Heppington is a single-estate family vineyard, nestled in the Kent Downs. Dedicated to producing delicious still and sparkling English wines.

In 1806 Gregory Blaxland, a farmer from Canterbury Kent, emigrated to Australia with his brother John. The journey took 220 days. En route they collected vines from the Cape of Good Hope. In 1813 Gregory, with two other explorers, found a passage across the Blue Mountains, making Australian history. From the vines he planted he became the first person to export wine from Australia to the UK, winning a silver medal for his red wine in London in 1822. In 2016 Gregory’s descendant Henry Blaxland, inspired by the pioneering family history,  planted 6.25 hectares of vines on farm land on the edge of the Kent Downs overlooking Canterbury Cathedral, which has been in the family for generations.

Prior to planting the land had been assessed as exceptional for vine growing. The geological strata of chalk, limestone and clay (peppered with flint) is identical to the champagne region. Climactic conditions now make East Kent, and the Canterbury area in particular, an optimum location for growing the champagne varieties. The vineyard is on a gentle south facing slope at the perfect height above sea level. It is apt that the city of Canterbury is twinned with Rheims, the birth place of champagne.

Heppington have planted the classic champagne varieties Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier for sparkling wine but including clones which produce outstanding still wines. 10% of the area has been planted with Pinot Gris.