Read the press on English wine and it’s all about the shiny new wineries taking on big Champagne brands. But the most engaging, authentic English wines we’ve tasted don’t look to the likes of Möet and Veuve Clicquot for inspiration. They’re made in tiny quantities at a small winery in Cranbourne Chase, Wiltshire, and they are true artisan wines.
Daniel and Nicola Ham started out as ecologists, before Dan trained as a winemaker. He worked at Ridgeview and then Langham before starting his own project, with Nicola joining him full-time. It’s a journey that has taken them full-circle, with their ecological background inspiring their approach - to act more as observers than controllers. In wine terms, that means respect for terroir, careful farming, and lo-fi winemaking with no additions.
All of this wouldn’t be so unusual in Burgundy or the Jura, but in England it makes Daniel and Nicola Ham part of a very small group of artisan winemakers. In a marginal climate, this demands both skill and adaptability. Fruit comes from a handful of trusted organic/biodynamic growers in Hampshire, Kent and Essex, and the wines made in any given year may change with the vintage conditions in each. Fermentations are wild, ageing takes place in a mix of vessels and nothing is ever added. The wines have a rare authenticity, beautiful freshness and a lightness of touch.
In a country where most new wine projects are technology-driven, Daniel and Nicola Ham’s wines are beacons of real winemaking.
