THE CURIOUS QUAFFER
CORNWALL
For many Cornwall is a holiday destination of choice . With a truly spectacular coastline jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean , with beautiful sandy beaches , with picturesque harbours and a rich history and culture ... this is no surprise . It is magnetic and , in many ways , a magical part of the UK .
As if not enough , Cornwall can also boast about being the home of UK surfing . Amazing gardens ( the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project immediately spring to mind ) and wonderful stately homes , country houses and estates are also aplenty ( think Lanhydrock House , Prideaux Place and Pencarrow ). And , of course , we also have Poldark ! Despite all this , despite its allure in all these many ways , there is something else that should not go without a mention . Cornish wine and Cornish gin !
I have recently returned from a trip , right down to the tip of Cornwall , during which Cornish wine and gin , perhaps inevitably , was on the agenda . Today Cornwall is one of many locations in the UK that is producing some truly great wines and wonderful gin . Wine production in the UK is going from strength to strength these days , even to the extent that some French champagne houses ( notably including Tattinger ) have purchased land in the UK and have planted champagne grape varieties on it . The amount of land given to the planting of vines in the UK has expanded by 150 % in the last ten years , with most producers planning to carry on planting in the years to come . This has , obviously , led to a rapid increase in wine production in the UK , largely due to the emergence of a much warmer climate in recent years ( particularly so in the southern counties of England ). Perhaps , for once , therefore an actual benefit of the ever-worrying problem of global warming ?
Not only has wine production in the UK been on the increase , but recent figures show that international demand for UK wines has also risen markedly . One of the countries that has become the fastest growing market for UK wines is Japan , a country that is already the third largest export market for Champagne . This is probably not too much of a surprise bearing in mind that a significant proportion of the wine coming from UK vineyards is sparkling wine . In fact , English sparkling wine production is predicted to double within the next ten years to between eight and ten million bottles . Currently only some 5 per cent of it is currently exported , but the industry is hoping to ship 25 per cent overseas by 2025 .
As to Cornwall , it has some fabulous wineries , producing some fabulous wines . This month I want to talk about two in particular – Camel Valley and Polgoon . I have visited both vineyards , either recently or on a past visit , and have purchased wines from both ( from the wineries themselves and online too ). When it comes to gin – well , a trip into the Tarquin gin shop in St Ives , for a spot of tasting , was impossible to resist .
Camel Valley We find this great winery on the Camel River Valley , near to Bodmin , on the north Cornish coast . Founded by ex RAF pilot Bob Lindo and his wife Annie in 1989 , now joined by their son Sam , this winery has consistently not only produced a huge number of outstanding still and sparkling wines , but wines that have consistently won awards and medals at national and international level . It is an extraordinary success story from start to finish ; so much so that Camel Valley wines have often been served at both royal and government events and , in 2018 , the winery was awarded a Royal Warrant , as a Purveyor of English Sparkling wines , by Command of Prince Charles .
The winery produces a remarkable range of sparkling wines ( the Camel Valley Chardonnay Brut , the Camel Valley Sparkling Demi- Sec , the White Pinot Noir Brut , Annie ’ s Anniversary Brut , the Cuvee Raymond Blanc De Noir Sparkling Rose , the Camel Valley ‘ Cornwall ’ Brut and the Camel Valley Pinot Noir Rose Brut ). When it comes to still wines , we find the Camel Valley Darnibole Bacchus , the Camel Valley Atlantic Dry , the Camel Valley Bacchus Dry and the Camel Valley Rose .
Over the years I have tried many of their wonderful wines ( both still and sparkling ). My most recent purchase from this great winery , earlier this year , involved : ( i ) the 2018 Camel Valley Pinot Noir Rose Brut ( at £ 32 a bottle you get a delicious , fresh , floral and almost delicate strawberry driven sparkling wine with great acidity ); ( ii ) the 2016 Annie ’ s Anniversary Brut ( at £ 29.95 a bottle , another excellent sparkling wine ; rich and almost tropical , but at the same time fresh and full of fruit ( lemon and perhaps hints of apricot ); ( iii ) the 2019 Camel Valley Rose ( at £ 13.95 all I can really do is repeat that set out on the wineries own website : “ A beautifully balanced , luscious rosé . Intense aromas of strawberries and raspberries . Perfect for sipping al fresco ”).
34 wirrallife . com