[Drinking] Local vineyards

[Pint of Ale and a Burger]

Barnsgate Manor, just outside Crowborough, used to do that with Muller-Thurgau grapes. The winery was owned by the Pieroth company. We used to buy a lot when I was younger. However, Barnsgate Manor has gone bust. I don't know whether the winery was still going, but they were running a wedding and hospitality business there, and I suppose the pandemic finished them off.

Has anyone on here tried the wines from Kingscote Vineyard, just outside East Grinstead? It's very local to me, but it's only my mother and me at home. She can't really drink much wine because of medication, and I'm really a beer drinker.

Thanks,that's very interesting to know it can be done that way and some body has achieved it in the past.
I will have to look into this further.

 

[CheeseRolls]

Bottom end of the expensive scale but Albourne estates Bacchus can be found for £15.

I live on the edge of the vineyard and the investment is enormous.

They had to buy a farm, convert the whole thing to grape production, but all the industrial grade machinery to make the wine.....then wait 2-3 years until you start getting good yields, then figure out how to make the best wine you can.

It’s a minimum 20-30 years before it’s paid itself back, so we are just centuries behind our continental competition.

And the weather, forget reds. Whites and sparkling only.

English red is awful btw. It’s why I’ll never go back to Isaac At


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A few years back my mum bought my dad a "vine", which entitled him to some wine. He gave us a bottle of red from St George's Vineyard in Horam (no longer there thankfully) and it was truly awful.

I would have agreed up until recently, when I have really enjoyed a couple of bottles. I will be honest and say that they are not particularly good value, but I bought a bottle of Rathfinny Pinot Noir, (no longer available but there is a 2018), which I thoroughly enjoyed. I also picked up a bottle of Blackdown Ridge Triomphe from Middle Farm https://www.blackdownridge.co.uk/triomphe-red-2015/2015-triomphe-red. I think they may have priced this wrong, as it was a tenner rather than £16, but one I would be happy to drink any time. Triomphe is an Alsace grape and it will be interesting to see if it takes off here like Bacchus.

On still white wines I can recommend Poynings Grange Bacchus.

 

[Machiavelli]

English red is awful btw. It’s why I’ll never go back to Isaac At


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There are a few exceptions that prove this particular rule -- I've had a couple of Pinot Noirs I've been impressed with, one of which was stunning (and I can't remember what it was), and then there's the one at Waitrose for c£15.*
Yes, thanks for that reminder about Isaacs. I'll keep going back to 4&C instead.

Edit: *it's the Bolney that dazzer mentions v

 

[dazzer6666]

English red is awful btw. It’s why I’ll never go back to Isaac At


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I really like the Bolney Pinot Noir.

 

[Machiavelli]

Nyetimber not cheap but compare it with similar quality French Fizz and there is a not a lot of difference but probably £20 cheaper. Currently around £30.

Obviously a monthly treat at that price, I seem to remember it going for £15 a bottle in our local Waitrose if you bought 6 which is simply daft - doubt if that offer will be repeated.

As an aside, Nyetimber are slowly but surely buying of loads of South Facing farmland locally to plant vines e.g. West Chiltington Golf Club!

Top info sharing about Nyetimber. That's a sign of site selection, something that the French, Italians, Germans, etc have centuries on us.

It's not local, but I'm convinced the most interesting wine region is Greece. If you haven't done so already (and you should), sign yourself up to The Wine Society, and get involved.

 

[amexer]

Interesting answers to my original question so now can understand reasons for prices. This will not change until scale of production increases so as regular wine drinkers, will continue to buy foreign at £8/10 bottle and fill up boot on trip to France

 

[WATFORD zero]

Interesting answers to my original question so now can understand reasons for prices. This will not change until scale of production increases so as regular wine drinkers, will continue to buy foreign at £8/10 bottle and fill up boot on trip to France

That must be a small car if you can fill the boot with 24 bottles (or 18 litres)

 

[FamilyGuy]

M&S english lily is a tenner and is denbies…very nice wine.

Chapel down from tenterden is our favourite and although not cheap, ridge view from ditching is now recognised as a world leading, expensive, sparkling wine.

Going round denbies a while ago the lady guide said in 10 years Italian grapes will be raisins due to climate change and that is why so many french and italian companies are bu6ing up land in Sussex and Kent. Check out alfriston now…..huge vineyards.

https://rathfinnyestate.com/

Another vote here for Chapel Down. We went to their Vinyard Tour and dinner a few months ago (pre lockdown) - great day out (although we stayed overnight in a local Inn).

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

My wife and get through a few bottles every week. Cost of majority bottles in the £8/12 and happy with the quality in this range. Several times have felt should try and support local vineyards but always surprised at the prices anything from £15 to £30. Sure there is an answer but why so expensive compared to wine that has to be transported from France,Spain, Italy etc

Due to our climate conditions, we aren't able to produce enough of it. End of.

But yes l agree, the local sparklers from our nearby vineyards at Bolney and Albourne are superb.

 

[Machiavelli]

Not that local, but proof that there are improvements with Welsh and English reds but, and this point is crucial, only if you dig around. Most of it is poor.

https://www.theguardian.com/busines...and-retired-nurse-grab-gold-with-a-pinot-noir

 

[CheeseRolls]

Top Wineries of Great Britain 2021
https://www.therealreview.com/wine-regions/gb/top-wineries/2021/?mc_cid=e2dddcbaef&mc_eid=e09e1c5465
Half the slots taken by Sussex Vineyards. Not sure how the other half sneaked onto the list to be honest.

 

[Springal]

Did Ridgeview in the summer - not the most extensive tour, but nice to drink in the garden after. But yes very low yields, fairly small vineyard. They also have some co-operation going on with other grape growers which they use to 'bulk out' a bit which kind of surprised me but makes sense. But the product IMO is as good as many of the popular champagnes. Certainly I've started considering buying UK sparking more than champagne

 

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

Rathffiny at Alfriston is very good. Sparkling at £30 a bottle is right up there with the best, they do more expensive but I've not tried that. Their Red and rosé is very drinkable and can be down to £13 a bottle when on offer and brought in a case of six. I had some brilliant red from Three Choirs in Gloucester a few years back when staying there for a mini break.

I'm no wine snob and will happily drink Aldi Toro Loco at £5 a bottle, but do like to support local english wines occasionally if they are good enough and within my price - never more than £15 for reds and £30 for fizz on a very special occassion.

Interesting. I drove past Rathfinny a couple of times earlier in the month when I was down and saw that they did an organised tour. Anyone heard good/bad things about it?

TNBA

TTF

 

[Nitram]

Did Ridgeview in the summer - not the most extensive tour, but nice to drink in the garden after. But yes very low yields, fairly small vineyard. They also have some co-operation going on with other grape growers which they use to 'bulk out' a bit which kind of surprised me but makes sense. But the product IMO is as good as many of the popular champagnes. Certainly I've started considering buying UK sparking more than champagne

I did a tour of Champagne region a few years back visiting small producers around Epernay. Best tour was around a vineyard that produced champagne for Prince Charles and Fortnum and Mason. Showed us around the whole production process, tastings of the pure grape juice to visiting the cellars. They used the grapes they grew and then sent them for further pressings to other champagne makers once they had the juice they wanted. It’s common practice.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Top info sharing about Nyetimber. That's a sign of site selection, something that the French, Italians, Germans, etc have centuries on us.

It's not local, but I'm convinced the most interesting wine region is Greece. If you haven't done so already (and you should), sign yourself up to The Wine Society, and get involved.

Except Retsina and Cretan village wine in a brown jug but yes a very interesting wine country.
If you really want to go off piste (pun intended) try looking at Swiss wine.
The Italians are famous for keeping all the very best stuff for themselves, even Italian restaurants in other countries struggle to get some and have to to deals directly from vineyards rather than suppliers.

 

[Elbow750]

Interesting. I drove past Rathfinny a couple of times earlier in the month when I was down and saw that they did an organised tour. Anyone heard good/bad things about it?

TNBA

TTF

Haven't done the organised tour but I was shown around when the winery was being built. Very nice place and I'd certainly say give it a go.

Let us know how you get on.

 

[TheJasperCo]

There's a tiny vineyard facing the A259 in Highdown Gardens. Never tried their produce but I *think* I recall it getting an airing on Saturday Kitchen or Sunday Brunch or James Martin's weekend show.

 

[Springal]

There's a tiny vineyard facing the A259 in Highdown Gardens. Never tried their produce but I *think* I recall it getting an airing on Saturday Kitchen or Sunday Brunch or James Martin's weekend show.

The wines are pretty bang average - and the sites about to be developed for houses I think

https://planning.org.uk/app/72/QN8FYVTU0OQ00

 

[RandyWanger]

Speaking of bottom, I've done a few plumbing jobs for Breaky Bottom vineyard near Rodmell, takes about 15mins to drive there from the main road over dirt tracks!

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Lovely stuff. I took some back to France with me when I was a resident of the Rhône-Alpes and served it to some local friends who were very impressed with it. Highly recommend their sparkling white

 

[Blue3]

Making our own wine planted vines two years ago and this was our first crop not huge but enough to make one gallon it’s currently on its second fermentation and might take up to a year before it’s drinkable (if it ever is)