What a week…
Celebrating English Wine Week at Chilworth and around the country
English Wine Week was launched back in 2006, when sommelier Laura Rhys MS was trying to persuade consumers that English sparkling wine was worth a try. It obviously worked – today there are almost a thousand vineyards in England, producing everything from Chardonnay to Pinot Noir to sparkling rosé.
A very special spot
Chilworth Manor is proud to be part of the Vineyards of the Surrey Hills, a group of beautiful, award-winning vineyards nestled in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Made of chalky lime and sandstone, our hills share the same geology as the Champagne region of France, making them the perfect spot to produce English sparkling wines. To celebrate English Wine Week, all the Vineyards of the Surrey Hills took part in the Summer Spectacular festival weekend on the 15th and 16th of June.
Putting their best foot forward
We couldn’t talk about the Summer Spectacular without mentioning Surrey locals Richard and Peter, who walked the 5 Vineyards of the Surrey Hills on 15th June. At 21.5 miles, it was a fair old slog, but they made it! An amazing thing to do and a great way to raise money for local charities through Guildford Philanthropy. Well done, Richard and Peter.
Chilworth Wine Festival
English Wine Week gives us the chance to bring together all our favourite things – music, food and of course wine. Even better, having finished building the Watch House, our new tasting barn, earlier this year, we had a fantastic backdrop for the celebrations. On Saturday 15th June, we hosted an afternoon and early evening of music, premium English wine, delicious street food and ice cream. Some visitors tried out Winston’s Walk, a stroll around the vineyard named after our much-loved dog, whilst others took part in our tour and tasting sessions. It was a fantastic occasion and the perfect way to celebrate English wine.
In the pink
English Wine Week is closely followed by International Rosé Day, on 28th June. As producers of premium English rosé, this is a special one for us. We released the 2023 vintage of our rosé on the 3rd of May and have been really enjoying it as a chilled aperitif. If you like pale, fruity rosés, this is definitely one to try. Or, if you’re more of a sparkling wine drinker, take a look at our Brut Rosé, released on 7th June. Both are available to buy in our online shop.
More to come
We love welcoming people to the vineyard and sharing the story of Chilworth Manor and our wine – that’s why we launched our new programme of experiences earlier this year. Take a look around the site and you’ll see we have added more dates for tours and tastings and sparkling afternoon teas, plus two photography workshops. Just click on the links to find out more.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
