Denbies Wine Estate is delighted to announce the opening of their new Vineyard Hotel this summer 2019.

The hotel is located in the middle of the Denbies' vineyard and offer 17 en-suite rooms with a new restaurant and bar area.  This is the first vineyard hotel in England and with Denbies' commitment to establish best practice in green-tourism, the architect has sought to adopt some of the best measures to achieve carbon neutral status, reducing the impact on the environment and blending the hotel building into the natural surroundings of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the North Downs. 

The Vineyard Hotel will have subtle references to its' prime location in the heart of the Surrey Hills wine country.  Guests will be able to taste the complete range of Denbies wines from the Enomatic wine dispensing machine, linked to the room key cards. Warm natural bark walls will line the reception entrance opening into the wrought iron vine gates leading through into the stunning Orangery with far reaching views over the vineyard. Bespoke barrel crafted furniture will contribute to the origins of the working winery. The vineyard offers 7 miles of public footpath which includes part of the North Downs Trail, Box Hill is located opposite the hotel, making this a perfect destination for those seeking a tranquil stay.

The open landscape garden will feature two cabana style seating areas where guests will be able to enjoy local cheeses and charcuterie accompanied by the wine made and produced on the estate.

Denbies COO Jeannette Simpson commented: “We have a wonderful site here at Denbies which attracts around 350,000 visitors each year. We have been at the forefront of wine tourism in England since the estate opened and our new hotel, due to open in summer 2019, will be a great addition to our existing hospitality offering.  The reputation of English wine continues to grow, and wine tourism is an integral part of communicating this message loud and clear. We look forward to offering a world-class vineyard and winery experience here in the heart of the Surrey Hills.”   

Denbies Vineyard Hotel has been designed with long-term environmental benefits in mind. In a time where climate friendly solutions are in the greatest demand, Denbies Wine Estate continues to pave the way for sustainable green tourism. It aspires to be the first fully carbon neutral vineyard hotel in England and in today's current climate surrounding the environment will be a big draw for eco-friendly tourists looking to stay in the area.

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For press enquiries, or to request images, please contact Jeannette Simpson 01306 734651

jsimpson@denbiesvineyard.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

Vineyard Hotel:

17 en-suite bedrooms

Orangery Restaurant

All weather outdoor dining facilities

Landscape gardens

Build to achieve carbon neutral status

About Denbies:

Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking is England's largest single estate vineyard. With 265 acres currently under vine (10% of the UK's plantings), it has a production capacity of 450,000 bottles. The first vines were planted on the estate in 1986 and 2016 marked the 30th anniversary of grape growing at Denbies.

The estate is family owned and run by the White family.  Christopher White, Denbies CEO, has been at the helm for over 15 years and has lived on the estate with his family since 1984. Under his leadership, Denbies has become one of the largest and most successful wineries in England.

Denbies manages its 635-acre estate to the highest environmental standards and works with national and conservation bodies to promote local wildlife, trees and plants.  As a result of its efforts, Denbies has seen a marked increase in birds, including partridge, wagtails and woodpecker, on the estate. The plantings also support Denbies' work with Surrey Wildlife Trust to reintroduce beekeeping on site.  In 2016, Denbies has become the first vineyard member of the Bat Conservation Trust.

Denbies is a leader in wine tourism in England and runs vineyard and winery visits all year round. It offers an unparalleled programme of tours and events from its state-of-the art winery and beautiful estate in Dorking, Surrey. 

Carbon neutral:

Denbies is committed to establishing the best practice in green-tourism and the team has worked closely with architect, Tony Oke, who designed Denbies Winery in the early nineties, to adopt the best measures to achieve a carbon neutral status. This will reduce the hotel's environmental impact and promote Denbies Wine Estate as the North Downs and Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty's (AONB) leading eco-friendly tourist destination.

Many measures have been taken to ensure the hotel achieves as close to full carbon neutral status – zero carbon footprint – as possible. The building was constructed with high level thermal installation and fitted out with low energy lighting, creating maximum energy efficiency with minimum heat loss. Solar panels have been installed to generate power that will feed into three 5kw Tesla batteries, which in turn will distribute said power throughout the hotel managed by an intelligent control system. Any excess energy will be fed back into the grid and re-used, reducing the overall power usage for the estate. Outside, electric car charging points and cycle parking facilities have been installed to encourage visitors to use sustainable transport methods. Denbies' proximity to Dorking train station also makes it an attractive destination for those travelling from further afar.

Denbies Vineyard Hotel has been designed to blend into the natural surroundings of the North Downs and fit the specific Surrey Hills AONB criteria in terms of aesthetics and functionality.  A key objective was for the building to fit-in with the ethos of Denbies and exist in harmony with Denbies Visitor Centre. The wine estate holds a Green Tourism Gold status and was awarded Green Business of the Year Award in 2016, showcasing their commitment being as green as possible.

Denbies Vineyard Hotel is part funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development European Network for Rural Development

The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas

For more information, visit www.denbies.co.uk