Raise a glass to the Pringleston winery plans greenlit for Vranken-Pommery

Winchester City Council has greenlit the plans for the construction of a Vranken-Pommery winery at the Pinglestone estate in Alresford.

This new winery will produce over 200,000 bottles of English sparkling wine per year.

Permission has been granted on the condition that Vranken-Pommery complies with 14 planning rules, one of which being the adoption of measures to improve both the wildlife potential and ecological value of the site.

In an article published by the French Chamber of Great Britain last year the head winemaker at Vranken-Pommery Clément Pierlot said the company had been working with local associations on badger protection, allowing sheep to ‘eco-graze on the site’, and planting hives for bees.

The wine making company will also have to meet vehicle traffic and highway safety conditions.

Vranken-Pommery currently owns 40 hectares of land in Alresford and is the second biggest producer of Champagne worldwide.

Operations currently run from English winemakers Hattingley Valley’s winery facility, also in Hampshire. 

2025 is the expected completion date for the Pinglestone winery according to CEO at Vranken-Pommery Julien Lonneux, he was also realistic about the expected 200,000 bottles per year from Pinglestone. According to Julien the figure will depend on annual yields and the amount of wine allocated each year to reserve wines. 

He said: “The winery will be used to make only our own sparkling wines. There will be no sub-contracting.

“The planning permission is great news, we are very pleased.’’