For Michael and Heather, there truly was no place like home. After several years living in Asia, they returned to Essex in 1987 and settled in the village of Danbury, just a few miles from where they had grown up.

A walk with friends on the estate sparked the idea of planting vines on the family’s agricultural land, long dismissed by local farmers as lean and arid – a good training ground for racehorses over wet winters, but far from ideal for cereal crops. A detailed feasibility study followed, laying the foundations for a project the family would continue to on build over the coming years.

The first vines were planted in 2014, with a focus on identifying Pinot Noir and Chardonnay clones that could best exploit the unique Crouch Valley mesoclimate. After only 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 Épernay for inspiration, scaling their activities and ambitions to compete with the large brands of the Marne, the focus at Danbury Ridge is directed toward grower wines and smaller domaines.

Several vintages on, that early aspiration is being realised. Danbury Ridge is now bottling wines that critics have already favourably compared with some of the finest addresses in the world.