Jo
FOOD + DRINK
On The Grapevine
As you drive through our Kent countryside this month you ’ ll probably see the endless rows of lush green vines that seem to have sprung out of nowhere after a long dormant season . Right now , they are hard at work creating bunches of tiny flowers that will self-pollinate ( no bees required ) and become baby grapes next month . If we have warm , sunny weather now , the crop should be good , but if it is cold and rainy , the bunches will be uneven and harvest will be more complicated .
So .... fingers crossed !
Believe it or not , Kent is the sunniest county in the UK . This means that our vines ripen grapes better than anywhere else . 50 years ago , it was a different story and our climate was unsuitable for making the wines we do today . However , there were a handful of vineyards brave enough to give it a go , including Biddenden Vineyards ( biddendenvineyards . com ), the first one in Kent that diversified from apples to grapes after hearing a piece on BBC R4 ’ s Woman ’ s Hour .
NINTH VINEYARD MEMBER FOR WINE GARDEN OF ENGLAND
In the 1970s , only vines from Germany thrived over here , with varieties romantically called Ortega , Huxulrebe , Schonburger , Dornfelder and Scheurebe ( try pronouncing that after a glass or two ). Biddenden duly planted all these varieties and have had such success that they have scarcely needed to follow the trend of planting the Champagne varieties . In fact they are planting more Gewurztraminer this year . Every one of their wines is a crowd-pleaser and they keep the prices as low as they can too . My favourite is their Ortega , a mouthwatering white wine that packs a grapefruity punch on its own or with a lovely mild spiced dish such as kedgeree . At tastings , this is often the most popular .
You can visit Biddenden Vineyards via train ( 10 mins from Headcorn ). They have an excellent self-guided tour with guidebooks and tasting flights . It ’ s just like rocking up to a family-run vineyard in France , and you ’ ll wonder why you ’ ve not done it sooner .
Don ’ t forget to book tickets to The Wine Garden of England Summer Celebration on 8 June , where you can meet eight Kent producers , taste the wines and party on late into the summer evening . Until then , I hope you continue to enjoy discovering everything Kent has to offer !
Jo
JO GINN , BRAND MANAGER WINE GARDEN OF ENGLAND
jo @ winegardenofengland . com @ winegardenofengland
Based on the outskirts of Mereworth village in west Kent , award-winning Yotes Court Vineyard has become the latest acclaimed member vineyard of the Wine Garden of England group , the tourism focused collaboration that promotes Kent as the sunniest wine region in the UK .
Boasting one of the most stunning views in the county , Yotes Court is considered by experts as the best site in the UK for growing grapes and was one of the first vineyards to be accredited by Sustainable Wines of Great Britain ( SWGB ). Planted in 2016 by New Zealand native Tony Purdie , the vast majority of fruit is grown for the UK ’ s largest wine producer , Chapel Down . However , in 2018 , owner Susannah Ricci decided to expand the area under vine to allow for wine produced under the Yotes Court label .
The brand has been inspired by Susannah ’ s involvement with national hunt horse racing , reflecting her jockey silks , and with wines named after her winning horses such as LiveLoveLaugh and Benie Des Deux . Adding to her 22 races won at the Cheltenham Festival , Yotes Court wines are now following suit by picking up awards at Decanter and the Wine GB Awards .
On joining the Wine Garden of England , Susannah commented : “ The growth of English wine depends on wine tourism , and I have watched with interest as this group of like-minded vineyards has worked together to gain some momentum in the promotion of Kent as a place to visit . I ’ m excited to see what we can achieve together .”
128 • www . insidekent . co . uk