Wildshark Vineyard sits on the North Downs above Harrietsham, where the land rolls away in soft chalky folds toward the Weald. The entrance is off Greenway Lane, down a track that opens onto forty-two hectares of vines striped with wildflower rows. It’s the biodiversity you notice first — hedgerows thick with native species, owl boxes at the field edges, beehives dotting the slopes. This isn’t a vineyard that merely tolerates nature; it was designed around it. Every second row between the vines is left to wildflowers, and the old watercress beds on the lower ground have been brought back to life. The setting is pastoral and productive at once, a working farm that happens to make wine.
The man behind it is Martial Chaussy, a French businessman who planted the first vines here in 2021. He partnered with the Elite Pubs group to develop not just a vineyard but a destination, one that could offer food, drink, and overnight stays alongside the wine. The site opened to visitors in May 2024, and the ambition shows. There are plans for a full winery and visitor centre at the adjacent Mount Farm, but even now the operation feels complete. The tasting room and shop sit at the heart of things, open Friday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm during the summer months. Outside those times, the vineyard retreats into itself, focused on the vines.
The soils here are classic North Downs: chalk and greensand, the same geology that underpins the great vineyards of Kent and Sussex. Wildshark has planted five varieties across the site. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir form the backbone of the sparkling programme, joined by Pinot Meunier for structure and complexity. Bacchus and Pinot Gris handle the still wines. The flagship release is Supernova Brut, a traditional-method sparkling that balances the richness of Chardonnay with the brightness of Pinot. There’s also Supernova Blush, a sparkling rosé with red fruit and a clean finish. The Pinot Gris took silver at the Wine GB Awards in 2025, a strong early showing for a vineyard barely three years old. Yields are still building, but the first vintages suggest Chaussy and his team know what they’re doing.
A visit here runs to ninety minutes if you take the standard tour. You walk the vines, hear the biodiversity story, see the hives and the wildflower corridors, then settle in the tasting room for a structured run-through of the range. The guide explains the winemaking decisions, the harvest timing, the logic behind the grape splits. It’s informative without being technical, pitched at curious drinkers rather than industry insiders. Tours start at twenty pounds per person, but Wildshark offers a ladder of experiences if you want more. There’s a barbecue option with locally sourced meats cooked on-site, a pizza experience using the wood-fired oven, and a lake house picnic that takes you to a quieter corner of the estate. At the top end, you can book a romantic overnight package called The Grape Escape, which includes accommodation, dinner, and a private tasting. Prices run to fifty pounds for the premium daytime experiences.
The food side is taken seriously. Elite Pubs brings hospitality experience, and it shows in the execution. The pizza oven turns out Neapolitan-style bases topped with seasonal produce, much of it sourced from the immediate area. The barbecue runs on summer weekends, with meat from local farms and vegetables from the estate where possible. There’s an afternoon tea option, which pairs sparkling wine with scones, cakes, and finger sandwiches in the tasting room or outside on the terrace when the weather allows. It’s casual dining, but done with care. The café offers lighter bites and coffee for those who just want to sit with a glass and take in the view.
Children are welcome throughout, and the estate’s layout makes it easy to manage younger visitors. The wildflower meadows and open spaces give them room to move, and the natural history angle — the bees, the birds, the hedgerows — tends to hold their attention. Dogs are allowed in the outdoor areas on a lead, though not inside the tasting room or shop. The shop itself is open year-round, not just during the summer season, and stocks the full wine range plus the estate’s artisan gins. The gin collection is a side project that’s grown into something more serious. The bottles feature bees on the label, a nod to the hives that produce the vineyard’s honey, and the botanicals lean toward local and foraged ingredients. It’s a natural extension of the biodiversity ethos, and it gives non-wine drinkers something to take home.
Wildshark also runs a wine club with three tiers. The free membership gets you up to thirty-five percent off wines in the shop and online. The paid levels — Bronze at fifteen pounds a month, Silver at thirty-five, Gold at forty-eight — add exclusive releases, advance festival access, and quarterly wine deliveries. The vineyard hosts three main events each year: a Spring Wine Festival, a Summer Garden Party, and a Harvest Festival in the autumn. These draw a mix of locals and day-trippers from London, and they sell out early. Visit England gave the vineyard accreditation in 2025, along with a Hidden Gem award, which speaks to how quickly it’s found its audience.
Getting here from London is straightforward. Harrietsham station is a mile away, a twenty-minute walk or a six-minute taxi ride. Trains from St Pancras or Victoria take just under an hour. The A20 runs close by if you’re driving, and the vineyard is well signposted from the main road. Maidstone is ten minutes west, but Wildshark doesn’t feel suburban. It’s open country, with long views and clean air, close enough to London to make an easy day trip but far enough to feel like an escape. Book ahead, particularly for the weekend tours and food experiences, and arrive ready to spend time. This is a vineyard built to linger in.
