Press coverage 2008
TOAST FOR A LITTLE GUY
Titchfield Pinot Noir voted best in England and Wales
Wine lovers can raise a glass in toast to a local vineyard which has won a top national prize.
Titchfield Vineyard has scooped the coveted Bernard Theobald Trophy for producing the best red wine in England and Wales.
Their Pinot Noir 2006 scooped the top honours and they were awarded the trophy in a ceremony at the House of Lords by Lord Montague of Beaulieu.
And the classy tipple has been chosen as the house red for the Houses of Parliament.
The vineyard impressed a panel of seven Masters of Wine at the English and Welsh Wine of the Year Competition 2008.
At just 2.7 acres, it is one of the smallest vineyards in Britain but the makers say the south coast climate has helped produce a perfect Pinot Noir which is oozing with cherry, blackberries and earthy spice.
Owner Colin Baker said: “This is the first time we have won a national cup so we are very proud of this. It is a little bit of a surprise- there are some very big players in the British wine scene these days who produce a lot of wine and we are just one of the little guys.
‘We only entered the one wine in the competition because we didn’t want to end up with egg on our face – I guess we picked the right one. My winemaker, Hans Schleifer , says our grapes were particularly clean in this year. 2006 wasn’t a good year for wine in some respects, but it seems we did have a good year.”
The vineyard in Brownwich Lane, Titchfield, only had its first wines planted in 1991 and produced its first vintage five years later. And they can now produce up to 10,000 bottles a year, depending on how weather conditions and disease impact on their production.
Mr. Baker added:
“I think this year is looking quite good as well, it’s looking rather promising at the moment. Our quality is improving all the time, so we’re looking forward to winning other medals in the future. Volume isn’t always the key thing, it’s the quality of the sugar levels in the grapes.”
This article is produced as the result of kind permission granted by The News, Portsmouth
(Chris Broom: The News, Portsmouth. Tuesday, August 19 2008)
www.portsmouth.co.uk