‘Burgundy eat your coronary heart out!’: Devon producer is toast of wine world

[ad_1] They started by producing drinks extra normally related to the rolling hills of southern England – hearty ciders, warming tipples comprised of hedgerow fruits and good old school mead.

However Lyme Bay Vineyard in Devon is celebrating a little bit of historical past having change into the primary English producer to win prestigious worldwide trophies for each pink and white wine in the identical yr.

Its Martin’s Lane Property chardonnay 2020 and Lyme Bay Vineyard pinot noir 2021 received the English white trophy and English pink trophy respectively on the 2025 Worldwide Wine Problem (IWC).

“We knew we had produced some actually good wine that had aged superbly,” the vineyard’s operations supervisor Wolfgang Sieg-Hogg mentioned. “We thought we’d be there or thereabouts however to take each prizes is fantastic.

“It’s a labour of affection – the whole crew has labored tirelessly to get right here. It’s an enormous second for us – and for English nonetheless wine. English wine producers are the brand new boys on the world stage however we’re undoubtedly on the up.”

The IWC judges had been actually gushing. Of the chardonnay, they mentioned: “Burgundy eat your coronary heart out! Spry, toasty oak with ripe peach, melon, and apples. Healthful recent dry flavours of moist stones, citrus zest and an extended, lingering end. Harmonious and expressive.”

They described the pinot noir as having “stunning aromatics of autumn leaves, ripe cherries, dried herbs, and iodine”, including: “The palate reveals ripe strawberry and cranberry, with interesting spicy particulars. A fancy, textured end completes this elegant wine.”

Based 32 years in the past, and now using 30 individuals, the vineyard is on a winding lane simply exterior the city of Axminster in East Devon (subsequent to a automobile reclamation yard and artisan espresso manufacturing unit).

It nonetheless sells cider, hedgerow wine and mead however its choice to department out into positive wines has confirmed a superb one.

Relatively than relying by itself winery, the grapes for its wine are sourced from throughout southern England. The successful chardonnay was made with grapes from the Martin’s Lane winery within the Crouch valley, Essex, and benefitted from the lengthy, scorching summer season of 2020.

Grapes for the pinot noir had been from Martin’s Lane and 4 different Essex vineyards. The summer season of 2021 was cool however a late heat spell in October allowed an prolonged “cling time”, ripening the grapes properly.

Luda Razdobudko, advertising and marketing supervisor, and Steve Richardson. Grapes for the wines come from totally different vineyards in southern England. {Photograph}: Jim Wileman/The Guardian Sieg-Hogg mentioned the ethos was to not be tied to at least one winery however to supply the perfect grapes from the perfect. “We don’t go for amount however for high quality,” he mentioned.

It means when the grapes ripen there's a race to reap them and drive them throughout the nation to Devon, the place they're crushed and pressed and the “magic”, as Sieg-Hogg referred to as it, of turning the juice into wine in gleaming tanks and oak barrels begins. “You don’t get a lot sleep at the moment,” he added.

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As soon as the butt of jokes, the English wine business has begun to silence the cynics, with sparking wines corresponding to these produced within the Camel valley in Cornwall main the way in which.

The local weather disaster has created wonderful situations for rising grapes, not simply within the south of England however, more and more, farther north and west within the UK. Excessive warmth threatens to hurt some extra conventional wine areas, corresponding to these in Spain, Italy and southern California.

Sue McHugh, cellar door assistant. There are just a few thousand bottles of the successful wines. {Photograph}: Jim Wileman/The Guardian The Lyme Bay trophy-winning wine is just not low cost – the chardonnay is £35 and the pinot noir is £29.99. Purchase there are just a few thousand bottles of them and they're going to quickly go.

There are cheaper “entry stage” wines on provide and the vineyard sells to Aldi. “It’s about growing the recognition of English wine, making it extra accessible to extra individuals,” mentioned Steve Richardson, the supervisor of the vineyard’s cellar door store.

The customer guide on the store exhibits that guests from Australia, North America and continental Europe come right here looking for out the Devon wines.