Westwell tour and tasting
A tour of one of Kent’s most adventurous small wineries, with a tasting.
Starts Westwell Wines, Charing, Kent
Kent Wine Tours / Vineyards / Westwell
Vineyard guide · Charing
Visiting Westwell Wines
Westwell is a small family-run winery on the North Downs near Charing, known for experimental, low-intervention wines such as pet nats and amphora wines. Tours walk the vines and go into the working winery.
Westwell at a glance
| Founded | Ortega first planted 2008, current owners since 2017 |
|---|---|
| Known for | Ortega still white, Pelegrim NV sparkling, pet nats and amphora wines |
| Grapes | Ortega, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and a little Regent |
| Open | Friday to Sunday, hours vary by season |
| Booking | Book tours and picnics online, drop-ins welcome at the cellar door |
| Tours from | £28 |
| Food | Cheese, charcuterie and plant-based plates, toasties, picnics, Friday food trucks |
| Dogs | On a lead in the vines and tasting room, not in the winery |
| Children | Under-18s go free on tours, mention them when booking |
| By train | Charing, about a mile away, one stop from Ashford |
Checked on the vineyard’s own website in October 2026.
About Westwell
Westwell sits on a south-south-west facing slope just below the Pilgrims Way on the North Downs, between 100 and 130 metres above sea level. The vineyard covers 18 hectares of flint and sandy silt-loam over chalk. Its Ortega, the estate’s signature grape, was first planted in 2008, with more added in 2021. Alongside it grow Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and a little Regent.
Adrian Pike took over the estate in 2017. He had run a music company in London and founded the record label Moshi Moshi, then learned viticulture and winemaking with Will Davenport before buying Westwell. He is managing director and winemaker. His wife, Galia Pike, draws the detailed labels and the artwork on the cellar door walls. Most wines are fermented with wild yeasts, and the team ages wine in oak, terracotta amphora, steel and concrete. They have also worked with Burning Sky brewery, which uses Westwell’s lees and grape skins in its saisons.
Westwell was named Best Cellar Door (Small) at the WineGB Awards in 2026. Time Out lists it among the best vineyards to visit in the UK. The tasting room looks straight onto the tanks, barrels and amphora in the winery, and the winery describes it as more like a studio or workshop than a formal tasting room.
The wines
Westwell makes a wide range from its own fruit. The sparkling wines include Pelegrim NV, the benchmark extra brut, and Wicken Foy NV, a traditional method blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The still range includes Ortega, the estate’s signature dry white, as well as light reds such as Double Pinot, rosé, skin-contact and amphora-aged wines, and a Westwell Village Chardonnay. The winery also releases small batches of pet nats, including three wild-fermented ones in 2026. Wines are made with as little intervention as possible and are sold at the cellar door and online. Where to buy them.
Tours and tastings at Westwell
The cellar door, bar and shop open from Friday to Sunday, typically Friday 12pm to 9pm, Saturday 11am to 5pm and Sunday 12pm to 4pm, but hours change with the seasons, so check opening times before you travel. Through 2026, food trucks visit on Friday evenings from 4pm to 9pm. Vineyard tours run from February to October and move indoors for the winter winery tour in November and December. Tours cross uneven ground, so wear suitable shoes. Most visitors book two to three weeks ahead, and summer dates fill quickly. The winery, tasting room and toilets are wheelchair accessible.
| Experience | Price | Length | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vineyard Tour and Tasting A walk through the vineyard and a visit to the winery, finishing with a guided tasting of four still and sparkling wines. Food can be added when you book. | £28 per person | About 2 hours | February to October, on open days |
| Winter Winery Tour and Tasting An extended indoor tour of the winery with a sabrage demonstration and a tasting of five wines. Buy a bottle of sparkling wine to drink on the day and you can try sabrage yourself. | £28 per person | – | November and December |
| Picnics at Westwell Local meats, cheese, salad, olives and baked goods with a bottle of Ortega or Pelegrim NV, eaten in the vineyard with a self-guided audio tour. | £80 for two to £115 for three | Stay as long as you like | Collect at your chosen time |
| Private Tour and Tasting An in-depth walk through the vineyard and a tutored tasting of four current wines. Sharing platters cost extra. | £28 per person | – | By arrangement, for 10 to 30 people |
| Celebration Tour and Tasting A glass of Pelegrim on arrival, a vineyard and winery tour, a mini tasting and a light lunch with a glass of still wine. | £55 per person | – | By arrangement, for 6 to 20 people |
| Westwell Experience Tour and Tasting A private vineyard and winery tour with winemaker Adrian Pike, a tasting that includes rare and back vintages, and sharing plates. | £90 per person | – | By arrangement, for 6 to 30 people |
Book these on the Westwell website.
Tours that include Westwell
If you would rather not drive, these tours take you there, with tastings included.
Where to stay
Eastwell Manor, Champneys Hotel & Spa
A manor house hotel and spa set in countryside grounds, where Manor House rooms have four-poster beds and garden views.
The Woolpack Inn
In the heart of historic Chilham, the inn has 14 hotel rooms, most of them dog friendly.
The Woolpack Inn
A 16th-century inn on Church Lane, Warehorne, with five adults-only suites and breakfast included.
Prices are often the same either way, so compare the booking site with booking direct.
Buy Westwell wines
3 bottles in stock with our wine partners this week. Prices are for a single 75cl bottle.
White
Westwell Ortega Classic Ferment White 2024
Crisp, aromatic Ortega with grapefruit and melon and a hint of white pepper.
£21at WinebuyersBuyWhite
Westwell Village Chardonnay 2023
Unoaked Chardonnay fermented cool in steel, with ripe citrus and a touch of stone fruit.
£21at WinebuyersBuyRosé
Westwell Pink 2025
A coral rosé from later pressings of Pinot Noir and Meunier, wild fermented, with raspberry and redcurrant.
£22at WinebuyersBuy
Getting there
Charing station is about a mile from the vineyard, one stop from Ashford and about an hour from London St Pancras. By car, the entrance is on Westwell Lane, just off the A20: heading south on the A20 away from Charing village, turn left onto Wicken Lane after about half a mile, take the first right onto Westwell Lane, and the entrance is 200 metres on the left. Use ’Westwell Wine Estate’ in a satnav. Parking is free and plentiful, 20 metres from the winery.
Make a day of it
Charing village is a mile away, and the Pilgrims Way and North Downs Way run along the hill above the vines. Ashford is one stop down the line, and Canterbury is under half an hour by car. Domaine Evremond near Chilham, Chapel Down near Tenterden and Gusbourne at Appledore are all within reach by car for a day of vineyards. For food and a bed, Westwell recommends The Wishful Thinker in Lenham, Boys Hall in Ashford and The Goods Shed in Canterbury.
See every vineyard you can visit in our Kent directory. Our other Kent vineyard guides: Chapel Down, Gusbourne, Balfour, Warehorne, Silverhand.
Questions people ask
Do you need to book at Westwell Wines?
Tours and picnics must be booked online. You can drop in to the cellar door, but it gets busy, so it is worth emailing to reserve a table.
How much is a tour at Westwell?
The Vineyard Tour and Tasting costs £28 per person and lasts about two hours. The Winter Winery Tour and Tasting in November and December costs the same.
Can I bring my dog to Westwell?
Yes. Well-behaved dogs on a lead are welcome in the vineyard and the tasting room, but they cannot go into the winery.
Can children come on a Westwell tour?
Yes. Under-18s do not need a ticket, but leave a note when booking so the winery can save them a place. Soft drinks are sold at the bar.
Can you get to Westwell by train?
Yes. Charing station is about a mile away and one stop from Ashford, and the journey from London St Pancras takes about an hour.
Is there food at Westwell?
Cheese, charcuterie and plant-based plates and toasties are served when the cellar door is open, and picnics can be booked. Food trucks visit on Friday evenings. For a full meal, Westwell recommends places nearby.