Blackbook Winery

What Blackbook Winery does

Blackbook Winery is an urban winery operating from a railway arch in Battersea, London, founded in 2017 by Sergio and Lynsey Verrillo. The company produces cool-climate English still and sparkling wines, sourcing grapes from a network of growers that has expanded from two to seven across Essex, Sussex, Suffolk, and London. Its flagship varietals are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with smaller-lot offerings including Pinot Meunier, Pinot Gris, Bacchus, and experimental co-ferments; the 2025 vintage includes the winery's first sparkling wines. Annual production is in the order of 15,000-17,000 bottles across roughly 90 barrels, supplemented by reserve and experimental tiers priced from £22.50 to £65 per bottle.

The business operates a multi-channel revenue model. Direct-to-consumer sales run through an e-commerce site and a two-tier wine club priced at approximately £185 and £300+. On-site monetization includes tours, tastings, and a seasonal wine bar in the Battersea arch, supported operationally by a community of 600+ volunteers who assist with harvest and winemaking. Wholesale and on-trade reach is delivered through a 2025 partnership with Hallgarten & Co., one of the UK's leading specialist wine distributors, serving named accounts including the Michelin-starred Chez Bruce, alongside exports to Norway and South Africa.

The legal entity is The Verrillo Partnership Limited (private limited), with a disclosed headcount of 1-10 employees. In 2025 the company launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund growth, indicating an active capital-raise posture and a willingness to broaden its investor base beyond the founders. Recognition includes an IWC Silver medal, Decanter and IWSC commendations, and a finalist position for the 2025 UK Wine Awards Winemaker of the Year, all of which support the brand's premium positioning within the still-developing English wine category.

Name

Blackbook Winery

Legal name

The Verrillo Partnership Limited

Website

https://blackbookwinery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Blackbook Winery is a London-based urban winery, founded 2017, producing cool-climate English still and sparkling wines from grapes sourced across southern England. It sells via DTC e-commerce, a two-tier wine club, on-site tours, and trade distribution through Hallgarten.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

English Winery Production

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Wineries (31213), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD), Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF), Wine Bars (THAFAEAF)

Keywords

• English still wines
• Urban winery operations
• Wine club memberships
• Winery tour experiences
• Sparkling wine production

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Direct Wine Sales: E-commerce sales of wines ranging from £22.50 to £65 per bottle, including individual wines, cases, and gift boxes. Free delivery on orders of 6+ bottles
2. Wine Club Subscription: Annual 'Black Book' membership with two wine shipments (Spring and Autumn) - Chapter 1 (6 wines) at £185 or Chapter 2 (12 wines) at £300, providing recurring revenue and customer loyalty
3. Experiences and Tours: Winery tours and tasting experiences at £25 per person, gift vouchers, and seasonal summer wine bar operations
4. Trade and Wholesale: Sales to restaurants, wine merchants, and export markets including Norway and South Africa

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Blackbook Winery produces premium English still and sparkling wines from grapes sourced from English vineyards, vinified at a Battersea (London) urban winery using minimal-intervention, vegan methods. Its core offerings include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and rosé wines, with limited reserves, experimental batches, and collaborative cuvées. Beyond wine production, the company runs a recurring wine club, hosts paid tours and tastings at the winery, operates a seasonal wine bar, and supplies trade customers including Michelin-starred restaurants.

Product overview

Blackbook Winery is a London-based urban winery operating from a railway arch in Battersea. The company produces a portfolio of still wines (primarily Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) and limited sparkling wines, sourced from English vineyards. Core products include Painter of Light Chardonnay, Nightjar Pinot Noir, and I'd Rather Be A Rebel Rosé. The portfolio extends to premium limited editions (Pygmalion Chardonnay, Controversy Pinot Meunier), experimental releases (Drums>Space Field Blend, Fragments of Time Sauvignac), reserve wines, and collaborative projects. The winery also offers a wine club membership (The Black Book), urban winery tours and tastings, and gift products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Painter of Light Chardonnay Flagship still Chardonnay from the Blackbook core range, expressing varietal character and English acidity with restrained oak, tropical and stone fruit profile; aimed at wine enthusiasts and trade buyers.
• Nightjar Pinot Noir Core still Pinot Noir from Clayhill Vineyard in the Crouch Valley, with ripe red fruits, black pepper spice, and supple tannins; targeted at wine drinkers and the on-trade.
• I'd Rather Be A Rebel Rosé Still rosé from English Pinot Noir, produced annually as part of the core range, with the 2022 vintage listed on the shop; sold to consumers and trade, including on Noodle and Beer's pre-theatre wine list.
• The Black Book Wine Club Annual subscription wine club with two membership tiers (Chapter 1 at £185 and Chapter 2 at £300), delivering two shipments per year and offering first access to releases, member discounts, tour tickets, and exclusive events.
• Pygmalion Chardonnay Premium single-vineyard Chardonnay aged 20 months on lees in Burgundy barrels, with rich citrus, honeydew, pineapple, roasted nuts, toasted brioche, and smoky finish; targeted at collectors and fine-dining buyers.
• Controversy Pinot Meunier Hand-picked, sorted Sussex Pinot Meunier aged 7 months with lees stirring, showing raspberry, mandarin peel, red floral, grapefruit, citrus zest, and dried cranberry.
• Tamesis Bacchus Limited collaborative still white produced with Forty Hall Vineyard from London-grown Bacchus grapes, expressing elderflower, white peach, white pepper, sweet spice, and tropical fruit.
• GMF (Gentle Metal Friends) Sparkling Wine Traditional-method sparkling wine with at least 6 months on lees and secondary fermentation under crown cap, made from English-grown Seyval Blanc and other varieties, showing elderflower, citrus, grapefruit, pineapple, and white pepper.
• Nightjar Pinot Noir Reserve Single-barrel reserve Pinot Noir from Clayhill Vineyard, aged 36 months total (24 in barrel, 12 in bottle); less than 300 bottles produced, targeted at collectors and fine dining.
• Trouble Every Day Pinot Noir Limited single-clone English Pinot Noir, hand-picked, naturally fermented in small open-top fermenters, unfined and unfiltered, aged in Burgundy oak barrels, showing autumnal fruits, blackberry, bramble, black cherry, and intense spice.
• Crush and Brisk Blanc de Noirs Collaborative traditional-method Blanc de Noirs with Crush and Brisk, made from Shotley Vineyard Pinot Noir on the Suffolk coast, aged at least 4 years on lees, disgorged with 5 g/L dosage.
• Fragments of Time Sauvignac Experimental Sauvignac from South Bank Vineyard, destemmed and fermented with indigenous yeasts, aged 7 months in old Burgundy barrels with lees stirring, showing tropical and stone fruits, dried citrus, and white pepper.
• Drums>Space Red Field Blend Experimental English red field blend of 4 varieties from South Bank Vineyard, naturally fermented in open-top fermenters and aged in Burgundy oak barrels, showing delicate darker red fruits with rounded, silky tannins.
• The Londoner 6 Pack Curated mixed case of 6 bottles (2 each of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Rosé) introducing the two key varietals Blackbook focuses on.
• Gift Card Digital gift card usable across the Blackbook range (wine purchases, shipping, wine club, and tours) in £25, £75, and £100 denominations, with no expiration.
• Gift Box Presentation gift box for a single bottle of Blackbook wine, ready for gifting.
• Urban Winery Tour & Tasting 1.25-hour Saturday tour and tutored tasting of four wines at the Battersea urban winery, priced at £25 per person, aimed at consumers, tourists, and local visitors.
• Gift Voucher: Urban Winery Experience £25 gift voucher redeemable against the Urban Winery Tour & Tasting experience at the Battersea site, valid for 12 months from purchase.

Quantifiable outcome

• WineGB Awards - Best Regional White, 97 pts GOLD TROPHY for 2022 Pygmalion Chardonnay
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered secondary and core.

• Crush and Brisk (John and Frances Needham)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaboration on Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine project. Crush and Brisk provides the vision while Blackbook provides winemaking expertise. First vintage 2019 from Shotley Vineyard fruit.
• Forty Hall VineyardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Collaboration on Tamesis Bacchus wine - London's first certified organic vineyard. Blackbook vinifies bacchus grapes grown at Forty Hall in Enfield, creating the first London-grown, London-made wine in modern times. The partnership produces limited edition wines expressing London's urban viticulture.
• Shotley VineyardsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Suffolk coastal grower supplying Pinot Noir grapes, including fruit for the Crush and Brisk Blanc de Noirs collaboration with John and Frances Needham.
• Crouch Valley VineyardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Essex grower in Crouch Valley providing fruit for Pygmalion Chardonnay and other wines. New addition in 2020 providing exceptional quality Pinot Noir for rosé and Trouble Every Day.
• Yew Tree VineyardsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Oxfordshire grower supplying Seyval Blanc grapes for GMF sparkling wine production.
• Greyfriars VineyardsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Surrey vineyard where Sergio worked during studies at Plumpton College. Supplies Chardonnay fruit for Blanc de Blancs sparkling production.
• Redhill Farm EstatessecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Kent grower supplying Ortega, Bacchus, and Cabernet Noir varieties in 2018 harvest.
• Combe BottomsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Sussex vineyard added as new grower in 2019 for Pinot Meunier and experimental varieties.
• Clayhill VineyardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Long-term partnership with Symons Family at Clayhill Vineyard in the Crouch Valley, Essex. Supplies burgundian grape clones for flagship wines - Painter of Light Chardonnay and Nightjar Pinot Noir. South-facing site with clay soils on coastal peninsula between rivers Crouch and Blackwater.
• HallgartencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrade distribution partner supplying Blackbook wines to restaurants and retailers throughout the UK.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Gusbourne Estate: Premium English wine producer based in Kent and Sussex, with public listings on the Aquis Stock Exchange. Comparable as a premium-positioned English still and sparkling wine producer with established trade and DTC channels.
• Ridgeview Wine Estate: Award-winning English sparkling wine producer based in Sussex. Comparable as a premium English wine producer with established trade distribution and significant brand recognition in the category.
• Chapel Down: England's largest wine producer and a publicly listed company (LSE: CDGP). Competes in the same English wine category with much broader distribution, larger production scale, and wider product portfolio including still and sparkling wines.
• Nyetimber: One of the most prestigious English sparkling wine producers, headquartered in West Sussex. Comparable as a premium English wine brand, though focused on sparkling and at significantly larger production scale than Blackbook.
• Rathfinny Estate: Large English sparkling wine estate in East Sussex on the South Downs. Comparable as a premium English wine producer with a hospitality and tourism focus, though at significantly larger scale than Blackbook.

Direct peers

• Hambledon Vineyard: One of England's oldest commercial vineyards, based in Hampshire. Comparable as a premium English wine producer with similar positioning in the still and sparkling wine category, though vineyard-based rather than urban.
• Balfour Winery: English wine producer based in Kent, part of the Hush Heath Estate. Comparable as a premium English still and sparkling wine producer with similar DTC and trade distribution approach.
• London Cru: London's first urban winery, operating from a former gin distillery in Wandsworth. Directly comparable as a London-based urban winery producing English still and sparkling wines with a DTC and trade distribution model.
• Renais: London-based urban winery founded by sommelier and entrepreneur. Comparable as a small, premium-positioned English wine producer leveraging urban winemaking and sommelier expertise to build a premium brand.
• Davenport Vineyards: Small-scale English wine producer in East Sussex focused on still wines from organic and sustainable vineyards. Comparable to Blackbook as a boutique English still wine producer with similar premium positioning and minimal-intervention philosophy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqI7K9RtZ7kL-1UVqC9YXqw
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackbookwinery
• Xx.com/blackbookwinery
• Facebookfacebook.com/blackbookwinery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackbookwinery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blackbook Winery