Finding wine in an unexpected place

English vineyards may surprise you for their quality and charm

If you thought a wine-tasting holiday would take you to the Loire Valley in France, Rioja in Spain or Napa Valley in California, then think again. England might sound like an unlikely spot for a vineyards tour, but there are plenty of wineries producing excellent vino across the country. Stop, sniff, sip and judge for yourself.

Vinous culture first came to Britain with the Romans, but the quality of wine has traditionally been very poor.
“English winemaking used to be rather rudimentary and amateurish,” explains Simon Field, a Master of Wine and buyer at Berry Bros. & Rudd, a prestigious wine merchant in London that has been supplying fine vintages from its London store since 1698.

“Now it’s relatively professional at one end, and the best wines are very acceptable. The wines are still high in acidity, but there are some interesting mineralities there.”

He attributes the improvement to a mix of “global warming, increased investment, rather belated identification of suitable grape varieties and more accurate analysis of appropriate soils.”

With a mix of larger commercial vineyards and boutique wineries, he says the future’s bright for English wine.
There are vineyards as far north as Northumberland, but many of the best ones are in the south, where the fair weather and chalky soil offer suitable conditions for growing grapes, including champagne grapes, which are used to produce high-quality sparkling wines.

A good base for your viticultural tour is the appropriately named Hotel du Vin, set in a sandstone grade II-listed mansion in the elegant town of Tunbridge Wells. And as the name suggests, wine is high on the list of this hotel chain’s priorities, so you might like to sip a glass of fine English wine on the terrace as you consider your route (www.hotelduvin.com).

If you can’t make it out of town, check out the events and sample English wines at London’s wine museum, Vinopolis (www.vinopolis.co.uk).

Sandhurst Vineyards
Tucked down a leafy country lane with a genteel B&B based in the family house next to the vineyard is Sandhurst. It grows Bacchus, Reichensteiner and Schonberger grapes for white wine production and Rondo and Dornfelder for red wine, most of which it sells to wine producers including nearby Chapel Down. Stock up on its delicious prize-winning Sandhurst Pinot Noir in its rustic barn.
Hoads Farm, Sandhurst,
Cranbrook, Kent TN18 5PA
tel 01580-850296
www.sandhurstvineyards.com

Chapel Down Winery
Just outside the pretty Kentish town of Tenterden, Chapel Down is the home of one of the biggest commercial wine producers in the U.K., producing more than 500,000 bottles a year. The winery sources grapes from vineyards all over the southeast of England and transforms it into excellent white, red, rose and sparkling wines.
Take a tour round the 25-acre vineyard, and see how the wine is produced, snack in the bistro, and pick up a few bottles from its shop — a top choice is its English Rose rose, a summery wine with hints of strawberries, violets and roses.
Small Hythe, Tenterden, Kent TN30 7NG www.englishwinesgroup.com

Three Choirs Vineyard
Estate and Hotel
On the edge of the Forest of Dean, Three Choirs Vineyard is an innovative vineyard. Visit the winery, walk through the 75 acres of vines (follow its Vineyard Nature Trail), adopt a vine, or taste its wines. Fully absorb the idyllic surroundings by having dinner in the restaurant or staying over, either in the eight-bedroom hotel or in one of the brand new lodges, tucked between the vines and overlooking the ponds in the valley below the restaurant.
Newent, Gloucestershire GL18 1LS, tel 01531-890223 www.three-choirs-vineyards.co.uk

Denbies Vineyard
Denbies is a complete vineyard theme park. Not only can you visit the vineyard and see how the wine is produced, but there’s a panoramic cinema showing movies about the vineyard calendar, an indoor fun-fair style ride through the production process and an outdoor train tour of the vineyard in the summer. Denbies is a truly dynamic vineyard, with plenty of events year round. There are two restaurants, and you can stay on site in its guesthouse. Be sure to try out its award-winning Greenfields sparkling wine.
London Road
Dorking, Surrey
RH5 6AA
tel 01306-876616
www.denbiesvineyard.co.uk