Denbies Wine Estate

This morning I had organised an outing to Denbies Wine Estate on the North Downs just outside Dorking for the school parents arts society. The vineyard was planted in 1986, and since then has become one of the largest wine producers in the UK, winning many international awards. It seems the chalky soil and sheltered position are ideal for growing vines, and when a local resident geologist suggested this to the owner at the time, the decision was made to stop farming livestock and to plant vineyards. At 265 acres it is now the largest vineyard in England. There are currently over 500 vineyards in England and with global warming the conditions are proving to be ideal for wine, with many local vineyards competing at an international level and winning gold awards. The terroir is so ideal that Taittinger have just bought land in Kent where they plan to make 'champagne' which will be styled Taittinger English Sparkling Wine.

We had an indoor tour with a wine tasting and this was followed by an outdoor tour on a train pulled by a tractor  all over the estate. The views from the top of the estate are beautiful, as can be seen here. Vineyards in England always surprise me as they are such small, labour intensive operations. You can see the cellars and wine making area in the buildings in the valley, which lies beneath Box Hill (yes, that hill that the cyclists went up and down a few times during the Olympics).

It was a very interesting morning - I am now home, have packed, and am ready to go to the airport. Adam is about to return home from his holiday and he will be looking after Murdoch until he goes back to university on Saturday, when Luke arrives home from his holiday and he will take over.