The path less travelled

The path less travelled

The Scenic Route to Our First Vintage

In true Abingworth fashion, we’ve never taken the easy route — and 2024 was no exception. Our approach has always been hands-on.

From converting vintage car garages into our charming barrel and tank store, to hand-labelling our first wines — Sunken Stones Sauvignon Blanc and Hidden Verse Rosé — we’ve worked hard on every step. Even the screwcaps were a puzzle, aligned by UV light to sit perfectly with each label. The details matter.

Bottled by Hand

Our most recent venture has been hand-bottling — a lengthy but rewarding process that defined our 2024 vintage. With our second winery building nearly ready and new equipment on the way, we continued to do things the long way — or, as we like to call it, the scenic route.

Two Days, Six Wines, 3,000 Labels

Over two long summer days in 2025, our team bottled our first releases: Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabaret Noir, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay. The Abingworth crew became a well-oiled (if slightly aching) production line — sanitising, filling, quality-checking, corking, and laying the bottles to rest in their stillage beds for the months ahead.

With our labelling machine still to arrive, we hand-labelled over 3,000 bottles in August — including more than 1,200 Sauvignon Blanc and Rosé. It was meticulous, physical work, but deeply rewarding. Yes, there were inconsistencies, and yes, we ached for days — but it allowed us to treat each bottle as a work of art, from grape to glass.

A Year to Remember

We could have remembered 2024 as a difficult year for the industry. Instead, we’ll remember it as our most artisan year — a vintage that reminded us why we began this journey in the first place: for the connection, the creativity, and the joy of building something slowly, with intention and passion.

It’s now part of the story of Abingworth — a reminder that we’re doing more than making wine. A reminder that good things take time.

Every 2024 bottle is a testament to that — a moment captured, a process savoured, and a story worth telling.