Chafor Wine Estate

The wood-fired pizza oven subtly flavours your slice with vine clippings.

https://www.chafor.co.uk

Chafor Wine Estate, High Hedges Vineyard, Preston Bissett Road, Gawcott, Buckinghamshire, MK18 4HT. Get directions

Nearest station: Calvert Railway Station (6.2 miles).

Private tours

Self-guided tours

Restaurant or café

Dog friendly

Child friendly

Online shop

Walking trail

Disabled access

Award-winning

Hosts weddings

Organic or sustainable

Open year-round

While we update listings frequently, we suggest confirming important details with the vineyard to avoid any surprises.

What's the vibe

Chafor Wine Estate offers a relaxed, friendly, and family-run experience, nestled in the heart of rural Buckinghamshire. Visitors often note the warm ambiance and find the team welcoming and informative.

Visiting information

Chafor Wine Estate welcomes visitors to explore the vineyard and taste wines.
Open Hours: Typically open to walk-ins most Saturdays & Sundays from April to September, 11am-5pm. During cooler months, visits are by appointment only.
Tours & Tastings: A full programme of guided tours and wine tasting events is available throughout the summer and early autumn. Tours generally last about 2 hours and 30 minutes and include a sample tasting of their award-winning wines. Private tasting experiences are also available.
Food: While there isn't a permanent restaurant, the estate hosts regular food events, including "Pizza & Pinot" evenings with an authentic wood-fired pizza oven and BBQ events. Lite-bite and cheeseboard options are often available to accompany wine tastings.
Events: Beyond tours, look out for family open days, harvest festivals, Christmas markets, and summer concerts. The venue can also be hired for private functions and corporate events.
Accommodation: The estate offers caravan and motorhome camping, certified by the Wild Trails Camping Club.
Family & Pets: Chafor is a family-friendly vineyard with a nature trail for children. Dogs on leads are welcome.

The Wine

Chafor Wine Estate produces a range of English wines, including still white, sparkling white, and still rosé. They also offer a Red Stag wine, made from imported Puglian grapes. The vineyard cultivates classic Champagne varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, alongside aromatic varieties like Bacchus and Madeleine Angevine.

The estate has won numerous awards from prestigious bodies like the International Wine Challenge, Decanter, and the UK Wine awards. Notable accolades include a SILVER medal for their Chardonnay Reserve 2013 and a BRONZE medal for their Rosé 2014 in the 2015 English and Welsh Wine of the Year Competition. Their Bacchus 2014 received a SILVER medal in the Thames & Chilterns Vineyards Association 2015 Wine Challenge and won the MacMackinnon Trophy for 'best white wine in any class'.

The vineyard practices various sustainable measures. They use amalgamated corks that are recyclable and biodegradable, and their sparkling wine foils are 100% recyclable. Furthermore, solar panels on the winery roof provide energy for their operations. The estate has its own winery, with winemaking fully overseen by owner Tim Chafor since 2017.

Getting here

Chafor Wine Estate is located in Gawcott, Buckinghamshire.
By Car: The vineyard is approximately a 6-minute drive from Buckingham town centre and is situated between the popular destinations of Bicester and Silverstone. Easy access is available from the A421.
By Public Transport: The nearest bus stop is "Post Office, Gawcott," which is a 1-minute walk away. The nearest train station is Bicester North, approximately 8 miles distant, from which a taxi or bus connection would be required.

What's nearby

Notable Restaurants:
The restaurant at Villiers Hotel in Buckingham offers an AA Rosette-awarded dining experience.
For other dining options, the historic town of Buckingham offers a variety of pubs and restaurants.
Notable Hotels:
Villiers Hotel, located in Buckingham, is a 400-year-old coaching inn with an AA Rosette awarded restaurant and comfortable rooms.
Horwood House Hotel in Little Horwood offers a country house hotel experience with airy rooms and leisure facilities.
Notable Attractions:
Silverstone Interactive Museum provides an immersive experience into the world of motorsport, located near the famed Silverstone Circuit.
Bicester Village is a renowned luxury shopping destination.