Greyfriars Vineyard Opens Chalk Wine Cave

Greyfriars’ new chalk wine cave on the North Downs in Surrey has been opened.

The 18-month excavation and build project created a wine cave that has been carved out of the side of the Hog’s Back near Guildford. The resulting 3,500 square foot cellar will store up to 250,000 bottles of Greyfriars’ award-winning wines.

A huge 9,650 tonnes of chalk was excavated to create the much-needed space for Greyfriars to develop the business as a leading boutique producer of English sparkling wine.

Owners Mike and Hilary Wagstaff, together with David Line, their vineyard manager and brother-in-law and a very small team, grow all their own grapes and make all the wine.

“The cave provides a cool, dark space with a constant temperature for our maturing wine. It was important that the cave was environmentally friendly, that it complimented our existing winery and that it blended into our surroundings as we are situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,” explains Mike.

Solar panels have been fitted on the roof to provide a significant proportion of the power requirements for Greyfriars’ vinery and the living wall on the front of the cave features 3,106 plants that are not only aesthetically pleasing but help keep the front wall of the cave cool.

Construction of the cave has also created a natural amphitheatre over the storage space which has now been fully landscaped and will provide a unique event space with stunning views over the vineyard.