Out and About Spring 2021

DREAMING of summer wine Winding Wood vineyard has rapidly established itself as an award-winning producer of wines; Out & About asked co-owner Christopher Cooke about the ups and downs of the last 15 years

I f someone had predicted 15 years ago that there would now be more than 20 flourishing vineyards within a 30-mile radius of Newbury, some with world class status, no one would have believed them. Yet that is now the case. As the wine expert Oz Clarke declared in his latest book, we are ‘the newest new world wine country’ – this is something we should celebrate and support as consumers. How has this wine revolution come to pass? English still wine used to be considered a bit of a joke, but that has changed. The most defining factors are these: climate change — we are warmer by at least one degree celsius — yet still have a long cool summer which allows the grapes to ripen slowly, thus improving their complexity, we have excellent

streaked with honey and there is a little crisp croissant crust nuttiness’. And this was only our second vintage. The deepest low is more recent, indeed last year, with the worst mid-May frost for more than 20 years. Annus horribilis! During a long spell of unseasonally warm weather in March and April during Lockdown one — we all vividly remember that — our vine shoots responded by making a huge spurt. Then came one night of severe frost in May that decimated our young vine buds. The result the morning after was carnage… and despair at our loss. The one upside of lockdown and indeed one of the many pleasures has been the continuous stream of passersby

soils and a geology to match that of Champagne, and last but not least, a burgeoning industry composed of brilliant wine-makers and dedicated growers who are upping their game year-on-year. We have become particularly good at producing sparkling wine, and our still wine is coming on in leaps and bounds — the chardonnays and pinot noirs of the marvellous 2018 vintage from top English vineyards are both delicious and life-affirming.

at the vineyard. Be they walkers, cyclists or runners, we have met a huge amount of locals who have stopped for a chat and, even better, have asked to buy some of our traditionally- made fizz. What do we have to look forward to in 2021? Well lots. We have plenty of plans in the vineyard this summer with the launch of mini tours followed by tastings in our 18th-century oak-framed barn for small groups, to be

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We have become particularly good at producing sparkling wine, and our still wine is coming on in leaps and bounds

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hosted by one of the partners. Additionally we will be holding events for our newly-launched wine club primarily for locals to come along and be involved plus hopefully a charity wine quiz evening postponed from 2020. Roll on the summer! A couple of wine pairings suggestions  Pairing of sparkling wine with an entrée of clams, fennel and linguini ‘The almost-saline minerality of the wine echoes the brininess of the clams and lends a savoury quality to the pasta, while the acidity and bubbles lighten up its texture. The bubbles also serve to aromatize the fennel while on your palate.’  Pairing of sparkling wine with crab, fennel and spaghetti from a Jamie Oliver recipe www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/crab- fennel-spaghetti/  See Romain Bourger’s wine and food pairing tips on p38

So why did we plant a vineyard in the folds of the slopes of Winding Wood just outside Newbury back in 2013 when neither partner had a wine background other than drinking the stuff with some alacrity? It was a retired dentist and an ex-magazine publisher in pursuit of putting West Berkshire bubbles on the map. Well, actually there was no great master plan. Rather a throwaway remark that growing vines in our two paddocks might be a darned sight more fun than grazing sheep. Fast forward eight years in our vine odyssey and it is hard to recall all the highs and lows — there have been aplenty — in planting and running a boutique vineyard. I guess one of the highs has been the clutch of medals we won in competition for our 2016 classic cuvée last year, including a gold medal from WineGB, our industry equivalent of the Baftas. It was described by the judges as ‘only four years old, but already showing tremendous style and character. The nose is ripe and inviting and when you take a mouthful it bursts with personality. Apple flesh and apple peel are

www.windingwodvineyard.co.uk

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