4th July

LUXURY CRUISE LINER TO BE LAUNCHED WITH BOTTLE OF ENGLISH SPARKLING WINE

Classical musician, singer and presenter Myleene Klass will next week be launching the biggest passenger ship to sail from Dover Cruise Port with a bottle of English sparkling wine.  She will have a spectacular bottle-breaking “assist” from Royal Navy divers when she performs her first-ever Ship’s Godmother duties by officially naming the 113,000 tonne Carnival Splendor.

The wine will be broken on Myleen's command by Petty Officer Christian Rumming, assisted by a Royal Navy dive team, who will climb 60 ft up the vessel from underwater to the Carnival Splendor’s name on the top of her bow and smash a bottle of highly acclaimed 1994 vintage Nyetimber English sparkling wine against the hull.   The celebrity musician will be playing live classical piano music on the ship’s top Lido deck.

In breaking with tradition, the bottle of Nyetimber was chosen by Carnival to emphasise their selection of Britain to launch their largest and latest superliner.

Myleene Klass said, “Not only am I excited about launching my first-ever ship with the Carnival Splendor, but also I am  so looking forward to working with the Royal Navy men who seem to be under my command - if only for a couple of minutes! I plan to give PO Chris Rumming the start signal by playing some classical music on Carnival Splendor’s baby grand piano.” 

Carnival Cruise Lines President and CEO Gerry Cahill said, “Myleene Klass and the Royal Navy are a unique combination, and we are very honoured that they are joining forces to successfully name the Carnival Splendor.”

Carnival Splendor offers a comprehensive selection of restaurants, show-stopping entertainment, four swimming pools, a 5,500 sq ft children’s play area and Carnival’s largest ever floating spa featuring a thalassotherapy pool, thermal suite and 17 treatment rooms.

Immediately after its Naming Ceremony, Carnival Splendor sets sail for a three day preview cruise to Amsterdam, returning to Dover on July 13, when it will depart on the same day for its official inaugural 12-day cruise to the Baltic countries, visiting Copenhagen; Warnemunde (for Berlin); Helsinki; St Petersburg; Tallinn and Amsterdam.

A video replay of the Carnival Splendor Naming Ceremony can be viewed beginning July 10 at www.carnival.com/splendor.

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4th July

ROYAL VISIT TO AWARD WINNING CORNISH VINEYARD

When the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall visit the Duchy on Thursday 10th July, Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall will pay a visit to Camel Valley Vineyard near Bodmin.

The idea for the vineyard visit began when Cornishman David Brewer was Lord Mayor  of London and arranged a Cornish produce event at Leadenhall Market, which the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall attended.  They both showed great interest in the Cornish wines Sam Lindo was showing.  At the time he gave them a leaflet about the vineyard and invited them to visit Camel Valley.  ‘I never dreamed they’d take me up on the invitation, and it’s a great honour that they have.’

Sam Lindo – last year's ‘Winemaker of the Year’ – will show Her Royal Highness round the winery, and demonstrate  the disgorging process he uses to make Camel Valley traditional method sparkling wine.  The bottle of ‘Cornwall’ will then be labelled and presented to Her Royal Highness to take home.  Sam says ‘I hope the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall will enjoy drinking ‘Cornwall.’

Still very much a family concern, Camel Valley’s founders Bob and Annie Lindo will show the Duchess the vineyards and give a brief talk on vine growing.   Her Royal Highness will then meet the rest of the family and staff, and join neighbours for a Cornish lunch and wine tasting on the terrace overlooking the vineyards. 

‘Who could have imagined when we first planted vines twenty years ago that a member of the Royal family would ever visit us?’ said Bob Lindo.  ‘We’re all very pleased to welcome such a distinguished guest to our quiet little corner of the Cornish countryside, and I’m so pleased to have been able to include our neighbours and supporters in on the  visit, especially those who’ve flown over from Japan for the day!  We’ve won many prestigious awards over the years, and I consider this visit to be one of them.’

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3rd July

VITICULTURAL FOCUS AT FRUIT GROWERS SHOW

The spotlight will be on viticulture and winemaking at this year's fruit growers' show Fruit Focus.  For the first time this trade show will incorporate a dedicated Vines to Wines section, introducing all budding viticulturists to the UK wine industry and the many opportunities and support that are now available. 

The initiative is jointly sponsored by United Kingdom Vineyards Association and English Wine Producers, and will include a series of indepth seminars covering many aspects to the industy, from grape to glass.  Wine consultant Angela Mount and English specialist Stephen Skelton MW will lead the talks which will include routes to market, and what is involved in setting up a vineyard alongside other relevant subjects covered.  Plumpton College, whose Wine Studies Centre is the only one of its kind in the UK and offers a wide range of courses in viticulture and winemaking will also be exhibiting, along with a number of suppliers to the industry. 

For anyone seriously interested in coming in to the UK  wine industry, this is a must.  Further information is avaible from Fruit Focus.

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2nd July

PRINCE OF WALES’S CAR FUELLED BY ENGLISH WINE?

There were reports in some of the national and international press yesterday that the Prince of Wales is using, amongst other ingredients, English wines.  

The press reports vary from the fuel being made ‘entirely from English wine’ (The Telegraph) to ‘fuel made from cheese and wine’ (The Times), to ‘an excess local vintage produced by English wine makers’ (CNN.com).    The news has attracted global attention over the last 3 days.

Contrary to what was inferred, the English wine used in the production of bio fuel was not from surplus supplies that exceeded EU quotas on wine production.   The wine was spoilt stock that was therefore unsaleable.   

Bob Lindo, Chairman of UK Vineyards Association, commented: “I contacted the Palace and the PR Company involved and, having acknowledged their misinterpretation, they promptly printed a retraction. 

“The English wine industry strives to produce wines to the highest standard,” added Bob Lindo.   “Such is the high demand for English wine at the moment that many vineyards simply do not have enough to sell.

“The original statement should have made it clear that the wine used was a waste product.  We quite accept this was an honest mistake and we appreciate this speedy retraction.”

Decanter.com quotes Stephen Skelton MW: 'The story is rubbish. "'There is no surplus of English wine and we don't belong to the European distillation regime."

Replying to bulletin board jibes that English wine 'must taste like petrol', Skelton said, 'We are as good as anywhere else in the world'.

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2nd July

CAMEL VALLEY RETAINS SPARKLING WINE TROPHY IN NATIONAL COMPETITION

Yet again Cornwall’s Camel Valley Vineyard beat stiff competition to gain a record four trophies in this year’s English & Welsh Wine of the Year Competition.  Additionally, Camel Valley took three gold medals and a string of silvers and bronzes, some for wines not yet released for sale.

Camel Valley won the Vintners Trophy for the Best Sparkling Wine for the second consecutive year, as well as the Dudley Quirk Memorial Trophy for the best large production wine for its Bacchus 2006, and the Montagu Trophy for the best presented wine.  In addition, the President's Trophy for the best small production wine was also awarded to Camel Valley.  These trophies confirmed Camel Valley’s reputation as the UK’s most consistent sparkling wine producer.

Sam Lindo, 2007 Winemaker of the Year, said he was delighted with the results: ‘This year’s awards have exceeded our wildest expectations.  To achieve such success for a second year running shows real consistency in our winemaking skills.’

Bob Lindo, co-founder of Camel Valley, said he and wife Annie were thrilled by the results.  ‘We’re still a small family run business, and this has been a real boost to our hard working staff.  A lot of big money is coming in to the English vineyard business now, but these results show that it’s hard work and a dedication to perfection that really matter.  We’ve got a royal visit soon, so we’re looking forward to showcasing our award winning wines to HRH the Duchess of Cornwall on our home ground next week  (further information on this visit here)

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1st July

AROMATIC STILL WHITE STYLE LEADS THE WINNERS

IN THIS YEAR’S UK NATIONAL COMPETITION

A still white wine has truimphed as Wine of the Year in this year's English & Welsh Wine of the Year Competition for the first time since 1999.  Although England adn Wales are now acknowledged leading sparkling wine producers, it is perhaps a timely reminder that this country also produces some uniquely attractive still white wines, particularly from aromatic varieties.

The competition took place at Brightwell Vineyard in Oxfordshire on 26th and 27th June, with a top team of judges, chaired by Patricia Stefanowicz MW and comprising Julian Brind MW, Anthony Foster MW, Maggie McNie MW, Alastair Peebles MW, Stephen Skelton MW and David Wrigley MW.

This year’s national competition saw an impressively high number of entries.  More gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded than in the previous two years, with a good number awarded to 2007 vintage wines, showing that despite the difficult vintage and low volume, the quality is high.  2006 vintage wines also showed well, illustrating that a year in bottle has allowed the wines time to show their inherent quality.  The sparkling wines did not disappoint, with some impressive trophies and gold medals awarded, proving once again the consistently high quality coming from English and Welsh sparkling producers.   2 gold medals were awarded each to Nyetimber and Ridgeview, and last year’s highest award-winner Camel Valley continued their success by scooping three gold medals as well as the trophy for Best Sparkling Wine, which was awarded to their “Cornwall” White Pinot 2005.

The aromatic still white category surpassed many expectations, with Bacchus showing top form by winning two trophies, and securing its reputation as a quality grape variety ideally suited to the UK and producing a consistently appealing style.  Other aromatic varieties such as Ortega and Schönburger also earned a good number of awards, both as single varietals and in blends.  “Bacchus, along with these other aromatic varieties, has earned true recognition for producing a very successful style in the UK,”  commented Patricia Stefanowicz.

The winner this year is Three Choirs Vineyards, whose Estate Reserve Siegerrebe 2006 won the Gore-Browne Trophy (‘Wine of the Year’) and fittingly the Tom Day Trophy for Best Varietal Wine.  Tom Day was involved with Three Choirs Vineyards when it was first set up in the early 1970’s.  Siegerrebe is another intensely aromatic variety which produces outstanding wines when grown on the right site.

Other notable results were the high scoring medals awarded to the few late harvest wines that were entered, with Eglantine’s North Star 2004 scooping gold, repeating its top medal success in the French competition Vinalies earlier in the year, and three silver medals in this category awarded to other producers Bothy, Astley and Three Choirs.

A significant accolade goes to Wickham Vineyard in Hampshire, which wins the McNie Trophy for Best Oaked Wine for the second year in a row for their latest Special Release Fumé.

Rosé continues to prove a popular style, clocking up 27 medals.  Acknowledging this category is the Waitrose Rosé Trophy, which this year has been awarded to Denbies Wine Estate for their still Rose Hill 2007.  The best red wine once again went to a single varietal Pinot Noir, from Titchfield Vineyard in Hampshire.

The accolade of Winemaker of the Year recognises the significant contribution that winemakers in the UK make towards the quality of English and Welsh wines.  This year’s acknowledged winner is Martin Fowke of Three Choirs Vineyards.

A full list of the winners is available here.

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30th June

FORTNUM & MASON SPARKLE THIS SUMMER WITH CAMEL VALLEY

First own label English Sparkling wine for leading London store

Cornwall’s leading vineyard, Camel Valley, has developed Fortnum & Mason’s first ever own label English sparkling wine .

Camel Valley has produced just 3,000 bottles for the shelves of the world renowned food and drink emporium. This fresh yet vibrant fizz has elegant fruity aromas providing the perfect partner to this season’s British strawberries, light canapés and, indeed, any al fresco appetiser.

Bob Lindo, owner of Camel Valley Vineyard explans: “It has been a fantastic experience teaming up with Fortnum & Mason. We pride ourselves that year on year the vineyard continues to produce top quality wines. To be recognised by Fortnum & Mason is a huge honour, and provides us the opportunity to supply our sparkling wine to an international audience.”

The sparkling wine is made by Sam Lindo, named UK winemaker of the Year 2007, using a blend of grapes; Seyval Blanc, Reichensteiner and Huxelrebe. This decadent sparkling is then aged on lees* for 18 months. The long growing season helps to create delicate and subtle aromas maintained through careful practice in the winery

Tim French, wine buyer for Fortnum & Mason adds: “The English sparkling wine market is growing and we are seeing more and more wineries successfully competing against the more established international competition. We decided to work with Camel Valley as they stood out as a leader of England’s developing sparkling wine industry. It is exciting times for English sparkling wine and we are delighted to champion the finest examples at Fortnum’s.”

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20th June

AN OPPORTUNITY TO TASTE OVER 100 ENGLISH & WELSH WINES FROM THIS YEAR'S NATIONAL COMPETITION

Artisan & Vine have organised a trip for London-based wine enthusiasts to taste over 100 of the UK's premier wines.

This tasting event follows the judging of this year's English & Welsh Wine of the Year Competition.

The trip starts at St John's Hill in London, taking a coach to Brightwell's 14 acre vineyard near Wallingford in Oxfordshire.  The day will include a tutorial on tasting and judging, followed by sampling of 100 wines from this year's national competition. 

Lunch and a complementary bottle of Brightwell wine to take home are also included in the ticket price, which is £55 per person

For further information or to book tickets please contact Artisan  & Wine.

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19th June

UK's OWN NATIONAL COMPETITION TAKES PLACE NEXT WEEK

The 2008 English & Welsh Wine of the Year Competition judging takes place next Thursday and Friday (26th and 27th June). This year's hosts are Brightwell Vineyard in Oxfordshire.

The team of eminent judges is chaired by Patricia Stefanowicz MW and comprises Stephen Skelton, Anthony Foster, Julian Brind, Maggie McNie, David Wrigley and Alastair Peebles.

An impressive 200 wines have been entered in to this year's competition. The wines will be tasted in style and category order and the results will be announced on or about Monday 30th June. Who will win the coveted accolade of Wine of the Year - Gore-Browne Trophy - and who will be named Winemaker of the Year?  There is some stiff competition.  Watch this space!

There is an opportunity to taste some 100 wines from the competition on Saturday 28th June.  London-based company Artisan & Vine are organising a day visit to Brightwell.  The ticket price includes transport to the vineyard, a talk on the competition, lunch and a bottle of Brightwell wine to take home.  For more information contcact Artisan & Vine direct.

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16th June

DENBIES WINES SELECTED FOR US PRESIDENT'S DINNER

Denbies Bacchus 2004 was served at Number 10 Downing Street on Sunday evening at a dinner held in honour of President Bush.  In the company of the Prime Minister, the President of the USA, cabinet members , leading historians and two of France’s finest wines from Bordeaux (Chateau Gruaud-Larose and Chateau Coutet), the Bacchus was served to accompany a Trio of Smoked Salmon and cherry tomato salad.

It has become customary for an English white wine to be served at Number 10.

‘What an honour’, commented Denbies Wine maker, Marcus Sharp, who made the wine, ‘2004 was an exceptionally good year for ripening aromatic varieties and this was a particularly herbaceous wine .’

The 2004 Bacchus came from an exceptionally good batch of grapes from the south facing slopes in the dell area of the Denbies Estate.   Following the outstanding quality of last year’s harvest, Denbies has just released a 2007 Bacchus.

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13th June

TOP AWARD TO ASTLEY VINEYARD IN REGIONAL COMPETITION

Upmarket county magazine Worcestershire Life hosted its Food & Drink Awards last night.  Celebrating the great produce that Worcestershire has to offer, these prestigious awards covered entries from all walks of food and drink, from cider and cheese to asparagus and wine.  The awards are sponsored by Waitrose and local businesses.

The 2008 winners of the Best Food & Drink Producer are Astley Vineyards, based near Stourport-on-Severn.  Astley produces a range of still and sparkling white wine, including a late harvest wine.

Astley's wines consistently win awards at national and even international level.  Owned and run by Jonty Daniels and Janet Baldwin, the wines are availble direct from the vineyard (tel: 01299 822907) or through local outlets.

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1st June

CHAMPAGNE VS DEVON SPARKLING WINE

Blind Tasting Organised for Devon Wine Week

As part of Devon Wine Week, the Devon Wine School held a blind tasting at Redyeates Farm on Wednesday 28th May 2008 to see how Devon’s sparkling wines performed alongside the world’s benchmark sparkling wine region.  The answer was really very well.

The panel tasted 8 wines, 4 wines from 3 local vineyards in Devon and 4 wines from the Champagne region in north-east France, including the top houses of Moët & Chandon and Pol Roger. 

The panel chairman Jan Critchley-Salmonson, Master of Wine, said afterwards “We found it quite difficult to identify the Champagnes from the traditionally made Devon sparkling wines, which gives you an indication of the greatly improved quality of the local wines”.

The wines and results are as follows: 

All wines were tasted blind in the order above.  The marking system used was:

GOLD      90-100    Outstanding example, setting the standard

SILVER    80-89.5  Fine example, excellent quality

BRONZE  75-79.9  Good Example, well above average

66 -74.9    Good but not award worthy

50-65.9     Adequate

The panel of tasters were:

Jan Critchley-Salmonson Master of Wine, (Chair)

Andy Whiteman (owner of the Nobody Inn, Doddiscombsleigh and the Harris Arms 

                           Lewdown)

Richard Hartley (owner of the Culm Valley Inn, Culmstock)

Mark Butler        (Cellarmarque Wines Ltd)

The tasting was organised and administered by Alastair Peebles MBA MW, proprietor of the Devon Wine School.

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21st May

ENGLAND CELEBRATES IMPRESSIVE NUMBER OF AWARDS IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS

The results of the three UK-based international competitions were announced yesterday, and England has done better than ever, scooping a total of 87 awards between them.

The International Wine Challenge announced a gold medal win for Hush Heath Estate's Balfour Brut 2004, the first wine produced from this sparkling wine estate in Kent.  The overall results for England showed a continued improving form (10 medals in 2005, 16 in 2006, 21 in 2007 and this year 22 medals). Despite the exceptionally wet weather last year, the 2007 vintage still proved to be of good quality with 7 Bronze medals awarded.

The International Wine & Spirit Competition confirmed that England proved its quality, with a staggering 96% of English wines walking away with a medal, including a Gold 'Best in Class' which was awarded to Nyetimber Vineyard Classic Cuvee 2001. A further 8 Silver 'Best in Class' and 16 Bronze medals were awarded.

More English wines were entered this year in to the Decanter World Wine Awards, and gained an impressive 19 awards, including 2 Silver and 5 Bronze medals.

All these competitions judge to the highest standard and have an impressive list of judges, who taste all the wines blind.  Vineyards across the country are certainly raising a few glasses in celebration.

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10th May

NEW BOOK ON ENGLISH WINES PUBLISHED IN TIME FOR ENGLISH WINE WEEK

The first of three books on English wines and vineyards to be published this year has just been launched, in time for English Wine Week.

Grape Britain by David Harvey has been meticulously researched over 2 years and brings together a tour of Britain’s Vineyards in a lavishly illustrated 256-page book that will be popular with the growing number of UK wine enthusiasts and vineyard visitors alike.  Further information on the book is available here

The author will be attending a launch at Mostly Books in Abingdon on Friday 23rd May, which will be accompanied by a wine tasting of local vineyard Bothy and nibbles - tickets £5.00.

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9th May

CHAPEL DOWN'S CEO WINS NATIONAL BUSINESS AWARD

Frazer Thompson, the Managing Director of England's largest producer Chapel Down Wines in Kent, has been crowned Chief Executive of the Year at an awards ceremony hosted by members of a new London stock exchange.

He won the accolade at the Plus Investors Awards 2008 on 29th April in London. Plus Investors is a quote-driven stock exchange for small businesses, trading more than 1,000 British companies with a combined market capital of £195 billion.

Frazer has been with Chapel Down Wines since 2001 since when he has overseen the development of the Chapel Down label to become one of the leading English wine brands. The company continues to expand and recently announced healthy profits. 

Frazer is also chairman of Kent Institute of Directors, and . He also a non–executive director of Business Link Kent and a member of the Kent Economic Board.

After picking up his trophy, Mr Thompson said: “It was a great surprise and honour to win."

Source: Kentnews.co.uk

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8th May

ENGLISH WINE WEEK IS NEARLY HERE!

Towards the end of May, English Wine Week will be taking place, with lots of activities and offers taking place all across the country. 

English Wine Week is a countrywide campaign to promote English wines and vineyards, an initiative started by the English wine industry itself some five years ago, organised by English Wine Producers and co-sponsored by Food from Britain.    During the week, vineyards across the country will be opening their doors to welcome visitors and offer a variety of activities, including tours, tastings and sales or hosting special events.  English Wine Week will also be supported by wine merchants, farm shops, delicatessens, hotels, pubs and restaurants with their own promotions of English wines.  

This year there is a wide variety of activities, from a special day at Denbies learning to make cheese and blend your own wine, to belly dancing at Sharpham Vineyard in Devon!

Full listings and news on what’s happening in vineyards, wine merchants, retail outlets, hotels and restaurants are all available on the English Wine Week website.

VISIT VINOPOLIS FOR ENGLISH WINE WEEK PREVIEW

English Wine Week kicks off early at Vinopolis in London, with a special preview fortnight starting today, when visitors are invited to taste 3 top white wines and 3 sparkling wines absolutely free as part of the tour *

Guests will be asked to rate the wines and afterwards hear the opinions of revered wine experts including Oz Clarke, Jancis Robinson, Robert Joseph, Charles Metcalfe, Andrew Jefford, Susy Atkins, Stephen Skelton and other top names. During the tour guests will enjoy an English Wine section where they can learn about the growers, how to appreciate English wine, each wine’s provenance plus the vineyard’s location so they can pay a visit during English Wine Week.

As a celebration of English wines, all English Wine tasting guests will be entered into a draw to win a VIP ticket to Matt Skinner’s ‘Meet the Expert’ session on 17th May at Vinopolis. The winner will taste premium wines with Matt, have a Q&A session and receive other sought after goodies.

*English Wines will be available to taste during the tour, not exclusively. After 2pm there will be a charge of £4 for 6 tastings to sample the English wines.

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7th May

NEW WEBSITE FOR RIDGEVIEW

Ridgeview Wine Estate has just launched their new look website.  www.ridgeview.co.uk outlines the story of Ridgeview and their wines, and  is packed with other essential background information about this producer.

To help you track down your favourite Ridgeview wine there is a comprehensive list of where to buy, and you can update yourself on the many awards they have won over the years.  The website will be regularly updated with latest news and press releases, as well as events taking place – so you need never be out of touch with this award-winning producer and their wines again.

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2nd May

ENGLISH WINES ON OZ CLARKE WEBSITE

The theme for May on Oz Clarke’s website is ENGLISH WINES, celebrating English Wine Week 2008 24th May – 1st June.
 
Oz features background history and information on English wines – all you need to know, in a nutshell!  The Oz Clarke website also outlines his range of books, a perfect way to treat yourself or the wine enthusiast in your life.

www.ozclarke.com

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15th April

TESCO GOES LOCAL

Tesco has launched a small range of English and Welsh wines that is available in selected Tesco stores local to the vineyards. The five wines - which include a sparkling, red, rosé and two whites - join the five English and Welsh wines currently listed in Tesco.

Over the last 12 months, Tesco has created eight regional buying offices, designed to source and support local farms and producers; the five new additions signal Tesco’s intent to offer local produce to local customers across all forms, including supporting burgeoning UK wineries.

Hampshire producer, Wickham, was awarded a listing following its victory in the Tesco Drinks Awards for its Wickham Celebration Rosé. Retailing at £6.99, the wine will be available in 14 local Hampshire stores. Essex-based winery, Sandyford, has two new local listings: Sandyford Clover Hill White and Sandyford Special Reserve Red, available at £8.60 and £8.99 respectively. They will both be available in 13 stores around the Essex and Cambridgeshire areas.

Carr Taylor's still dry whiteEstate was established in 1971 by David and Linda Carr Taylor. Its flagship dry white, Alexis, will be available priced at £6.95 in four stores in the Sussex area. Additionally Welsh producer, Glyndwr,  will have its Welsh Sparkling available four stores in Cardiff, Swansea and Carmarthen, price £14.99.

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28th March

EXPERIENCE THE LUXURY OF A LODGE AT THREE CHOIRS VINEYARD

Three Choirs are building new lodge rooms in the heart of the vineyard combine luxurious accommodation with a haven of peace and tranquillity in leafy Gloucestershire.  These wooden lodges will be opening in June and are stuated just 500 metres from the main vineyard buildings, in the heart of the vineyard and overlooking the string of ponds in the valley below the restaurant.

Each lodge is separated from its neighbour by several rows of vines.  They all have a double bedroom with king size bed and a bathroom with both a large bath and separate shower. All lodges also have an inviting veranda which runs around two sides of the building, giving the choice of sun or shade.

Each morning a breakfast hamper is delivered to the doorstep and guests who fancy a cooked breakfast the lodges are a short stroll from the vineyard restaurant which can also be booked for lunch and dinner.  If eating al fresco is more up your street, the vineyard can also provide barbeque packs for those who want to immerse themselves fully in the beauty of their surroundings.

A stay in the lodge, or in their main 8-room hotel could be combined with one of Three Vineyard Experience Days, which offer the chance to find out what it really is like to work as a winemaker!  The day starts at 10am with tea and coffee in the winery.  From here you will don your Three Choirs overalls and boots and venture in to the vineyard to help with whatever tasks are required depending on the time of year. This may be pruning, canopy management, shoot rubbing, trellising repairs or even a spot of grape picking.

On return to the winery mid-morning enjoy a tutored wine tasting with one of the wine makers, followed by a 3-course lunch in the Vineyard restaurant. Your host will choose suitable wines to accompany the meal and will explain how they were made.

After lunch it is back to the winery and the opportunity to help in various areas of wine production - this may be on the bottling line, labelling, filtering or monitoring fermentations.

Finally at the end of the day you can choose 2 bottles of wine to take away with you and you will receive an “Apprentice Winemaker” certificate!

All bookings are taken at www.threechoirs.com

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25th March

WINE MERCHANT IS RAISING MONEY FOR CHARITY WITH THE HELP OF ENGLISH WINES

Your support is needed - please read on ..

From April 25th 2008, Henry Butler of Butlers Wine Cellars and Andy Martin will ride a tandem bike from the English Wine Centre, Alfriston, to a small town called Bra, Northern Italy. The primary purpose of the ride is to raise awareness and funds for Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice in Arundel. However, in addition they hope to promote English wine throughout France and Italy by visiting top wine producers, then having direct tastings of their hosts’ wines versus the winners from the 2007 English Wine Festival.

Chestnut Tree House is the only children’s hospice in Sussex and cares for children and young adults from 0-19 years of age with progressive life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses. Chestnut Tree House offers support for the whole family including psychological support, care in bereavement therapy, end of life and respite care and sibling support. The hospice costs approximately £2 million per year to run. Families are not charged for their care and the hospice receives no government funding at all, so it relies completely on the generosity, help and support of the people of Sussex.

Henry and Andy are Sussex born and bred and are taking with them 4 English wines that are local to their home town, Brighton. Although they don’t envisage rapturous applause from their French hosts they do expect an appreciation for the fact that English wine has come a long way in the last ten years.

Henry comments: "We are aware that there are many events asking for donations on a regular basis. Our trip is not just any old charity trip; it’s the most inventive one around. If you haven’t heard about it you can find full detail here www.MadDogsAndEnglishWine.com .

In brief, Andy and I are taking award-winning English wine by tandem and presenting it at wine tastings throughout France and ending up showing them at a Slow Food dinner in Bra (north east Italy). We will be raising awareness of the charity detailed above, our local wines, green travel, the Slow Food movement and quality French and Italian wine makers.

The wines that we’re taking are Ridgeview Bloomsbury, Breaky Bottom Sparkling ’03, Biddenden Dry, and a Dry White Ortega from Plumpton College, which is a project unique to us at the Butlers Wine Cellar.

We have put a lot of work into this - not just training - but trying to organise “international” wine tastings, and that’s not easy. We aren’t going as athletes, but there is no room for error; we have to finish it as the Chestnut Tree are depending on us, that is one of the reasons I don’t sleep at night."

The ride will be in excess of 1600Km and take 18 days to complete. The pair will ride through Champagne, Alsace, Burgundy, the Rhone and finally into Piedmont in northern Italy. The final destination, Bra, is the home of the Slowfood movement, an organisation that supports small, traditional farms and producers such as English wine makers.

Donations can be taken via the Mad Dogs And English Wine website.

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14th March

ADOPT A VINE FROM BOOKERS FOR FATHER'S DAY

Has your Dad ever dreamt of producing and drinking his very own wine from his own vineyard? Help him take a step towards that dream and adopt a vine from Bookers Vineyard for your Dad this Father’s Day.
                                               
The Adopt a Vine gift contains a welcome letter with details of the recipient’s ‘Rondo’ vine, a map of the vineyard with their vine highlighted, a presentation certificate and a voucher for a free tour and tasting at Bookers Vineyard, based near Bolney in West Sussex. The gift also includes two bottles of Bookers’ Dark Harvest, a medium bodied, smooth, dry red wine with lots of red fruit flavours and complimentary oak notes.

What’s more, to mark the occasion, if you buy the Adopt a Vine gift before Father’s Day (15th June 2008), the recipient will receive a free guest pass for the vineyard tour and tasting.

The Adopt a Vine Gift Box costs £49.00 and is available online from Bookers.

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13th March

ENGLISH WINES PASS THE TASTE TEST

Recently reported from independent merchant Noel Chadwick in Wigan:  one recent Saturday evening in their restaurant, which only serves English wines, they had a table of four wine and food enthusiasts who appeared unaware of this when they ordered their wine.

When it was brought to their table, one of them said, "Shall we do the usual?" and each took a mouthful of the wine, pronouncing their opinion on its characteristics and country of origin. Two voted for Chile, one for Argentina and one for Portugal. What they did agree on was it was one of the best wines they had ever tasted.  “The look on their faces when they examined the label to discover it was English was priceless!” reported Rebecca McCarthy of Noel Chadwick.

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10th March

LOCAL SUPPORT AT A'BECKETT'S WINES ARE NOW AVAILABLE THOUGH WADWORTH

Leading independent brewery Wadworth & Co, from Devizes in Wiltshire, have linked up with local vineyard a’Beckett’s and now are selling their wines throughout their 250 strong pub estate, as well as to their trade customers. 

The move highlights the strong Wiltshire link between the two producers, which will undoubtedly develop enthusiastic local support.   a’Beckett’s Sparkling White, Estate Blend still white and Estate Red are the only English wines on the Wadworth list. 

Andrew Steer, commercial manager at Wadworth said “We are delighted to be able to work with a’Beckett’s Vineyard. The wines are excellent quality and the current increasing demand for local products and reducing carbon footprints makes a’Beckett’s and Wadworth ideal regional partners. We are looking forward to increasing the distribution and awareness of the range in time.”

a’Beckett’s proprietor Paul Langham, who together with his wife Lynn planted the vineyard in 2001, commented: “We are thrilled that we are supplying Wadworth, one of Wiltshire’s leading and most popular brands. Lynn and I are delighted that we can now buy our wine in our local!”

a’Beckett’s continue to develop their vineyard business, with a winery building now ready to accommodate winemaking equipment ready for this year’s harvest.  Two of the wines won awards last year, with a Silver medal won by the (now sold out) Rosé 2006 and a Bronze for the Estate Red 2005 in the English & Welsh Wine of the Year Competition. 

7th March

GOLD MEDAL FOR ENGLISH DESSERT WINE

Following national and international success last year, Eglantine Vineyard in Nottinghamshire have scooped yet another prestigious medal in France.  Eglantine’s North Star, a luscious dessert wine produced from Madeleine Angevine, has won a Gold Medal at Vinalies Internationales in Paris http://www.vinalies-internationales.fr - announced this week.  This comes on top of a Gold Medal at Concours des Vins des Vignerons Independents 2007, and a Silver Medal Best In Class in last year’s International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC).

Each vintage of this wine has won top medals.  The wine is produced by Eglantine owner and winemaker Tony Skuriat.  There is little in the way of protection between this vineyard and Siberia. On one occasion, grapes were harvested by the Northern Lights – which probably inspired the name of the wine!

The wine is described by IWSC judges as “…very attractive nose packed with tropical tones highlighted by pineapple with hint of mint. Initial mouth appears to be richly sweet then beautiful balance is provided by clean, lively fruit acidity. Floral notes in the background with freesia and hint of honeysuckle. Touches of jasmine and camomile suggest the influence of a master perfumier. Lithe and nimble. Clean cut finish. Delightful now yet has potential to develop over years to come.”

The wine is available direct from Eglantine Vineyard by either visiting or contacting by email or from the following outlets:

Delilah Foods, Nottingham

Think England, Torquay

best-english-wines.co.uk

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6th March

CHATEAU WAITROSE - Waitrose Plants Vineyard in Hampshire

Waitrose has today announced that it will be the first UK retailer to plant vines in England. The vines will be planted in the next year on the retailer's own 4,000 acre farm, The Leckford Estate, in Hampshire. Customers will need to be patient though, as this English Fizz will not debut on the shelves at Waitrose until 2014.

This move is in response to the continuing growth in interest and sales of English wine. Reflecting this trend, in 2007 Waitrose reported a growth in sales of over 90% and a market share among the multiples topping 40%*.

Waitrose has stocked English wine for over twelve years. The demand for English wine has risen so dramatically that Waitrose doubled its range in 2007. The aim is to have between 2 and 6 local wines in every branch in the wine producing regions of England. In addition 28 ‘local’ English wines, already available in Waitrose shops, are available nationwide online from Waitrose Wine Direct (www.waitrose.com/wine).

A Waitrose spokesperson commented: "To ensure our customers can continue to enjoy English wine in the future we are investing now to cope with future growth. It is a long term project - the vines will need three years before we see the first crop of grapes, and then a two year wine-making and maturation cycle for the production of this high quality sparkling wine."

Justin Howard-Sneyd, MW - English wine buyer for Waitrose - said: "Our customers are really enthusiastic about English wines and we have seen some fantastic quality from Nyetimber, Ridgeview, Chapel Down, Camel Valley and Denbies. We are all incredibly excited about being involved with the planting and growing of our first vineyard. In addition to the Estate sparkling wine, the vineyard also provides an opportunity to connect our Wine Specialists to the production cycle of the vineyard, and to enhance their education about how wine is made"

The Leckford Estate is located on gently rolling chalk hills either side of the River Test. There are several sites with a sheltered southern aspect where the soils have just the right balance of chalk and clay loam for our grapevines. In fact many of the soils of southern England are from the same geological strata as soils in classic regions of Northern France such as Chablis and Champagne.

* Waitrose have 6% of the wine market for the multiple grocer market and 4% market share of the overall grocery trade.

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5th March

PLUMPTON COLLEGE OPEN DAY COMING UP

Your chance to find out more about wine studies options

Plumpton College is holding an Open Day on Saturday 10th May.  The Open Day celebrates the successful courses and illustrates opportunities available at Plumpton to visitors.

This once a year opportunity allows visitors to enjoy a wide range of activities, tours and displays, including Floristry, Metalworking, Terrier Racing and Dog Grooming, Farm displays and riding, to name but a few attractions.  Additionally there will be a trade and charity stalls, craft show and refreshments.  Samples and sales of Plumpton Estate wines will also be available.  The Open Day gives a unique opportunity to see what some of the extensive range of courses can offer and of course to look round the campus, including the newly opened Wine Studies Centre, the only one of its kind in England.

The Open Day takes place between 10.00am-5.00pm.  Entry is free for 16's and under, £5 for adults and £3 Senior Citizens.   A location map and further information about Plumpton College and the Open Day can be found from their website.

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20th February

DENBIES WINE ESTATE RELEASES RECORD NUMBER OF SINGLE VARIETAL WINES

At Denbies Wine Estate the 2007 harvest produced grapes of outstanding quality, which has resulted in the decision by Denbies Winemaker, Marcus Sharp, to produce two additional varietals.  Bacchus 2007, Ortega 2007 and Hillside Chardonnay have been produced, in addition to their Schönburger 2006, which was released at the end of 2007.  All of these will bring a record amount of varietals to the Denbies existing still and sparkling range.  

‘The concentration and flavours combined with high sugar levels and low acidity really influenced the reasoning behind producing varietals from not a particularly high yielding year’ commented Marcus Sharp, Denbies wine maker, ‘This is the first time Denbies has ever produced four varietals at the same time, it is very exciting to compare and contrast the styles’.

All of the wines will be available for purchase in early March 2008.

Denbies Wine Estate currently has a range of 12 wines and produces on average over 450,000 bottles of wine per annum.   In 2007 Denbies wines received outstanding recognition on an International level winning both the Sparkling wine Trophy at the 2007 International Wine Challenge and being nominated as UK Wine Producer of the Year at The International Wine and Spirit Competition.

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29th January 2008

SOUTH WEST VINEYARDS ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE

The South West Vineyards Association has just launched its website. 

Packed with plenty of information on the vineyards within the region (Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire and South Wales) the has lots to offer to both the interested visitor and member vineyards alike. 

News from around the region and a list and map of vineyards is also available.  In time the website will build rapidly to include useful research and publications. 

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25th January 2008

WINE APPRECIATION COURSES AT BOTHY VINEYARD

Bothy Vineyard in Oxfordshire are pleased to announce that they will be hosting a Wine Appreciation Course from this Easter, to be run by Karen Hyde of Wine Matters. 

"We feel that there is a great synergy between the work we do here in the vineyard and Karen's mission to help people understand and develop a greater enjoyment of wine," commented Sian Liwicki, who together with her husband Richard owns and runs Bothy Vineyard.

The course starts on 19th March.  Further details are available from Bothy Vineyard, or direct from Karen Hyde  on Tel: 07855 026734 or email karen@winematters-oxon.co.uk.

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17th January 2008

DENBIES APPOINTS JOHN WORONTSHAK

Denbies Wine Estate has just announced the appointment of leading wine industry figure and international flying winemaker John Worontschak, who will be joining the company as Operations Director.

John Worontschak’s role will be to oversee all aspects of wine production from the vineyard to the finished product.  His appointment is recognised as an integral part of the continuing improvements and expansion programme at the wine estate.

Christopher White, General Manager commented, ‘We are delighted to welcome John to Denbies, who joins us at an exiting time, there has been an unparalleled interest in English wine, particularly on an international level and we look forward to maximising the potential of Denbies wine.’

John Worontschak added. ‘I am thrilled to have this opportunity to work with Denbies, England’s largest vineyard. I have followed the expansion and international success that Denbies has achieved and looking forward to being a part of this exciting and developing company, particularly the growth of sparkling wines from this site.’

Denbies Wine Estate currently has a range of 12 wines and produces on average over 450,000 bottles of wine per annum.   In 2007 Denbies wines received outstanding recognition on an International level winning both the Sparkling wine Trophy at the 2007 International Wine Challenge and being nominated as UK Wine Producer of the Year at The International Wine and Spirit Competition.

Denbies is located in Dorking, Surrey with direct rail access from London Waterloo and Victoria mainline stations 40 minutes, Heathrow 40 minutes/ Gatwick 20 minutes.

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7th January 2008

UK PRODUCERS TOAST LIFTING OF PLANTING BAN

English and Welsh wine producers have particular reason to celebrate the New Year, following the announcement just before Christmas that extension to the EU wide planting ban will not apply to the UK.  The EU Council has agreed to a permanent exclusion of the UK from the planting rights regime. 

This planting restriction had been the greatest challenge to the continued development of the wine industry in the UK, which has been growing very successfully over many years.  Under this EU planting ban, UK wine producers would have had to stop any further planting once production exceeded 3.3million bottles (25,000 hectolitres), averaged over 5 years.  Although the EU Commission wanted to get rid of the planting restrictions, they were forced to compromise and extend the ban to 2015, in order to get other reforms through, which are designed to make EU production more competitive.

The Planting Ban was introduced in the EU in 1999 in response to the over production of poor quality wine in the larger member state producing countries which resulted in the infamous ‘wine lake’.  The current EU Wine Reform, introduced by EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel, aims to revive the languishing European wine industry.  Meanwhile, the UK has been steadily producing more and more quality wine, especially within the sparkling wine sector, and demand from both domestic and overseas markets has never been higher.  The UK’s representative industry body, the UK Vineyards Association (UKVA), therefore argued that capping the expansion of this vibrant industry, which is completely unsubsidised, would fly in the face of the new Common Agricultural Policy.

The UKVA has worked closely with Defra, the NFU and MEPs to lobby against the restrictions.  Bob Lindo, Chairman of the UKVA Council said, “If you had told me at the beginning of our campaign that we would get virtually all of our demands in such a short time, then I wouldn’t have believed you.  The House of Lords Select Committees were right ‘on side’ from the very beginning.  Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat (and UKIP) MPs, MEPs and Peers all supported us and many others as a result of our media campaign. 

“It shows what can be achieved when we all sing from the same hymn sheet, and we should never underestimate just what has been achieved.”

Mike Roberts of RidgeView Wine Estate, and one of the key members of the UKVA’s EU Wine Reform Working Group, commented: “Our recent and current rate of planting will yield a production of over 4 million bottles by 2012 – an increase of over 100% of our present production.  Further expansion is planned for this and the next years and we foresee our production may well double again.  The UK is producing and building a demand for what is now recognised as world-class and competitive wines, without any subsidy or market assistance from the EU.  We have fulfilled the prime objective of the EU Commission’s wine reform – to have European countries produce what the consumer wants.   The EU has acknowledged our efforts by exempting us from the planting ban.” 

EU wine reform amendments have also lifted bans on unlisted grape varieties, as well as the listing of grape varieties and vintage on table wine labels.  These reform measures have been put in place to increase the competitiveness of European wines in the face of stiff competition from New World producers. 

The lifting of the ban shows the credibility that English and Welsh wines have built up and will encourage the continued development of the UK’s wine industry.

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12th December

ENGLISH SPARKLING WINE GAINS TOP TEN RANKING IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

An English sparkling wine has once again triumphed in an international competition.  Theale Vineyard Sparkling Chardonnay 2003 beat off stiff competition from fine Champagnes and top sparkling wines to make it into the world’s Top Ten Sparkling Wine at the world’s only dedicated sparkling wine competition, French-based Effervescents du Monde  (sparkling wines of the world) 2007. 

Since its first wine was launched in 2006 this small vineyard, which measures only 200 square metres (2150 sq feet), and planted with 704 Chardonnay vines, has received a growing list of top plaudits from the world’s best wine judges.  The same wine also received a Silver Medal at the world’s premier wine competition, The International Wine Challenge, held earlier this year. 

The Theale Vineyard is sited in front of the offices of Laithwaites, Britain’s leading independent wine merchant, in Berkshire.  When Laithwaites built their new premises on a brown field site in 1998, a shrub border was due to be planted over debris from the previous building.  However, Tony Laithwaite, the company’s owner and a geographer by training, saw an opportunity to experiment with growing vines to produce a unique English wine. An artificial hill facing south was fashioned with suitable topsoil and planted with Chardonnay vines imported from Champagne in 2000.   The vineyard is managed by award-winning sparkling wine producer RidgeView Wine Estate, who also makes the wine under contract.

Only 756 bottles of this 100% Chardonnay wine were made.  It can be purchased in person for £22.99 per bottle from the Laithwaites shop in Theale or by calling 0870 4448282 for home delivery.

Tony Laithwaite is delighted with the wine’s success:”We don't really know why the sparkling wine from this vineyard has proved so successful.  Perhaps it is due to the carefully built south-facing slope or the shelter and heat from the surrounding buildings? Certainly Ridgeview’s skills and the dedication of the team who keep the vineyard immaculate have lead to its success.”

Another English wine produced by Ridgeview, this time exclusively for The Sunday Times Wine Club and Laithwaites – Ridgeview Merret South Ridge 2005 – added to the English success in the same competition with a Silver medal.  The wine, with a cepage of predominantly Chardonnay, with Pinots Noir and Meunier, has enjoyed consistent success in this competition, with Silver medals awarded twice before to previous vintages.  South Ridge is available from the Sunday Times Wine Club and Laithwaites, price £15.99 per bottle.

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11th December

"The Gourmet Wine Company"

VINEYARD AND RESTAURANT OPEN NEW WINE SHOP

Jabajak restaurant and vineyard, based near Whitland in Camarthenshire, have opened a new wine shop and tasting lounge – The Gourmet Wine Company.  The new portfolio will feature wines from all over the world, including England.  

Most of the wines listed are from small producers, from tiny cooperatives in the Mountains of North Western Spain, to a small family run operation in the Sacramento Valley in California and lesser known wine producing areas like Rust, in Austria.

The full wine list will soon be available on line to view and buy from  www.thegourmetwinecompany.co.uk.

Wine from Three Choirs, who have been advising Jabajak on their own vineyard, is available to buy from the new list, and can also be enjoyed in their restaurant by the bottle or glass.

You can sign up to receive Jabajak's newsletter by contacting info@jabajak.co.uk, for regular news on their restaurant, accommodation, functions and other events.

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10th December

ENGLISH WINE REALLY IS THE TOAST OF CHRISTMAS

English wine will give Champagne and claret a run for their money this Christmas following Waitrose reports that its English wine sales have risen an incredible 120% year-on-year.

English sparkling wine sales are contributing to this outstanding increase. During November, Waitrose English sparkling wine experienced a sales uplift of 360% as customers, encouraged by its excellent quality, stocked up on their favourite British bubbly.

According to Waitrose, English wine is continually outselling wines from California, Alsace, Germany and Portugal and looks set to become the tipple of choice this festive season. In November, English wine outsold claret on Waitrose.com, the supermarket’s on-line service.

The Waitrose wine buying team, which includes five Masters of Wine, now takes English wine as seriously as any European or New World wine. Waitrose currently stocks wines from 11 UK vineyards and plans to increase its range still further in 2008.

English wine specialist Justin Howard-Sneyd, Waitrose Master of Wine, explained:

“English wines used to be regarded as the Cinderellas of the wine world – but now they are taking centre stage, and deservedly so."

“With the UK’s increasingly warm summers and the skills and expertise of English wine makers, English wine has seen a significant improvement in quality. It is also a great choice for customers wanting to try something a little different this Christmas.”

Every Waitrose shop in the wine-producing regions of England will have a range of between two and ten English wines, with a good proportion of Waitrose’s English wine selection available through Waitrose.com, Waitrose’s on-line service, including its best-selling Taste of England case, containing a mix of 12 English wines, £75.

Waitrose has scooped more major wine awards than any other supermarket. These include Best Supermarket of the Year at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2007, Off Licence News Multiple Wine Retailer 2007 and Supermarket of the Year 2007

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7th December

A TRULY CORNISH CELEBRATION WITH THE ARCHITECTURAL ELITE

‘Cornish Fizzy and Canapés’ was the invitation issued to the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects to celebrate the instalment of their new Master, Jonathan Ball MBE, AA Dipl RIBA ACI Arb, FRSA.

To celebrate the Master’s strong Cornish ties, award-winning sparkling wine Camel Valley ‘Cornwall’ Brut 2005 was served to