Our Story
English Wine Project was founded in 2011 by Kieron Atkinson. After leaving the British Army following nine years’ active service, Kieron attended Plumpton College to gain a degree in wine production.
Driven by a passion to improve the quality of English wine production Kieron has held a wide variety of roles in the industry and produced multiple medal winning wines. He is the 2026 WineGB Midlands & North ‘Best Commercial Grower / Winemaker’ reflecting excellence from grape to glass.
Quality wine making in Derbyshire
Kieron farms the vines at the historic vineyard at Renishaw Hall in north Derbyshire. He believes in farming with a light touch using only organic nutrients and minimal intervention. Kieron’s wine making style ‘follows the fruit’ to get the best out of every vintage and the wines are made in his urban winery in Darley Abbey, Derby.
Renishaw Hall wines are made exclusively using grapes from the historic vineyard. Kieron also carefully selects grapes from other English vineyards to enable him to make a broad range of wine styles available under the Mills & Hills and House of Atkinson labels. In addition to white, rose and red still wines, Kieron produces sparkling wines including traditional method (made the same way as champagne), Charmat, Col Fondo and Pet Nat. English Wine Project is also a contract wine maker, managing the process for vineyards that don’t have their own winery. Award-winning ciders are also produced at the site at Darley Abbey.
Join a tour & tasting to find out more from grape to glass
The English Wine Project team run tours at both the vineyard and winery to allow visitors to find out more about English vines and wine production and enjoy guided wine tastings. Guests can join a group tour or book private tours for birthdays, hen dos, special occasions and corporate events.
