Emma Lundie
UK
For world-class organic bubbly: take the next exit off the M25
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Say hello to Emma Lundie. She runs the show at Forty Hall Farm – a certified organic social enterprise where over 100 local volunteers tend 14,000 vines entirely by hand to produce world-class sparkling wine in, of all places, Enfield.
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Yep, that’s right. This is a Greater London wine operation – the capital's first commercial vineyard since the Middle Ages. Turns out, London’s concrete jungle runs a few degrees warmer than the countryside, creating a sneaky microclimate that helps the grapes ripen to absolute perfection. And by ditching harsh chemicals for hard graft and natural biodiversity, they’ve built a brilliant community sanctuary that produces pristine organic fruit.
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While it’s a community project at heart, the final juice is strictly premium. So delicious that when visiting French wine industry pros recently came to taste it, they were left simply saying “mon dieu”.
Vineyard Location
Emma Lundie's Story
An unconventional route to the vines
If I’m honest, growing up in South London, running a vineyard was never something I thought was possible. I came from a charitable background, and while I had an interest in wine through my family and my dad, it just didn't feel like a realistic career option for a city kid.
It wasn’t until I moved to Enfield and discovered Forty Hall Farm that my life completely changed. I was originally brought in by the vineyard's founder in 2018 to add a commercial lens to the project after a bumper vintage – helping them build awareness, launch a website, and set up an online shop. But the magic of the place quickly drew me in. I found myself spending more and more time in the fields, following our viticulture manager around. The pure joy of being outside and the fascination of the whole process cemented my love for winemaking.
This was not like other vineyards. As a female-founded, not-for-profit enterprise with a core focus on wellbeing and improving mental health, it had a profound sense of community. So, in 2019, when the founder wanted to hand over the baton, they needed someone who understood both the commercial side and the deep responsibility of the social enterprise. At first, I actually turned it down! But as I realized someone else would be taking over, I knew I couldn’t let it go. I took the baton, and I was away.
The toughest test: 2023
The years that followed were incredibly challenging. We faced lockdowns, COVID, late frosts, and the constant stress of trying to buy essential equipment without the funds. By the time 2023 rolled around, we were facing a true make-or-break year after three poor harvests in a row. The sense of responsibility to protect this project – which meant so much to so many people – was immense. We threw absolutely everything at it, fundraising and putting in endless extra hours in the field to ensure no vine was left unturned.
Behind the scenes, it was also the hardest of times for me personally. My dear dad was dying, my 25-year marriage had ended, and my family home was gone. But leading the vineyard through that storm gave me focus and purpose; it kept me going.
When we achieved a harvest beyond our wildest dreams that autumn, it was truly magical. I wore my dad's fishing jacket all through the harvest to feel that he was right there with me. The memories of that momentous turnaround can still make me shed happy tears. Every single bubble in our bottles was earned.
A true urban sanctuary
Today, Forty Hall spans a 10-acre site with 14,000 vines, and our community of volunteers remains the absolute heartbeat of the project. We have over 100 loyal volunteers who show up in snow, rain, or sunshine. For most of us, the vineyard is our happy place – a genuine stress-buster where you can leave the world behind and get lost in the vines.
I’m lucky to work alongside our fantastic viticulture managers, Chus and Christian, who handle the tractor work and teach the volunteers and students from Capel Manor College (who lease us the land). We've even launched viticulture courses with the college to train the next generation of urban winemakers, creating a beautiful circle of knowledge-sharing and productivity.
Taking the grapes seriously
Although we are a community project, we are deadly serious about the quality of the wine we produce. Good wine begins with good grapes, and ours are Soil Association certified organic.
Being located just inside the M25 gives us a fascinating urban advantage. The London temperature runs a few degrees warmer than the surrounding countryside, which impacts positively on the ripening of the grapes. Because of this natural ripeness, our goal is to avoid adding extra sugar, keeping the wines clean, natural, and slightly lower in alcohol.
At harvest, we select only the absolute best grapes to send to Will Davenport, our brilliant organic winemaker who has been with us since we founded the vineyard. Will uses his deep scientific understanding and decades of experience to let the wines develop naturally with minimal intervention, allowing our London grapes to truly sing. Our Forty Hall Brut is a delicious, elegant blend of organic Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier that delivers gorgeous aromas of green apple, honey, and apricot. It's a wine made to celebrate with.
Dancing into the future
When I'm away from the farm, my biggest escape is contemporary dance. It lets me let go of all the stresses of running a business – and when farm life gets too busy to make it to a class, my kitchen becomes the dance floor! I am also incredibly proud of my two sons, one of whom you'll now find working on the farm on weekends, heavily operating a strimmer under the vines.
Looking forward, my next big dream is to build a multi-purpose building in the vineyard for workshops, tastings, and wellbeing activities like yoga and meditation, so even more people can find sanctuary here.
Partnering with Naked Wines is a massive step toward that dream. For us, this is so much more than a transactional relationship; it’s a long-standing partnership that secures our future. Your support as Angels is a genuine game-changer that enables us to thrive rather than just survive. We hope you enjoy the bubbles, and we can't wait to welcome you to our hidden London gem for a tour soon!
