Jo
FOOD + DRINK
BALFOUR LAUNCHES “ PERFECT PAIRING ” REWILDING CAMPAIGN
Balfour Winery , one of the UK ’ s leading rosé producers , have teamed up with a local rewilding charity in Kent to support returning areas of the South East to wilderness through sales of their Nannette ’ s Rosé .
On The Grapevine
Wimbledon always marks the start of an exciting time in the vine ’ s lifecycle . As you ’ re tucking in to your Kentish strawberries , flowers will be starting to appear in the vineyards . Bearing in mind the fruit produces some of the best nectar known to humanity , the flowers that start it all off are unassuming and you probably wouldn ’ t notice them unless you are within a few feet . Vines don ’ t need bees to be fruitful ; they actually selfpollinate , and the tiny flowers do all the work as long as the weather isn ’ t too ghastly , so fingers crossed !
June is a great month for Kentish wine . The Wine Garden of England Summer Celebration is on Saturday 8th , at Chilham Castle near Canterbury . The venue is not often open to the public , so it will be a real treat to sample so many wines from Kent around the lake of one of Kent ’ s best kept secrets . People have grown to love this event and it is usually a sell-out , but you might be in luck if you head over to winegardenofengland . co . uk for a last chance at getting some tickets .
We also celebrate English Wine Week this month , from 15 – 23 June . You ’ ll notice that local restaurants are promoting wines from our doorstep , and there will be special events at the vineyards . If you ’ ve not tried English wine yet , this is the week to take the plunge .
One of my favourite places to enjoy the summer is at Yotes Court Vineyard ( www . yotescourt . co . uk ), near West Malling . Their horseracing inspired branding goes through their smart wine collection and onto their paddock lawn , with a life-size model of a racehorse painted in pink and green proudly overlooking the incredible view across Kent . You couldn ’ t do much better than relaxing on the terrace with a chilled glass of Pinot Meunier rosé , taking in the splendid rows of vines that stretch as far as the eye can see .
As one of the founding members of Sustainable Wines of Great Britain , Balfour has already given over swathes of their land to rewilding projects , including reestablishing over 90 acres of wildflower meadows which were lost in the Second World War .
The campaign , which began in May , will see huge floral displays take over their winery , a number of Balfour ’ s ten pubs and selected on-trade customers ’ venues , alongside initiatives such as Nannette branded athome rewilding kits and a rewilding festival - “ Woodland in the Winery ” - which will see living trees brought into the visitor centre this summer ; with a floral display created by Chelsea Flower Show-winning florist Louise Roots .
Adam Williams , chief operations officer at Balfour , said : “ Rewilding has been part of our story since our co-founder , Leslie Balfour , first began rewilding our estate in 2002 . For us , we think wine is best enjoyed outdoors . So combining the two as a “ Perfect Pairing ” with nature seemed a lovely idea - and helps us to do more to support our landscapes and home ”.
These long days are a gift – enjoy them to the full , with a glass of Kentish wine close at hand . Maybe I ’ ll see you at Chilham Castle .
Cheers !
Jo
JO GINN , BRAND MANAGER WINE GARDEN OF ENGLAND
jo @ winegardenofengland . com @ winegardenofengland
140 • www . insidekent . co . uk