Celebrate English Wine Week in Wiltshire at Bluestone Vineyard

English Wine Week begins this Saturday (18th June 2022) and to celebrate, Love Salisbury is shining a light on the city’s local vineyard – Bluestone in Cholderton.

Located just 15 minutes outside of Salisbury, Bluestone Vineyard is a specialist producer of traditional method sparkling wines, growing clones of the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grape varieties on their 10-acre ‘Grand Cru’ vineyard.

The idea for Bluestone Vineyards started in the mid-2000s when brothers Nat and Toby McConnell carried out an archaeological survey of the plot of land on their family’s 42-acre farm park, Cholderton Rare Breeds Farm.

A subsequent dig ensued with the intention of adding to the educational purpose of the farm. As a part of the dig, soil samples were taken and sent off for analysis.

The brothers shared the findings with a winemaker from Champagne and invited him to visit. He marvelled at the results and was confident that the site had all the qualities required to produce champagne-rivalling English Sparkling Wine.

After extensive research and successful site analysis, Toby and Nat planted the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier vines in 2016 and have been growing them ever since. They have both studied extensively and achieved MSc in Viticulture.

Once the grapes are hand-picked and harvested they are taken to Bluestone’s winemakers at Hambledon Vineyard.

“Their state-of-the-art facility is the only fully gravity-fed winery in the UK, allowing wines to be made with minimal possible intervention,” explains Aimee Edwards from Bluestone.

The grapes are then pressed using top-of-the-range Coquard PAI presses to achieve the best extraction of juices in the gentlest manner possible. Creating a very special product.

“At Bluestone Vineyard we are celebrating English Wine Week by not only hosting our usual signature, private and self-guided tours and tastings but also hosting picnics amongst the vines, the perfect backdrop to enjoy a glass of Bluestone English sparkling bubbles,” said Aimee.

During English Wine Week with the purchase of a bottle of chilled Classic Cuvee or Cuvee Rosé (includes supplement corkage of £3) from Bluestone’s new tasting room guests will be provided with reusable plastic flutes and they can either bring their own picnic or order a local producers hamper to be picked up on the day.

Picnics are available in the daytime throughout English Wine
Week and more info and tickets can be found here.

Bluestone Vineyards are also hosting a special wine tasting event on Friday 24th June at 6:30pm £25pp, teaming up with one of their stockists Yapp Bro’s.

Grant Berry will be leading a relaxed and informal night of wine tasting and gentle learning, suitable for even beginner wine aficionados. More
info and tickets click here.