
| Grapes | 12 varieties, just over half of it Ortega, with Bacchus, Dornfelder, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Reichensteiner, Scheurebe, Schönburger, Huxelrebe and Gewürztraminer |
| Open | Shop Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Saturdays 10am to 5pm from May to September and 17 November to 24 December, otherwise 11am to 4pm. Sundays and bank holidays 11am to 4pm from May to September and in the run-up to Christmas, closed on Sundays the rest of the year. Shut at weekends from 12 January to 8 February |
| Booking | Guided tours must be booked, minimum two people. The self-guided tour can be bought online but needs no pre-booking |
| Tours from | £15 |
| Food | No café. Sharing boards of local produce can be ordered in the shop, which also sells cheese and charcuterie |
| Dogs | On a lead on the vineyard walks and in the yard. Only assistance dogs in the shop, on guided tours and in production areas |
| Children | Over-18s only on tours and tastings |
| By train | Headcorn, about 10 minutes by taxi |
Checked on the vineyard’s own website in November 2026.
About Biddenden Vineyards
The Barnes family had a 40-acre apple orchard outside Biddenden, and when apple prices fell in the late 1960s they looked for something else to grow. Joyce Barnes heard a feature on Woman’s Hour about English vineyards being replanted, and in 1969 she put in a third of an acre of vines. The first Biddenden wine was bottled in 1972.
The second and third generations of the family run it now. The vineyard covers 23 acres of gently sloping, south-facing ground in a sheltered valley just outside the village, with 12 grape varieties. Ortega takes up just over half of it, more than any other variety. Pruning, canopy work and picking are all still done by hand, and harvest runs from mid-September into November. Output has grown to about 80,000 bottles a year.
The orchard never really went away. Biddenden still makes a traditional still Kentish cider from a family recipe, a range of lightly sparkling ciders, and pressed apple juice from Kentish fruit with no concentrate.
The wines
Ortega is the reason to come. Try the still Biddenden Ortega first, then the Gribble Bridge Sparkling Ortega Demi-Sec, which makes a sweeter sparkling wine from the same grape. The rest of the Gribble Bridge sparkling range is a Sparkling White, a Sparkling Rosé and a Sparkling Pinot Reserve, the last of these the most expensive bottle on the list. The cider is worth as much attention as the wine: a still Kentish cider made in a more wine-like style from culinary and dessert apples, the lightly sparkling Biddies range, and a bottle-fermented sparkling cider. The apple juices are a good answer for the driver. Where to buy them.
Tours and tastings at Biddenden Vineyards
Summer is the time to come. All three vineyard tours run only from May to September, and the self-guided route is the easiest way in: no fixed time, and the tasting is in the price. We’d book the Private Tour for the old vines, though the Open Tour covers most of the same ground for less. Outside summer the Behind the Glass tour takes over, and it shows more of the cider side than any of the summer tours. The shop is open on weekdays all year, but its weekend hours change through the seasons, and it shuts at weekends from mid-January to early February, which catches people out. There is no café, so order a sharing board in the shop if you want something with your tasting. Wear proper shoes for the vineyard walks.
| Experience | Price | Length | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-Guided Tour A guide pack takes you round the vines and through the family’s history, with waypoints on the grape varieties along the longer route. Afterwards there’s a tasting flight of three wines in the shop, and a £5 voucher to spend on purchases over £20. | £15 per person, or £20 with six wines | About 40 minutes (Red Route) or 20 minutes (Yellow Route) | May to September during shop hours, last start one hour before closing |
| Open Tour A guided walk through the Ortega vines and round the winery, then a tutored tasting of six wines. Groups are up to 14 people. Over-18s only. | £30 per person, minimum two | About 1.5 hours | May to September (the visit page says Wednesday to Saturday, the booking page says daily) |
| Private Tour Your own guide for a group of up to eight, a walk among some of England’s oldest vines, the winery, and a tutored tasting of six still and sparkling wines. Over-18s only. | £48 per person, minimum two | About 1 hour 45 minutes | May to September, daily at 11am and 2pm |
| Behind the Glass Tour The off-season tour goes into the winery, the cider production area and the bottling line, then a tasting of three wines and three ciders, with a 250ml bottle of juice to take away. A sharing board can be ordered in advance at extra cost. The winery may not be working on the day, though you still see the kit. No dogs, over-18s only. | £30 per person, minimum two | About 1.5 hours | October to November and January to March (new for 2026) |
| Meet the Winemaker Tour A personal tour of the vineyard and winery with the head winemaker, ending with a tasting in the shop. Contact the vineyard for dates and prices. | On request | – | Limited dates |
Book these on the Biddenden Vineyards website.
Buy Biddenden Vineyards wines
None of our wine partners has these wines in stock this week. The vineyard sells them in its own shop, or see our pick of English wines to buy online.
Getting there
Headcorn is the nearest station, about 10 minutes away by taxi, and it is worth booking the taxi before you arrive. Trains run there from London. By car the vineyard is on Gribble Bridge Lane, just outside Biddenden village.
Make a day of it
Biddenden village is a few minutes away for a pub lunch. Sissinghurst Castle Garden is a few miles west, and Tenterden, with Chapel Down on its edge, is a short drive south east. The vineyard also points visitors towards Ashford.
See every vineyard you can visit in our Kent directory. Our other Kent vineyard guides: Chapel Down, Gusbourne, Balfour, Westwell, Warehorne, Silverhand, Domaine Evremond, Chartham, Yotes Court, Simpsons’.
Questions people ask
Do I need to book the self-guided tour?
No. You can buy it online, but it does not need pre-booking. Turn up during shop hours between May and September, at least an hour before closing.
Is there anything to do outside the summer?
Yes. The Behind the Glass tour runs in October and November and from January to March, and the shop stays open on weekdays all year.
Can I bring my dog?
On a lead on the vineyard walks and in the yard. Only guide and assistance dogs can go into the shop, and dogs can’t go into production areas on guided tours.