Danbury Ridge Solstice 1st Edition NV

Danbury Ridge was founded by two generations of the Bunker family: Michael and Heather Bunker and, their daughters Janine and Sophie.

For Michael and Heather, there really was no place like home, and having spent several years living in Asia they returned to Essex, settling in the village of Danbury, just a few miles north from where they had grown up.

While walking with friends on the estate it was suggested that some of the agricultural land owned by the Bunker family may prove an ideal location for growing vines. The fields had long been scorned by local farmers for being lean and arid - a good training ground for racehorses over wet winters, but far from ideal for summer cereal crops. A detailed feasibility study was undertaken, and the conclusions formed the outline of a plan that the family expanded upon over the following years.

The first vines were planted in 2014 with a focus on identifying Pinot Noir and Chardonnay clones which could best exploit the unique mesoclimate. After just a few seasons the vines were producing grapes of a quality and ripeness previously unseen in the UK.

Inspired by the possibility of what could be achieved with expert advice, capital investment and patience the family decided to grow their ambition further and commenced construction of one of the most well-equipped wineries in Europe.

While most UK estates look to Reims and Epernay for inspiration, scaling their activities and ambitions to compete with the vast brands of the Marne, the focus at Danbury Ridge is directed toward grower wines and smaller domaines.

Now, just a few vintages into the project, and that early aspiration is being realised: Danbury Ridge is bottling wines that critics have already favourably compared to some of the finest addresses in the world.

Wine-maker: Liam Idzikowski - 2017 to current
Liam joined DR in 2017, a year after he made some Pinot Noir from the DR grapes while working at Lyme Bay winery. Once the Bunker family tasted the 2016 wine Liam made, the family offered Liam a job, with the role of designing and creating the winery we see today, completed in 2019. He grew up in Northern Ireland and travelled to learn his trade in California, Australia, South Africa and the Rhone, working for world-renowned wineries like Tyrrells Estate in Australia’s Hunter Valley and Williams Selyem in the Russian River Valley.
Since passing his degree in Viticulture and Oenology with First-Class Honours, Liam has built a reputation for crafting some of the finest still and sparkling wines yet released by UK vineyards. At Danbury Ridge, Liam has been instrumental in the design and creation of the winery and has full autonomy to create exceptional quality wines.