We, Clarke and Adele, moved into Blabers Hall in the Autumn of 2013. It really was our dream home. Lots of space for our children Jacob and James to grow up in this beautiful rural environment, to run and play in fields and streams, but with potential for growing and living off the land.
But what of the future...
We wanted to create a business that was natural, that was grown from the land around us, that gave something back and that looked after the environment. We wanted something that could sustain us into our future and even the futures of our two sons.
After many ideas we decided upon a Vineyard!
After Clarke prepared the land, we planted out in the spring of 2016. We choose grapes with growing characteristics which suit our cooler climates here in England.
Our first harvest was 2018, which was a bumper year! We have successfully harvested every year since which is not a given with cooler climates and the English weather!
So far we have 5 wines produced, 3 still White Wines, 1 still Rose Wine, 1 still Red and 1 Sparkling White and 1 Sparkling Rose.
We hope to plant out more in the future with more black grape varieties so to produce more Red and Rose soon. Please take a look at our Open Day page to see when our Vineyard is open to view.
Click and Collect is always available from the Vineyard for purchases via the website.
The Grapes
QUALITY GRAPES CHOSEN SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR VINEYARD AND COOLER CLIMATE
1. Phoenix - An excellent white wine dessert grape. Which produces generous bunches of good sized seeded grapes that are ready to harvest in Autumn when their leaves turn a fiery red.
2. Ortega - This grape ripens early in the season with high yield bunches. Wines made from Ortega can have aromas of elderflower and grapefruit.
3. Seyval-Blanc - Its vines ripen early and are very productive and suit our cooler climates. Often used in sparkling wine production.
4. Solaris - Solaris is an early ripening variety. It gives wines which have fruity and perfumed aromas with hints of banana and hazelnuts, with medium acidity.
5. Pinot Noir Precoce - The early ripening of Pinot Noir Précoce means that it is primarily popular in cooler wine regions. Its grapes are used in our Rose and sparkling wines.
