Fizzing with excitement at sip-erb new vineyard

Chapel Down has cemented its place as England’s largest winemaker by planting the country’s biggest vineyard in Kent.

The Tenterden-based business, which has expanded into other alcohol ventures, including gin and beer, has bought Boarley farm in Sandling, Maidstone.

The 388-acre site near Blue Bell Hill will eventually be used mainly for growing Chardonnay vines.

Mark Harvey, managing director for wine and spirits at Chapel Down, says he is delighted.

“Broadly the context for English wine is pretty positive, so everything home grown is en vogue so people are more and more interested in products we make locally,” he said.

“So this is a really exciting development. It’s our latest planting on the North Downs, we previously planted vineyards in this area which is perfect for producing high quality English sparkling wine.”

Faversham and Mid Kent MP Helen Whately went to visit the new vineyard and planted one of the vines herself.

She said: “It’s all part of the expansion of the English wine industry, so it’s really good news. Rather than people buying wines overseas, they can buy really good quality wine made right here in Kent.”

Chapel Down is planting 150 acres this year and the remaining acres in 2020 but it will take roughly seven years for the grapes grown from these vines to be made into Chardonnay.

Despite the long growing period, the company is certain Kent is one of the best places for planting.

Richard Lewis, who is in charge of looking after the vineyards, said: “We can’t sell our wines as English sparkling wine if we import grapes, but we can produce grapes in this country, for our sparkling and still wines, which have been shown to rival those from abroad so it makes perfect sense to grow our own.”

He added English products look more affordable as the weakening of sterling means champagne is more expensive.