Flint Vineyard, Bungay

Ben Witchell began planting at Flint Vineyard in 2016, on a site overlooking the Waveney Valley in rural south Norfolk, close to Bungay. What started as a winery has grown into something more layered: a cellar door wine bar, a shop, a programme of Friday and Sunday evening events, yoga mornings in the vines, and guided tours hosted by Witchell himself alongside colleagues Oli and Dan. The wines — still whites, sparkling whites, still reds, and a Charmat rosé — are all made on site.

The wines

Flint's range covers Bacchus, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir Précoce, and Charmat-method sparkling. The Bacchus Fumé 2022 was noted as the highest-scoring Bacchus in the UK, and the 2023 Fumé is described on the website as the only Bacchus release from that vintage — a rounded expression of the variety. The Silex is a Chardonnay: the evidence quotes wine expert Georgina Kinsella calling it "English wine at its best" and comparing it to white Burgundy. The Précoce — an early-ripening clone of Pinot Noir, hand-harvested in October from Flint's own parcel and a vineyard in Essex called Martin's Lane — is described as silky, with ripe cherries, Black Forest gâteau, and a hint of spice. The Charmat Rosé, described as Flint's most popular wine, has recently had a label redesign. Witchell's stated approach combines the science of winemaking with an attention to traditional process — a combination that draws regular questions about organic certification on tours, which, according to the website, reliably produces a gentle sigh from him.

The cellar door

The wine bar at the cellar door is the operational centre of the visitor experience. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, and sits with a view across the vineyard. The offer is Flint's own wines alongside local beers — Charmat bubbles, whites, reds, hoppy ales. There is no table-service formality described; the venue's own copy frames it as unhurried. Wines can also be bought to take away, and online orders over six bottles (or over £200) qualify for free delivery.

Tours and tastings

The Saturday Discovery Tour runs for ninety minutes with a thirty-minute tasting at the end, hosted by Ben, Oli, or Dan. A Twilight Vineyard Tour & Dinner also runs — a longer format that walks the vineyards before moving to food. For those who want to go deeper, there is a winery masterclass described as fully dialled-in. Guided personal tastings are available separately, led by a member of the team through a selection of wines with explanation of the production process. There is also a Yoga in the Vines morning: vineyard yoga followed by a guided wine tasting and a set seasonal small plates lunch.

Flint Fridays and Flint Sundays

From late May through to September, Flint runs two recurring outdoor event formats: Flint Fridays and Flint Sundays. Both take place at Camphill, the vineyard's seasonal events space, and combine live music with a rotation of street food vans. Flint Fridays have included sets from Yield — described as good-time rock, pop and indie anthems — and Suffolk singer-songwriter Cam T, who has performed at Latitude and First Light Festival and supported Rag'n'Bone Man. Flint Sundays have featured harpist Xenia Horne, singer-songwriter Nathan Thomas, covers band Zig Zag Box Car, and Magic House, whose Unplugged set apparently included a Jungle Book rendition that went down well enough to earn a return booking. The food van line-up shifts across dates but has included Bootiful Buckets, Hen House, Yellow Door Eats, Crabb & Fox, Get me to the Greek, Chim Chim, Seconds Catering, Patrón, Ammas Kitchen, Churros and Churizo, The Cabin, and Feel Good Ice Cream. August dates tend to draw the largest crowds and the longest food van lists.

The setting

Flint sits on Middle Road, Earsham, just outside Bungay in south Norfolk — the address is sometimes listed under Bungay, sometimes under Earsham, both are correct. The vineyard looks out over the Waveney Valley. The site covers three hectares of vines. Bungay itself is a market town; the vineyard is described in local listings as rural, and the surrounding landscape is the kind of gently sloping valley that suits viticulture in this part of England. Burn Valley Vineyard is the other Norfolk producer mentioned in the same regional food and drink context.

The wine club

Flint runs a wine club for members, offering experimental wines made exclusively for the club, opportunities to help out in the vineyard, and access to secret tastings. It operates as a subscription. The club sits alongside the standard online shop and the cellar door retail offer, giving three distinct ways to buy.