Planning your visit ▸ Wine at Waddesdon ▸

Wine Cellars

The Wine Cellars at Waddesdon were created in 1994 to celebrate the association of the Rothschild family with some of the finest wines in the world for more than 100 years.

You can visit the Wine Cellars as part of your grounds ticket admission to Waddesdon.

These atmospheric rooms store a historical collection of more than 15,000 bottles, the largest collection of Château Lafite Rothschild outside of the renowned château in Bordeaux. They are modelled on the private cellars at Château Lafite Rothschild.

The vaults contain historic collections of Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Mouton Rothschild as well as wines from other properties owned by the two companies. New vintages are added every year. Such fine wines will have a long lifespan, needing as long as five or seven years to develop. Wine from exceptional vintages can be enjoyed for up to 100 years.

Over the years, a collection of wine-related artworks has been assembled, including the lead figure of Bacchus, the god of wine, sculpted by John Cheere (c.1740), a prominent Georgian lead sculptor.

Also on display are a selection of Mouton Rothschild wine label designs. Baron Philippe established the custom of inviting an important contemporary artist to design the label for each year’s Mouton vintage. In 2004, the artist was HRH Charles, Prince of Wales, to mark the centenary of the Entente Cordiale between the two nations.