DrinkBritain

From grape to glass, from hop to heritage

Within striking distance of the big smoke, Kent has it all on the drinks front. For many beer lovers, it’s the home of hops, with now legendary tales of East Enders holidaying to pick the crop. For others, the cider apples are the fruit to applaud and appreciate, while more recently grapes have made a strong appearance.

Biddenden Vineyards already produces both cider and wine. To make the most of your Kentish day out, it has teamed up with the Hop Farm in Paddock Wood across the county for a combined group visit. continue reading…

Sparkling success: Pebblebed wins Dragon's backing

Within 12 hours of Geoff Bowen’s appearance on BBC’s Dragon’s Den, he had received 100 requests for more information – not something you’d normally expect from an English vigneron in the rural Devon town of Topsham.

But then there’s nothing that “normal” about the way Bowen runs his business. To begin with, rather than ending up in hock to the bank, he persuaded 20 other families to get involved with his initial Pebblebed vineyard purchase. Currently he has 22 acres spread over three sites.

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a'Becketts: a farm with a view

Fresh from their appearance at the Bristol Eco Veggie Fair, the guys at a’Becketts are back at base for walks, talks and tastings during English Wine Week. Located halfway way between Avebury and Stonehenge this family-run vineyard will be launching its Vine Rental Scheme for the next year, with 60 ‘units’ available for those who want to get involved.

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Biddenden: so how do you ripen red grapes in England?

Even the most enthusiastic supporter of English wine has to admit that red wine is a bit of a struggle for us here on Blighty. With our delightful climate, it can be difficult to get depth let alone texture. Yet the oldest family owned commercial vineyard in Kent, Biddenden, managed to pull off a coup with its Gamay 2009. Not only was it one of Jancis Robinson MW top scoring wines at this year’s Annual Trade Tasting (see her Purple Pages for full notes), it was the one selected for her Wine of the Week.

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Roger White: It's all about making the right choices

Is the bug getting to you? Might you be the next to succomb to the ‘I want to make wine’ urge? If so and you are in the west country next week, take advantage of Roger White’s insight at Yearlstone Vineyard. As part of Devon Wine Week, he’ll be sharing his know-how with two talks, Making a Living from your Vineyard at 11am, Wednesday June 2, and Setting up your own Vineyard at 11am, Saturday June 5.

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The time is ripe

With news this week that the Co-operative is the latest supermarket to follow the Grow your own path on the English wine front, plus good feedback from the English wine trade’s recent annual tasting, including a typically incisive write-up from Jancis Robinson MW in last week’s FT, it’s clear that English wine is still on the up.

So have you ever wondered about joining the growing band of English vignerons? If so, the best way to find out whether the backbreaking work needed to establish your own vineyard is the thing for you is to consult the experts. In this case, the friendly guys at Plumpton College, and it just so happens its their Open Day tomorrow. continue reading…

Whisky lovers visiting London have much to entertain them. It may not be within stretching distance of any distilleries of the whisky kind, but the range on offer more than makes up for this omission. For those dining out, the Athenaeum, Boisdale and the Albannach are three of many to keep you amused. If you fancy adding to your bottle collection, head to the West End, as we found out when we joined the charming Jenny Linford on one of her Gastro-Soho Tours on Saturday.

Jenny Linford, she who knows

Writer and broadcaster Jenny, author of Food Lovers’ London (revised edition out this June) and The London Cookbook, is the perfect guide. Full of colourful anecdotes, we step into tardis-like Chinese supermarkets no-one knew were there, receive an introduction to Soho’s last two traditional Italian delis (the pasta is to die for), and frequent coffee bars ancient (Algerian Coffee Stores) and modern (Princi, from Wagamama founder, Alan Yau). continue reading…

This way for the professional winos

Considering converting your garden to a vineyard? Fancy learning how to make wine? Plumpton College, the UK’s leading centre for practical wine education, is holding its Spring open morning this Saturday, 6 March. Specialising in land-based studies – bee keeping, equine studies and metalsmithing are also on offer – Plumpton College  has a good reputation for its wines, particularly its sparkling ones. All the tutors have spent time in industry so you can be assured of a realistic approach, and you’ll find its graduates at wineries the world over, including Nyetimber, Chapel Down, Denbies and Ridgeview in the UK.

From full-time three year BScs through to one-day a month ‘principles of…’ courses, the range on offer caters for the hobby farmer through to those intent on setting up their own wineries at home or abroad. More details of WineSkills, the £380K government-funded programme of courses for the youthful UK wine industry will also be available. continue reading…

Beer will be on the menu in more ways than one at London’s newest hostelries, The Old Brewery, courtesy of award-winning Greenwich brewers, Meantime. As well as classic combos such as oysters and stout, dishes under discussion include smoked salmon cured in Meantime IPA and pale ale-braised neck of mutton. Even desserts throw up a dilemma: lemon tart with Kent hop-infused meringue or Meantime Chocolate Porter sorbet?

Opening in late March, The Old Brewery forms part of Discover Greenwich, the £6m redevelopment of the Old Royal Naval College into a maritime cultural and educational complex. Café by day and bistro by night, the adjoining bar will also house the beer bottle and glass collections of the original beer hunter, the late Michael Jackson. continue reading…