The site was planted in April 2022, with a focus on two wonderful but under-represented varieties.

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PINOT MEUNIER

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I have planted most of "Field 2" with Pinot Meunier. English vineyard planting in the last decade has been dominated by the three classic sparkling varieties, of which Meunier is one. But it is usually relegated to a 10 or 15% afterthought in a field dominated by Pinot and Chardonnay. It's time this changed.

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Meunier is underplanted and undervalued yet perfectly suited to English conditions. It is a chimeric clone of Pinot Noir, recognisable for the floury white undersides of its leaves which give rise to the name Meunier (meaning Miller). It flowers relatively late, cutting the risk of frost damage, and ripens early. It produces wines that take many of the best characteristics of Pinot - soft tannins, vegetal depth - but add a mix of fresh red fruit and smokiness. 

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In my opinion, this has the potential to be one of England's signature grapes. It seems to do very well in this part of East Kent in particular.

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I plan to produce a Meunier-dominated sparkling Blanc de Noirs, as well as a sparkling rose with a little Pinot Noir. With a first harvest in 2024 and substantial time on the lees I expect to release the first sparkling wines in 2027 or 2028.

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MELON DE BOURGOGNE

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Just over a quarter of our surface area is planted with Melon de Bourgogne (or Melon B for short). Melon B makes clean, mineral and vaguely saline still white wines around the city of Nantes in North West France and scarcely anywhere else. You may not be familiar with the grape variety, as it usually goes by its appellation name of Muscadet. Quite why it is not more widely planted is a mystery, because at its best - allowed to ripen fully, not over-cropped, and commonly given an extended period of lees stirring - it makes a fresh yet complex white wine with balanced acidity and a tang of the sea, perfect with half a dozen Whitstable Oysters or a half pint of cockles.

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I thought we were the first growers of Melon in the UK, but a voneyard in Nottinghamshire has a few vines too. When deciding on a still variety I considered both Melon and Chasselas, another neutral grape that is heavily planted in one region but almost non-existent elsewhere. Melon clinched it when I ran a side by side comparison of the growing season climate of the two home regions, Vaud in Switzerland and Loire Atlantique in France. Both are warmer in summer than Kent, of course, but Nantes more closely mirrors our Atlantic climate: mild springs, a dry early summer, moderate peak temperatures, and breezy autumns. We are confident Melon will do well.

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I plan to make still and sparkling whites with a little skin contact, and a long time on lees. The first still may be available in late 2026.