We called in at Wroxeter Roman Vineyard in May of this year and the vines looked so small and undeveloped that I couldn’t believe this is a Vineyard which is well thought of in English winemaking circles. Of course this just proves that what I know about grape growing could be inscribed on a wine label.
Now, they are just starting to pick the grapes. They tell us that this is the best year since they planted their first vines in 1991. The dry weather, with bright sunshine at the right moment, means that they expect to reach an ABV of 13% this year for the first time.
My good friend Wiki tells me that ABV means ‘alcohol by volume’ and 13% seems to about the average for wines from other countries judging by the supermarket offerings.
When we were there in May we bought a case of six bottles, some of which we really liked and some were not to out taste – as with every case we have ever bought. Needless to say, neither of us could remember which we had liked.
So we bought just one bottle of Regner which we had seen growing. It is not often we see the grapes before we buy!
This family business is an example of a clever man, David Middleton, taking a good idea and making it work. Glebe Farm was not making money as an agricultural enterprise but was attracting visitors to visit the Roman Remains which lie on it. Everyone knows that the Romans took the vine wherever they settled and certainly to England. On a visit to California, he had the idea of setting up a Vineyard on his land. The rest of the story you can find here.
Not resting on their laurels, they now make cider and, although they grow some apples, they are given some by people who do not want them. Everywhere we go we see old orchards, lost to production – we’re in one at the moment. Such a waste of natural resources when we are flying apples across the world to satisfy the supermarkets’ perception of what the public want.
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