Jo
FOOD + DRINK
On The Grapevine
Our Wine Garden of England Summer Celebration is finally here! All nine of our vineyards gather in the gorgeous setting of Westenhanger Castle on 6 June, and people come from all over the world( but mostly Kent and London tbh) to taste their wines and enjoy local food, learn the art of sabrage and listening to live music. If you missed out on tickets this time, I do hope you’ ll be able to come next year.
June is literally the best time to visit our vineyards. The vines are abundantly leafy with bright green foliage, and they’ re flowering now in preparation for fruitset next month. You can skip through the rows in the sunshine, with a glass of sparkling Kent wine in your hand. Don’ t spill it!
Balfour( balfourwinery. com) has a fabulous terrace, overlooking their vineyard, and they are open all the time. They’ ll even give you a lift from Marden Station so you can leave your car at home. They have a wide range of still and sparkling wines for you to discover, and a fantastic estate with ancient woodland and orchards as well as vines. You can book a tutored tasting, wine tour or a full day experience. Alternatively you can just turn up for a glass of wine and a sharing patter- no need to book.
If you’ re in East Kent, Simpsons( simpsonswine. com) is close to Canterbury in Barham. Charles and Ruth Simpson own a thriving wine business in the Languedoc called Domaine Sainte Rose. They came back to the UK 10 years ago and realised how good the soil is in Canterbury, so planted vines on the chalky slopes of the Elham Valley. They only ever intended to make sparkling wine, but the microclimate is so warm in this area that they actually make more still wine these days. The wines are all superb, and you can taste them at their special mid week wine experiences. They also have some lovely events coming up, such as the long lazy lunch at Boys Hall. Take a look at their website for details.
FORT ROAD HOTEL WELCOMES POMUS FOR SUMMER DINING RESIDENCY
Margate’ s favourite neighbourhood restaurant, bottle shop and wine bar, Pomus, is taking over a summer residency at the Fort Road Hotel.
Set within the hotel’ s dining room overlooking Margate Main Sands and Turner Contemporary, the menu offers a fresh take on modern bistro cooking with Pomus’ signature style.
Running throughout the summer, Us @ Fort Road Hotel is centred around relaxed dining, bold flavours and a space with views across one of Kent’ s most-loved seaside towns.
Set in a former 1820s boarding house, Fort Road Hotel is a stone’ s throw from the beach and the old town. Owned by art-world insiders, the 14-bedroom boutique hotel blends mid-century modern and contemporary design, with many rooms offering sweeping views across the bay. An impressive collection of contemporary art, many by local artists Tracey Emin and Tom Gidley, also adds depth to the experience.
Alongside the dining experiences, guests can head downstairs to the atmospheric basement bar or upstairs to the rooftop terrace, ideal for a sundowner cocktail while watching the Margate sunset.
Ashford is close to another of our favourite vineyards, Westwell( westwellwines. com). Popular with the trendy London set, it’ s a perfect combination of stunning views, down to earth winemaking and delicious home cooked food. They are located on the Pilgrims’ Way, which makes it easy for walkers and cyclists to visit. Their flagship wine is called Pelegrim, the old English word for Pilgrim. It’ s a very moreish sparkling wine that goes very well with pizza. They host a pizza night every Friday, and it’ s a great place to go with friends. Book early- it’ s become very popular!
Which is your closest vineyard? If you’ ve never visited, check their website; you’ re bound to find that they have a friendly tasting room and maybe even some food and events to go alongside the wine.
Enjoy this fabulous month.
Cheers!
Jo
JO GINN, BRAND MANAGER WINE GARDEN OF ENGLAND
jo @ winegardenofengland. com winegardenofengland
144 • www. insidekent. co. uk