In April, it was reported that Adrian Bayford, who won £148 million in the EuroMillions jackpot in 2012, had planted an English vineyard and was planning to enter the wine business. Now, the full extent of his ambitions and the style of wine he intends to produce have come to light.
Bayford began establishing a vineyard on his Cambridgeshire estate last May and is expected to gather his first harvest in two years’ time. One of the lottery winner’s friends humorously remarked on social media, “Hopefully we’ll all be able to buy Château Bayford soon!”
Aerial imagery of the estate in Haverhill reveals that Bayford’s plantings extend across 40,000 square meters (about four hectares), with most or all dedicated to Pinot Meunier vines. Pinot Meunier is a grape variety renowned for its role in the production of sparkling wine, comprising roughly a third of all plantings in Champagne. Although it is frequently used in blends, English wineries increasingly experiment with single-varietal Pinot Meunier wines, as seen with producers like Exton Park and Bluebell Vineyard Estates.
According to WineGB’s 2022–2023 industry report, Pinot Meunier accounts for about 70% of total plantings in the UK, sharing the spotlight with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Currently, Pinot Meunier plantings stand at 379 hectares in the UK.
It remains unclear whether Bayford’s vineyard was among the 87 new vineyards officially registered in 2023, a milestone year that saw the total number of UK vineyards reach 1,000. This figure demonstrates the ongoing rise of the English wine industry. WineGB chair Nicola Bates has pledged that 2024 will be the “year of growth” for English wine, surpassing last year’s sales increase of 10%, which brought the market to 8.8 million bottles.
In 2022, Bayford reportedly listed his Haverhill estate for £12 million but found no buyers. The addition of a vineyard and potential winemaking business and equipment will likely elevate the property’s value significantly, should he choose to sell in the future.
In an unexpected twist, English wine appeared in the latest novel by Richard Osman. The author hinted that viticulture might offer a path for characters in his story to lead straightforward, legitimate lives. “Luca is dead and the Afghans won’t trust him any more. Time to diversify. He’s been talking to the English sparkling wine people. There’s a plot of land in Sussex, in Ditchling, south-facing slope, chalky soil, the works,” reads a passage from Osman’s book.
As Bayford continues to cultivate his vineyard, the English wine industry watches with interest. The potential success of Château Bayford would add another chapter to the growing story of English viticulture.
