BBR and Symington acquire Hambledon Vineyard - Drinks International - Leaders in the wine market team up for joint purchase'.

this business at a very exciting time for English Champagne Wine,' added Rudd.

The offer has received 90% of shareholders, making it 'unconditional', thereby triggering a mandatory buyout of the remaining shares, resulting in 100% of the shares. Hambledon produces wine from a 200-acre vineyard planted on the same limestone gradient as Grand Cru Côte des Blancs in the Champagne region and is one of the few English producers capable of producing more than 500,000 bottles a year exclusively from grapes grown on limestone soils.

Johnny Symington, chairman of Symington Family Estates, added: "It took something special for us to start making wine in a new country as we have been making' for five generations now's port and wine production in Portugal.