Hencote
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Shrewsbury SY4 3AA
01743 298444 Lat / Long: 52.732259, -2.757432 Vineyard description: Around six hectares encompassing some 23,000-or-so vines on a moderately fertile, but slightly acid loamy and clay soil (Soilscape 8) in a natural arc, sloping down to a valley. Grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Seyval Blanc. Website: http://www.hencote.com/vineyard-and-estate Facebook highlight |
Hencote - picture Google Maps
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Pattingham
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Great Moor Rd, Pattingham, Wolverhampton WV6 7AT
01902 239099 Lat / Long: 52.58509, -2.24448 Situated in South Shropshire, 12-acre vineyard on south-facing slopes of free draining sandy topsoil, fed by natural spring water. Grapes: Divico, Pinot Noir Precoce, Solaris. Website: https://pattinghamvineyard.co.uk Contact: [email protected] In 2016, the Wilcox family - Martin, Jane and daughter Stevie, had the chance to buy some land near their home in Pattingham in South Shropshire, south of Wolverhampton. But then what to do with it?
So, it was two years later that another local family-run vineyard was born on land that was only previously used for grazing, based on the south-facing slopes, the sandy topsoil and the fact the land was fed by a natural spring. The initial four acres grew to 12 and in 2021 the family made their first harvest. Now the vineyard is producing around 30,000 bottles of still and sparkling wine. The vineyard's 2021 Solaris earned a bronze medal in the GB wine awards. Recently, the family has begun vineyard tours and has won permission to sell their wines onsite, despite some local opposition. The vineyard is unusual in that it is is planted with a Swiss black grape variety, Divico, which has a deep richness reminiscent of Rondo. |
Pattingham Vineyard - picture Google Maps
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Rodington
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Rodington Road, Sugden Lane, Telford, Shropshire, Telford TF6 6ND
01952 770858 Lat / Long: 52.728147, -2.594988 Vineyard description: Rodington’s 1.6 hectares of vines slope gently southwards towards the Wrekin. The soil is slightly acidic, loamy and clayey, which has slightly impeded drainage, but where fertility is moderate to high (Soilscape 8). Grapes: Bacchus, Ortega, Rondo, Seyval Blanc, Solaris. Website: http://rodingtonvineyard.co.uk UPDATE 24/07/2020: I dropped in on Rodington this morning, where I was delighted to see Ram Chahal hard at it as usual - not on the vines this time, but building a retaining wall for the raised garden in front of the house on-site.
I've not seen Ram for a while and the last I heard of him, through his daughter Manjit (at a farmers market in Wem of all places) he was suffering with a leg injury. Thankfully, he's fully recovered. Ram told me the vineyard, like others around the county, had suffered quite badly with the frost in April, although for him it definitely sounds like a 'game of two halves'. If you look at the Google maps picture on the right, it is the right half of the vineyard that suffered most. The grapes are in bud, but they are of an inconsistent size. Luckily, the left hand side doesn't appear to have been as badly affected and seems to be more or less on track. Ram expects a late harvest this year and told me he hasn't ruled out the possibility of creating a single rose blend from the fruit. So there you are... If life gives you lemons, make rose! He also introduced me to what's become known as a kind of 'accidental, barbecue Rondo'. The story is that the wine was made from fruit left over when another producer forgot they'd wanted to buy it. Consequently, it stayed a little overlong on the vine, but the result was much more palatable than expected. As attested to, it turns out, by a group of visitors to the vineyard who drank more or less nothing else over the course of a six-hour barbie. Needless to say, I bought some. I'll let you know... |
Rodington - picture Google Maps
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Rowton
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Welshpool Road, Rowton Castle, Shrewsbury
Lat / Long: 52.707960, -2889845 Vineyard description: Brand new (2020) vineyard on a south facing slope on the main Shrewsbury to Welshpool road. Around 7,500 vines planted on a greenfield site. Grapes: Include Pinot Noir, Seyval Blanc, Solaris. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RowtonVineyard/ Young winemakers Zoe and Melissa Evans probably need no help in telling their story as they brilliantly chronicle the birth of a brand new vineyard less than 10 minutes from Shrewsbury on their Facebook page.
Rodington took their first harvest in 2022, so expect their first 'real' home grown Solaris and Pink Fizz to become available any time soon in new year 2023.. Facebook highlight |
A hard night's work at one of Rowton's in-house English wine tastings, brilliantly delivered by Zoe and Melissa Evans.
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