our story
Born from a challenge to redefine how our family used our slice of Devon, we wanted to grow something unusual that we could all be proud of. With a love of wine and the land, we jumped feet first into the world of English wine. Who knew the edge of Dartmoor could be the perfect home for 5,000 vines!
our purpose
To inspire and nurture a love of wine, far beyond the bottle
BE BRAVE + DEVOTED
Growing vines on the edge of Dartmoor is no easy feat. That’s why bravery and determination are always at the heart of everything we do, in and out of the vines.
KEEP IT PERSONAL + casual
We want to demystify the world of wine, so we can all share a love for English wine, far beyond the bottle.
SHARE MEMORABLE Experiences
We strive for everyone to walk away seeing English wine in a new light. From the vines and grapes, to how to taste it. We want to share something memorable with you.
LEARN TOGETHER
Jumping into the unknown has been a part of us from the start. We love to learn, it’s even better when we can do it together and share it with you!
Who are we?
mike hodgetts
Co-founder & head of vine care
‘With a lifelong love of agriculture and the outdoors, starting our own vineyard from scratch was the perfect challenge towards our future together.’
SARAH HODGETTS
Co-founder & head of experiences
‘I have always loved our little bit of Devon, watched over by the hills of Dartmoor. All that’s left for me is to share that experience with everyone who comes to visit us.’
TOM HODGETTS
Head wine wizard
‘I’ve loved the family challenge of nurturing vines for the last 10 years. I’m so excited for the next challenge in the winery!’
ADAM BIRCH
Head of creativity
‘Caring for vines in front of the tors of Dartmoor, I never saw that coming. The only thing better is sharing a glass and our journey far beyond the bottle!’
Our history
As a family, we’ve always been huge fans of the outdoors. We’ve been based at Alder Farm, in glorious Devon, for generations and it has become so much more than a farm. In fact, we’ve not actually properly farmed since the 60’s when the old sheds were converted into the home of my grandparent’s surf brand, Alder Sportswear.
In the same spirit of diversification, Alder Vineyard was born. Taking that love of the outdoors and a good bottle of English wine we embarked on a huge challenge, to grow grapevines at the foot of Dartmoor. We planted our first vines over 10 years ago, with the aim simply to enjoy the process and sell the crop at the end of each year.
Then came 2014, and the sunshine which spoilt us with the most perfect harvest. We took a chance and decided to start selling a small number of bottles, made by our friends at Polgoon Vineyard in Cornwall.
We also started doing tours of the vineyard and from here we never looked back. We planted more vines, made more English wine, showed more people around and generally fell in love with every aspect of English Wine. I (Tom) went back to college to learn how to make our wine here at the vineyard and we set about planning our next big challenge. In 2020 (what a year to pick to open our new doors!) we finally open our brand new winery, kitchen and shop. Taking our vineyard to the next level, welcoming so many more wonderful faces and supercharging our mission to share our love for English wine, far beyond the bottle.
Come find us in the vines
Why not come say hello and join us for a walk in the vines, for a journey far beyond the bottle.
