Norfolk and Suffolk wines are right at the vanguard of the revival of interest in English tipples. Sarah Hardy finds out more…
Burn Valley
North Creake
Sisters Laura Robinson and Samantha Ciritci run this 12 acre vineyard which was planted in 2016 by their father, John Robinson, who loved to holiday among the vineyards of France! No more needs to be said!
They grow nine grape varieties, including Chardonnay, Bacchus and Solaris for white wine, and Regent and Pinot Noir for red wines. In 2019, an old barn was converted into a new winery so all grapes are now grown, harvested, fermented and bottled on site, and brother Jack continues to farm the adjoining land.
Look out for a packed programme of events, from meet the winemaker sessions, vineyard tours, not so secret supper nights and more.
Star attraction: Marsh Red
Cobble Hill
Burnham Market
Tenth generation farmer Robert Perowne always dreamed of having his own vineyard and in 2016 decided to take the plunge and planted nine acres, with three grape varieties – Pinot Noir, Bacchus and Chardonnay.
The south facing site with its chalky soil proved to give the perfect growing conditions and a new vinery, costing £250,000 opened on the farm in 2021. Regular tours and tasting events, plus lunches, are held through the summer.
Star attraction: Pinot Noir Sparkling Rose
Babu’s Vineyard
Weston Longville
Jovial Peter Ross, the babu of the business (it is Swahili for grandfather), planted his artisan vineyard on just over an acre of land in 2009 as a retirement project. It is home to mainly Rondo and Solaris grapes and there are informal tours and tasting sessions aplenty, with bespoke requests also catered for.
Lunches are a particular strong point, taken in the family home’s lovely,mature gardens. We like!
Star attraction: Watch this space for the first red – The Rector’s Red. Available soonish!
Winbirri
Surlingham, near Norwich
Fruit farmer Stephen Dyer planted the first vines in the small Norfolk village in 2007 but it was really when his son, Lee, returned from travels in Asia and Australia in 2010, that the project took off. More planting took place in 2010 and 2012, and now there are 34 acres.
It is probably the best known vineyard in the region – particularly since its Bacchus won Best Single Varietal White Wine in the World at the 2017 Decanter World Wine Awards. Regular wine tours and tastings are on offer, and the vineyard has a gorgeous wine garden, open at weekends, where you can just sip and chill to your heart’s content!
Star attraction: Bacchus
Flint
Earsham, Bungay
Based at Camphill Farm which nestles in the beautiful Waveney Valley with its flinty soil, Hannah and Ben Witchell established their vineyard back in 2015, planting Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Bacchus grapes at their seven-acre site. Ben left a job in IT to become a winemaker and is known for his attention to detail! There’s now a winery at the farm, so everything is produced on site. Tours and tasting sessions, including private ones, are available and there’s a well stocked shop in an old barn at the farm, too.
Do look out for their 15-mile lunch option which includes cheese, charcuterie and wine, of course – all produced with a 15-mile radius of the vineyard.
Star attraction: Charmant Rose
Humbleyard Vineyard
Mulbarton, Norwich
www.humbleyardenglishwine.co.uk
This seven-acre site was first planted up in 2010, with nine different grape varieties, on the eight-acre site of an orchard. White, rose and sparkling wines are produced by winemaker Robert Preston.
There are no formal wine tours on offer, but you can buy the wines from the farm shop, Paddock Farm Shop, where other local treats are on sale, too. You can also visit the vines yourself as they are just a gentle stroll away.
Star attraction: Brut Rose
Chet Valley Vineyard
Bergh Apton, near Norwich
Winemaker John Hemmant grew up in and around the family farm where Chet Valley Vineyard is now based. He returned to the area in 2010 after years spent in London and the Isle of Man, working as both a chemist and latterly in the world of financial regulation.
He explains that he inherited the arable farm from his great uncle Fred and decided to pursue a long held desire to plant vines. ‘I grew up on a farm – my father was a farmer – so I knew how to grow stuff, and my chemistry came in handy. I’d also had a little vineyard in my 20s so it has always been a keen interest of mine – I have always enjoyed tasting wines, working out how they are made and so on.’
With his wife, Bridget, he started slowly with around four acres and now, almost 15 years later, has 20 acres with 2000 vines, with many grape varieties including Schonburger, Solaris, Regent, Chardonnay, Cabernet Noir and Phoenix. ‘And we have another 10 acres that we could plant up, too,’ he says.
The site is perfect, with the vines planted north to south so, as John says, they are ‘toasted on both sides by the sun,’ and the soil is classed as ‘sandy loam’ meaning that it is well drained as vines don’t like having wet feet!
He produces 22,000 bottles of wine a year, including the crowd pleaser Skylight, a sparkling white, and Red Kite, a red fizz. His favourite is his House of Hemmant’s sparkling Blanc de Blanc, made from the Chardonnay grape.
A Wine Hall, which includes a winery, was built three years ago, which means that the whole process is done on site, with much still done by hand. ‘We prune and harvest by hand – it is a labour intensive process!”
John is very strong on sustainability, including maintaining hedgerows, using recyclable bottle labels, minimising pesticide use, and creating wildlife habitats among the vines. ‘It is very important to us – we have just created a natural pond for the Coronation which will help bring more wildlife – we have freshwater snails and beetles- and so many dragonflies and damselflies, too.’
Tours and tasting sessions are held in the Wine Hall, which has a lovely first floor terrace with panoramic views over the vines and beyond. There’s also a purpose built kitchen where meals such as sharing platters are prepared for visitors. ‘Our sessions last a couple of hours – we taste five wines and I like it to be good fun!’ John says, adding that he also runs a wine club where members get special perks such as being the first to try a new vintage.
Chet Valley wines are sold in 40 outlets in both Norfolk and Suffolk, including Jarrold in Norwich, Bakers and Larners of Holt and Green Pastures in Bergh Apton.
Valley Farm Vineyards
Wissett, near Halesworth
This eight acre vineyard is set near the coast at Southwold, and five different grape varieties (including Auxerrois, Madeleine Angevine and Pinot Meunier) are grown. Owner Adrian Cox offers talks and tours and, interestingly, there is a little cabin, right in the heart of the vineyard, which you can hire for the ultimate vineyard escape.
Star attraction: Sundancer, a sparkling rose
Jeremy Dunn
Owner and chief wine tutor at the Norfolk Wine School, shares his thoughts about the region’s wines:
www.localwineschool.com/norfolk
Hold on to your glasses local wine lovers – while Bacchus reigns supreme as the star local white grape variety there’s a celestial sensation called Solaris that exudes the brilliance of its namesake, the Sun, that has really tickled my tastebuds.
Norfolk has some of the earliest UK plantings of Solaris and leading local vineyards have embraced this versatile, early-ripening cool-climate grape variety. With a natural propensity for a higher must weight (a measure of the amount of sugar in the juice before fermentation) Solaris will typically have a little more alcohol than other local dry wines. Higher alcohol creates a broader mid palate which paves the way for adding additional layers of complexity like a touch of oak. If Solaris is left on the vine in a warm, dry autumn, the sugars can concentrate enough to produce a sweet wine. In humid conditions botrytis can occur, creating an even more complex sweet wine.
Well-made Solaris is pithy with citrus laced acidity and a mid-palate that swirls with a creamy, soft lemon-curd like character which reminds me of a good lemon drizzle cake.
Local wines made with the Solaris grape:
Winbirri Vineyard
Solaris 2020, Surlingham, Norfolk
£18.50
A pure, unoaked Solaris with firm acidity and flavours of lemon curd and baked apple and a long, creamy finish. For a winning local food and wine combo pair with Baron Bigod Suffolk Brie.
Burn Valley Vineyard
Black Label Solaris 2021, North Creake, Norfolk
£22.99
This Solaris has been fermented in barrel and then aged for seven months in Hungarian oak. On the nose there’s notes of vanilla and spice and the palate delivers a well-textured wine with layers of citrus and stone fruit, butter and subtle oak flavour.
Chet Vineyard
Siskin 2022, Bergh Apton, Norfolk
£19
Mainly Solaris blended with a little Schönberger and Phoenix this has a lively palate of apple, lemon zest and pear but retains a grassy, aromatic freshness. Very quaffable.
Babu’s Vineyard
Late Harvested Solaris 2022, Weston Longfield, Norfolk
£20
The grapes were left on the vine for an additional four weeks after harvest creating fruit that was ‘rather unattractive but gloriously high in sugar’. The result is an elegant well-balanced sweet wine, with flavours of apricot and honey. Try with a creamy panna cotta or set cream dessert.
Jarrold, Norwich
The Food Hall is a culinary destination packed with the delicious delights of Norfolk and nearby, including a beautifully curated wine selection, brought together by instore sommelier, Vernon Banham.
‘At Jarrold, we understand the importance of developing relationships with food and drink creators, and understanding the producer as well as the product, so it is natural for us to work with the local vineyards of Norfolk,’ says Vernon. ‘By supporting our local producers, we are supporting our communities, our people and our economy, all of which means that our home will continue to thrive.’
Norfolk is quickly becoming a highly-respected region for wine and vineyards, and with a combination of sandy and clay soils, mixed with a gentle climate, it boasts an array of award-winning bottles full of unique flavours, from vineyards such as Flint, Chet Valley, Cobble Hill, Humbleyard, Winbirri and Burn Valley.
‘Customers are discovering light roses, dry whites and signature reds, which are full of character and charm, just like Norfolk itself,’ Vernon says.