Welcome to Calancombe Estate, an award-winning vineyard, winery and restaurant in a picturesque South Devon valley.
Located between Dartmoor and the coast, the estate has origins that can be traced back to the 16th century. Blessed with a unique microclimate, south-facing slopes and free draining soil, the Estate is ideally suited for our award-winning Devon wine production.
We believe Devon and the South West is home to immense beauty and flavours. It’s our job to showcase it
Our aim is to produce the finest quality sparkling and still white, red and rosé wines from grapes grown exclusively on our Devon Estate.
We undertake all aspects of the winemaking from hand-picking the grapes to bottling and labelling the wines in our Devon winery purpose built on the Estate.
We also make luxury sparkling cyder and cassis using apples and blackcurrants grown on the Estate, made in the traditional way by our expert team.
Our on-site Restaurant offers the finest British produce from our own Kitchen Garden and local producers, carefully handcrafted by our talented chefs.
We’ve invested in a modern winery and the latest equipment to proudly undertake all aspects of the winemaking, from handpicking the grapes to bottling and labelling the wines ourselves. In addition we make all our cyders, cassis and rhubarb gin in the winery too.
We want to do all we can to limit our impact on the environment.
Biodiversity is at the heart of what we do and so in deciding to plant a vineyard we consciously took the decision not to create a monoculture. In addition to vines, we have planted over 1000 apple trees, (damson and mirabelles) and nearly 3000 blackcurrant bushes. We have also created a vegetable and flower garden to supply our on-site Restaurant with fresh produce.
All this provides food and refuge for bees, other insects and birds and acts as natural carbon trap. Pollination of the fruit trees is aided by bee hives on the Estate too. We regularly see hares, deer, a wide variety of birds (including birds of prey) and small mammals which is a testament to the good health of the Estate.
Turning to the vineyard itself, we have deliberately planted a range of grape varieties some of which flower later or ripen earlier to protect against the increasing unpredictability of our weather.
All our grape and blackcurrant skins are composted and then spread in our vegetable garden and the apple “cake” after we have pressed our apples is fed to some lucky local pigs.
We have installed solar power on our winery roof and this supplies most of the power we need during the day (when it is bright!) with any excess power supplied back to the grid (with no financial benefit to us) . Our water is sourced from springs deep under the winery.
FOUNDER
Caroline is a corporate lawyer and currently working as a consultant to a major project in Saudi Arabia but still based on the Estate. Caroline spends all of her spare time supporting the development of the vineyards and winery.
FOUNDER
Lance served in the RAF for 21 years, and now works in the venture capital industry, establishing Cygnus Capital Partners in 2002. He is a keen sailor and his enthusiasm for gin resulted in the launch of Dartmouth English Gin, distilled the Estate.
CHEF
Jonathan has worked in management for some of the UK’s premium hospitality companies in London and Bristol before returning to Devon. He’s honed his culinary skills using local, seasonal produce to create classic menus with a twist in our on-site restaurant.
“No chipped paint & all the horses jump!”
CHEF
Nick grew up in a family environment where mealtimes were seen as an important part of the day. As a chef, he has worked at all scales of the catering industry over many years, including a number of multi-award winning organisations.
“Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while you could miss it…”
RESTAURANT, TOURS & TASTINGS
Hospitality is Samatha’s love. Working with and managing teams of people has led her to work at the Calancombe Restaurant. Here, she’s been able to start using her knowledge of wine and providing all guests with the best experience of our Devon Vineyard.
“Work hard and be patient, the rest will follow”
RESTAURANT, TOURS & TASTINGS
Agnes recently completed an undergrad in Marine Geography, and has been taking time out of academics to work at Calancombe Estate. Soon, Agnes is to start a research masters degree in scientific diving. Working at Calancombe has taught her so much, from grape growing to wine making and beyond.
“It does not do well to dwell on dreams and forget to live”
VINEYARD & WINERY
Rory recently completed a degree in Oenology and Viticulture at Plumpton College, giving him skills in the physical job of winemaking. Previously, he worked at Wraxall vineyard in Somerset, multiple Sussex vineyards, Nyetimber and at Plumpton winery and vineyard.
“in vino veritas”
Calancombe Estate is a working vineyard and winery – there is always something going on here.
We’re constantly on the look out for volunteers to help us in the Vineyard. If you’d like to get involved, please get in touch with our team.
Calancombe Estate is seeking reliable and hardworking helpers to assist with winter pruning in our vineyard. This hands-on outdoor role will run for approximately six weeks, with work available most days, followed by occasional additional days throughout the summer season as needed.
The ideal candidate will enjoy working outdoors in all weathers, have good attention to detail, and be comfortable as part of a small, dedicated team. Vineyard or agricultural experience is welcome but not essential – training will be provided.
If you’re interested please contact caroline@calancombe-estate.com.
Calancombe Estate is looking for an enthusiastic and sales-driven individual to promote and sell our award-winning wines and estate products on a commission-only basis.
This role would suit someone confident, proactive and well-connected, with a passion for English wine and a flair for building relationships. You will be responsible for generating new sales opportunities, developing customer relationships, and representing the Calancombe brand with professionalism and energy.
If you’re interested please contact caroline@calancombe-estate.com.
We are seeking a friendly, adaptable and team-oriented individual to run the front of house at our winery shop and restaurant.
This varied role includes welcoming guests, overseeing service, leading wine tastings, and supporting day-to-day operations across the estate. The successful candidate will be personable, organised, and happy to turn their hand to a range of tasks to ensure every guest enjoys an exceptional Calancombe experience.
A passion for hospitality and an interest in wine are essential; previous experience in a similar role would be advantageous.
If you’re interested please contact caroline@calancombe-estate.com.
Madeleine Angevine is a white wine grape originating from the Loire Valley, a cross between Madeleine Royale and Précoce de Malingre. It’s early ripening, particularly well suited to Devon’s cooler climates, producing an attractive aromatic wine with floral character.
Named after the Roman God of wine, Bacchus is particularly well-suited to the Devon climate, producing fragrant, fresh, crisp and citrusy English white wine developing good ‘New World Sauvignon Blanc’ characteristics. It pairs well with fish and salads.
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy, but is now grown across the globe. We grow Chardonnay primarily for our sparkling wines to create creaminess and nuttiness with floral notes.
Pinot Gris (also known as Pinot Grigio in Italy and Germany) is a white grape variety. Thought to be a mutant clone of Pinot Noir, it produces pinkish, grey berries accounting for its name. We use it for producing a still aromatic white wine.
Ortega is a white grape used for both sweet and dry white wine. It was created in 1948 in Germany and is a cross between Müller-Thurgau and Siegerrebe. It ripens early, is not sensitive to frost and reaches quite high sugar levels. Ortega wines have aromas of muscat and peach.
Originating from the Burgundy region, Pinot Noir is regarded as one of the world’s most charismatic varieties. At Calancombe, it’s the principal grape used for our English sparkling wine and rosé. The name Pinot (pine) Noir (black) refers to the tight pine-cone-shaped bunches and dark fruit.
Pinot Noir Précoce is an early ripening form of Pinot Noir, developed through selection in many different Pinot growing regions such as Burgundy and Champagne. The grapes produce wines almost identical to Pinot Noir. The vines do particularly well in the cooler climate of Devon.
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