Although Kent has the monopoly on vineyards and is itself the Wine Garden of England , our much loved neighbouring county of Sussex has some notable vineyards too that we appreciate just as much as our own . Kinsbrook Vineyard ( www . kinsbrookvineyard . com ), which lies in Thakeham , West Sussex , has released a special limited-edition wine : 21 . Creating a spectacular range of handcrafted wines from grapes grown on its third-generation farmland , Kinsbrook Vineyard is family owned and run . The vineyard itself was founded in 2014 and has since been led by couple Joe Beckett and Rebecca Dancer , some of the youngest vineyard owners in the country .
Set in the heart of West Sussex wine country , Kinsbrook Vineyard ’ s ethos is ‘ from the ground up ’ because the team build everything themselves . “ Authenticity and attention to detail is in our blood ,” says Rebecca . “ The aim is to create an inclusive and sustainable lifestyle culture centred around the wines , feel-good food and hospitality .”
2021 was a tough year for English wine ; producers were struck by repeated frosts , heavy rain , high humidity and a summer with virtually no sun . The yields were modest at harvest time and Kinsbrook was unable to justify making their usual single-variety still wines , but saw an opportunity to create something new instead . 21 is a white wine that blends three grape varieties : Bacchus , Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir Précoce . Joe Beckett , Kinsbrook ’ s owner , who , at 29 is possibly the youngest vineyard owner in the country , told insideKENT :
“ 21 is a limited-edition vintage wine and is the only still wine we will be releasing from our 2021 harvest . It is really quite an exciting wine ; it has the recognisably aromatic elderflower notes from the Bacchus when your nose is first in the glass . Then , on the palate , it ’ s medium-bodied which gives it the ‘ luxe ’ quality we know to be from the Pinot Gris grapes . It also has a tropical component to it from the Gris that is almost sherbert-like , which is aided by the crispness from the high acidity . And then the Précoce , being a red grape , adds a further level of complexity , texture and perfume to the wine . In the winery , the grapes were crushed , de-stemmed and vinified separately and then blended . The wine is vegan and we used low-intervention winemaking techniques to allow each grape variety to express itself as clearly as possible .”
21 ’ s tasting notes include elderflower , orange peel and tropical Haribo and it is now available from Kinsbrook ’ s cellar door in Thakeham , West Sussex , or via their website . Visitors can also enjoy vineyard tours and wine tastings overlooking the vineyard together with delicious small plates of food using fresh seasonal ingredients . Monthly supper clubs allow guests to enjoy a fine-dining experience paired with a Kinsbrook wine flight among the vines . Kinsbrook ' s Farm Shop and Eatery is also well underway , located in a newly built barn in the heart of the vineyard with an all-seasons seating balcony with views overlooking the vines . Taking a farm-totable approach , the food in the Eatery will consist of small sharing plates with a menu that is constantly changing as gluts of vegetables become available and go in and out of season .
Kinsbrook firmly believes in supporting local ; as well as the Eatery , there ’ ll be a Farm Shop with a butchery counter selling only the highest welfare local meats from Trenchmore including Sussex wagyu beef , Mangalitsa pork and local game from Beal ' s Farm and lamb that has grazed on Kinsbrook land will be available at certain parts of the year . “ We can ’ t wait to welcome people to our West Sussex vineyard to showcase English wine and incredible local produce at this incredible area I ’ m humbled to call home ,” says Joe .
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