Hambledon Vineyard aims to raise £4 million in a newly launched investment round that will enable the Hampshire business to produce premium English sparkling wine.

Hambledon Vineyard aims to raise £4 million in a newly launched investment round that will enable the Hampshire business to produce premium English sparkling wine.

The fundraising will be under the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), which offers tax breaks for investors in higher-risk trading companies, according to a statement from fund manager Braemar Securities.

The vineyard was England’s first commercial vineyard since the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII and was originally planted in 1951. Ian Kellett, managing director and founder of the company, acquired the property in 1999. The business aims to produce 250,000 bottles of sparkling wine each year, with sales of the first bottles of the 2010 crop to begin next year and continue in 2013.
 
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