FOOD + DRINK
WESTWELL WINES
WORDS AND IMAGES BY ASHLEIGH BRITTEN
ONCE UPON A TIME WRITING ABOUT ENGLISH WINE MAY HAVE BEEN SEEN AS MORE OF A DUTY , AS OPPOSED TO AN ENTHUSIASTIC REVIEW . ALRIGHT , THERE HAS BEEN SOME EXCELLENT FIZZ , AWARD-WINNING IN FACT , BUT THE PRODUCTION OF STILL WINES HAD A LOT TO LIVE UP TO – BAR A FEW HONOURABLE EXCEPTIONS . BUT , THERE ’ S NO SHYING AWAY FROM THE FACT THAT THE ENGLISH WINE SCENE IS BECOMING COOLER BY THE YEAR , THANKS TO A NEW INNOVATIVE BAND OF WINEMAKERS , THINGS ARE STARTING TO LOOK UP . AND ONE OF THE COOL KIDS , WESTWELL , IS RIGHT ON OUR DOORSTEP , LITERALLY . CUE THE EXCITEMENT OF A TEAM TRIP TO THE ESTATE …
A small family run company , located on the chalky slopes of the North Downs just beneath the Pilgrims Way , we arrived at the 45 acre estate on a perfect sunny Friday morning to be greeted by Marcus , the vineyard manager and Jose the winemaker . From the get go , it was quite obvious from the casual dresscode , that this tour was going to be nothing but honest , as in , forget the pretty picture of drinking wine in a tasting room overlooking a stunning backdrop , oh no , this would be an eye opener , the nitty gritty behind-the-scenes of what it actually takes to produce good English wine – the real , and rather scientific , world of wine making .
Led by Jose , we headed up to the south-facing slope lined with vines as far as the eye could see . Bought in 2016 by ex musician and wine enthusiast Adrian Pike , the potential of this interesting terroir was immediately recognised – this guy knew what he was doing , and this place definitely ticks all the boxes ; an ideal mix of climate , aspect and soil . The vineyard looked in great health and listening to Jose , his pride and dedication helped us understand why .
Currently 50,000 viticultural vines are established here , which may sound like a large number , but in the world of wine would only be considered a small vineyard . 4 different varieties of grapes call this place home : Pinot Meunier , Pinot Noir , Chardonnay and
Ortega , and this is where it gets technical . The first vines we stumble upon are Ortega , planted in the sandiest most sheltered spot , this variety of grape does particularly well in our Kentish climate , developing grapes with a fruit-forward , aromatic style . These vines are the originals , and with over 10 years growth look the most mature , and what ’ s more exciting , the first buds are starting to appear ! But how mature do they have to be before they can start harvesting the grapes we ask ? Once planted , grapes won ’ t start appearing until year three and even then , would only be considered a small harvest , most vines are not in full production for yield until they reach the age of 6 – it ’ s clear patience is key in winemaking .
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