FOOD + DRINK
BIDDENDEN VINEYARDS :
HEART OF THE GARDEN OF ENGLAND
KENT ’ S ORIGINAL VINEYARD , BIDDENDEN HAS BEEN OWNED AND MANAGED BY THE BARNES FAMILY SINCE 1969 . TODAY , THE VINEYARD IS RUN BY THE SECOND AND THIRD GENERATIONS OF THE FAMILY , DRAWING ON MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN WINEMAKING AT BIDDENDEN . ORIGINALLY HOME TO A 40-ACRE APPLE ORCHARD , THE BARNES FAMILY STARTED TO CONSIDER DIVERSIFYING THE FARM IN THE LATE 1960s AS APPLE PRICES BEGAN TO DECLINE . AFTER LISTENING TO A FEATURE ON THE BBC ’ S WOMAN ' S HOUR PROGRAMME ABOUT ENGLISH VINEYARDS BEING REPLANTED , JOYCE BARNES WAS INSPIRED TO TURN TO VITICULTURE . IN 1969 , ONE THIRD OF AN ACRE OF VINES WAS PLANTED AND BIDDENDEN VINEYARDS WAS BORN .
KENT ’ S VINEYARDS
Today , the single estate vineyard spans 23 acres of gentle south facing slopes , just outside the picturesque Wealden village of Biddenden . Twelve varieties of grapes are grown to produce awardwinning white , red , rosé , sweet and sparkling quality English wines .
Biddenden produces approximately 80,000 bottles of wine each year . All the grapes are grown on the estate , with all vineyard work and picking carried out by hand to ensure that the very best quality grapes are selected to produce Biddenden ’ s wines . The grapes travel a maximum of 600-metres from the vineyard to the winery , with pressing , fermentation and bottling also carried out on site . The majority of wines are then sold from the cellar door or delivered directly nationwide .
Biddenden ’ s signature variety , Ortega , accounts for approximately 50 % of the plantings at Biddenden , and is used to produce Biddenden Ortega and Biddenden Sparkling Ortega Demi- Sec as well as Biddenden Ortega Late Harvest 2018 , a very special , limited-edition wine with a residual sugar of 122g / l , believed to be the highest naturally occurring sugar levels ever recorded by a UK vineyard .
Alongside Ortega , Biddenden ’ s plantings include white varieties such as Bacchus , Reichensteiner and Huxelrebe , as well as red varieties Dornfelder , Pinot Noir and Gamay Noir , used to produce Biddenden ’ s still and sparkling wines . For those with a sweet tooth , Biddenden Schönburger is produced using single varietal Schönburger grapes which are left on the vine to develop higher natural sugars , producing a sweet and fruity full-flavoured wine .
The Vineyard Shop is open year round and well stocked with Biddenden ’ s own ranges alongside specially selected local and artisan food and drink products . Self-guided tours run from May to September , in line with shop opening hours , and include a guide booklet and tasting flight of three or six wines ; with no need to book , simply purchase from the Vineyard Shop on arrival .
For those wishing to learn more about Biddenden ’ s family vineyard history and winemaking techniques , pre-booked private tours for groups of up to eight people are available Wednesday – Saturday from May – September .
For up to date information on opening times and visiting Biddenden , please visit the website at www . biddendenvineyards . com .
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