THE MAGIC OF DUNESFORDE - THE UK'S MOST NORTHERLY VINEYARD
21 June 2021
York has always been a second home for me. I guess any town or city where you spend three years of your life as an impressionable young student has that effect on you.
But how times have changed from my student days. Instead of hopping on down to the nearest ‘offy’ (off licence for the more civilised amongst you) for three bottles of Kumala for a tenner, here I was at a gorgeous family-run vineyard in the Vale of York – Dunesforde.
Run by the Townsend family, Dunesforde really is a gem hidden amongst the Yorkshire countryside – quaint, characteristic and utterly charming. Growing four varieties of grape – Bacchus, Solaris, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir Précoce, this family-run vineyard produces some incredible wines, both still and sparkling. Amazing really, when you consider that they only released their first wines in October 2019, less than 2 years ago.
What’s most remarkable about this vineyard, is that considering its northerly location where the elements aren’t always kind…or consistent, an incredible amount of care goes into tendering the vines. Mandy, one of the owners who toured us around, told us about the time they had to light firepits in April to increase the air temperature to protect the vines from the frost. Not only did she and her friends and family pull an all-nighter to carry out this operation in the name of vine preservation, but it revealed the personal efforts that go into ensuring a maximum harvest to produce a modest number of really excellent bottles.
And if the tour wasn’t enough, the wine tasting, superbly hosted by Peter was excellent. We had pre-purchased a delightful grazing platter of meats and cheeses from Peach Tree Picnics prior to arriving which was the perfect pairing for our wines.
Wondering how they tasted? Incredible actually!
The 2018 sparkling Dunesforde, made exclusively with the Solaris grape, was my favourite. The bubbles were light, the acidity was well balanced with the body of the wine and there were hints of stone fruits on the palette. It would pair really well with lobster or meaty white fish, highly recommend it.
They also do a sparking wine in rose as well as their version of a Classic Cuvée which they have sensationally called the ‘Queen of the North’ in honour of Queen Cartimandua, Queen of the North (AD43-69) – a sparkling wine made by traditional method using a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes.
The English wine industry is booming. There are over 700 individual vineyards in the British Isles ranging from tiny ones (the smallest has six vines) right up to ones that are almost 90 hectares (source). The majority of these are in the South of England as you might expect, slightly warmer temperatures, which is what made Dunesforde that little bit more magical for us.
The family were clear, when there isn’t a mass market to satisfy in terms of production, they can bring their own unique style to their wines, really letting the fruit sing on your palette and freeing the earthiness of the flavours.
The embodiment of this is that every bottle of Dunesforde you purchase has a hand-written number on the back, so when you get one, you know you’re drinking something that is valued and heralds from a family of superb wines and heartfelt people.
Book tours online here - https://www.dunesforde.com/.