Flint Vineyard began with co-founder and Head Winemaker Ben Witchell’s passion for great wine. After leaving a career in IT, Ben earned a top Oenology degree and honed his skills in Beaujolais—blending precision with creativity. Back in the UK, he partnered with landowner Adrian Hipwell to establish Flint in South Norfolk, one of the country’s sunniest, driest regions.

We recently spent a day with Ben, who’s reserved but hugely knowledgeable, with a calm intensity that shapes everything he does. He told us, ‘This is such a young industry—we’re constantly learning.’ It’s a sentiment that seems to guide the whole operation.  This is Ben’s home, and he knows every inch of it. Pheasants dart across the tracks as tractors shift gear and cellar doors clatter open—Flint feels like a working farm, with a steady sense of purpose running through it.

The team is small, hands-on, and evidently close-knit. Among those we meet is Ollie, Assistant Winemaker & Vineyard Manager, who joined five years ago. A former sommelier who quips that he ‘got tired of selling other people’s wines’, contacted Ben and started at the bottom—cleaning tanks. He’s since elbowed his way up and now has his own cellar hand, though adds with a humble laugh ‘still cleans tanks’.

With over 35,000 vines and a cutting-edge winery, Flint has become known for bold, expressive wines—and they’re not standing still. This year they planted an additional 25 acres, doubling last year’s holdings, with plans to double again. They’re also at the forefront of innovation, especially in their use of Piwi grape varieties like Solaris, Bacchus, Seyval Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc. These varieties are naturally resistant to fungal diseases, allowing for a significant reduction in pesticide use. ‘Vineyards are not by nature sustainable—the Piwis help,’ explains Ben.

In the winery, experimentation is everywhere. Bacchus is proving more like Riesling than Sauvignon Blanc—complex, aromatic, and capable of expressing subtle vineyard variation. Flint plays with texture and structure through fermentation in neutral barriques (50%) and concrete (15%), with no stainless steel used except for Charmat production. Even in a compact space, they’ve made room for a small barrel cellar and new concrete eggs, with everything geared toward quality and character.

A major expansion is underway, but the ethos remains grounded: hands-on, sustainable, always learning. Flint is pushing the boundaries of English winemaking—with quiet confidence, and real momentum.