Surrey wine - Heard it on the grapevine

Driving through the countryside over the chalk hills that form the North Downs, you could easily be forgiven for thinking you had strayed into France as you glimpse the regimental rows of vines, so typical of those found in Reims or the Loire Valley.

Contrary to appearances, however, this is not one of the famous French wine regions but our very own Dorking – home to the county’s best-known vineyard, Denbies Wine Estate.

Praised as ‘a giant among English vineyards’ by wine pundit Oz Clark, at over 265 acres it is actually the largest in the country. On either side of the winding red drive leading to the flint stone building that is the hub of Denbies, there are some three hundred thousand vines growing on gentle slopes that bear a remarkable similarity to the Champagne region of France. As such, the area provides near perfect conditions for growing vines, producing around half a million bottles of wine a year. And all this from an estate that was little more than a piggery some 20 odd years ago.
“We started with 18 varieties of vines,” says general manager Chris White, son of the founder. “But because of the change in trends and global warming, we can now grow more exciting vines that were impossible before.” Today, the majority include Pinot Noir, used in sparkling wines as well as reds and rosés, together with Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc, and Chris’s personal favourites, Ortega and Muller, which go into Denbies’ Surrey Gold, the best selling English white wine in the country.

Benefitting from its own micro climate, protected from easterly winds, the vineyard takes advantage of the very last drop of sunshine. “Over the years, frost has been a real pain,” says Chris. “So we use our huge frost buster that looks like a glorified jet engine to blasts out hot air. But this year, due to the wet early summer, we’ve spent more time keeping the mould away.” Happily, despite the 25% loss of grapes caused by the heavy rain, Chris is quietly confident that this year’s crop will result in an even better quality of wines.

According to connoisseurs, the generally warmer climate of past years, together with improved techniques, has transformed ‘the once faintly comical English wine production into a serious, if small, industry’. The supermarket chain Waitrose, for example, is a big fan of home produced wine. “English wine is now emerging from the shadows as a real contender,” says their wine buyer, Justin Howard-Sneyd. And Julia Harding, the full time assistant of wine aficionado Jancis Robinson, and a Master of Wine herself, maintains that the grape varieties of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which are ideal for the English climate, are producing “some really good sparkling wines”.

Certainly, if this year’s International Wine Challenge is anything to go by, our Surrey wines gave the illustrious Champagne vineyards of Dom Perignon, Veuve Cliquot and Moet & Chandon a run for their money. At the blind tasting, wines from 35 countries were judged by 400 notaries but only 2% won gold medals – one of which was Denbies’ Greenfields Cuvee, the first English wine ever to receive a gold medal. It’s a zesty sparkling wine, made by the traditional method using the flavoured champagne grapes of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. “We were up against French Champagne so it was very rewarding not only to compete but to beat the best of the best,” says Chris White.

Over the years, Denbies has won a fistful of awards for their range of 12 wines. If you love juicy fruit flavours with a hint of spice, Surrey Gold is a must, while Hillside Chardonnay/Ortega has a fat, typically citrussy oak taste and the Redlands is a rich, full-bodied dry red that’s very smooth on the palate.

In nearby Cobham, you’ll find another award-winning vineyard at Painshill Park. Initially flourishing in the 18th century, the two-and-a-half acres were replanted 15 years ago with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc grapes to produce their three wines. The Sparkling Brut has a clean fresh taste of grapefruit with a soft acidity and won a bronze at the 2004 International Wine Challenge. Their Dry White has a complex array of flavours with a hint of oak, while the Rosé wine is fresh, light and fruity.

Dotted around Surrey there are a number of other vineyards too, all producing very drinkable wines. Greyfriars Vineyard on the Hogs Back, near Guildford, has a mere one-and-a-half acres, growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. Their speciality sparkling wine is what owner Bill Croxson calls “a surprisingly good English bubbly produced in the ‘method champenoise’.” They also produce Greyfriars blended still wines, which are “again, a pleasant surprise to the palate”.

Just down the road in Fernhurst, near Haslemere, you’ll find the Van Common vineyard, where owner James Lane is justifiably proud of their wines: “We produce a nice pink fizz from our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes,” he says. “It’s a good colour with a hint of summer fruits on the nose and palate.”

Further along the vineyard trail, the six-and-a-half acre Godstone Vineyard is planted with Seyval Blanc grapes that are bottled into white, rosé and sparkling brute wines. Owner June Deeley calls them “bespoke wines” that you can taste before you buy in their tasting bar.

Besides producing some of the best wines in the country, Surrey vineyards also make a jolly good day out.
As the biggest, Denbies is geared up for thousands of visitors providing not only train tours around the estate and the winery but a couple of really good restaurants and regular art exhibitions as well. Two years ago, they won a South East ‘Tourist Attraction of the Year’ award given by the British Tourist board and Chris White says they work with Wisley and Painshill Park to provide a complete experience for Surrey visitors.

This month, you can submerge yourself in the wine experience by taking part in harvest time. Although some vineyards are concerned at the ripening of the grapes due to the poor summer, Denbies will be going ahead with their traditional wine harvest. Fortified by a hearty breakfast, as well as gathering the grapes, you can also see them pressed and taste the resulting juice.

Painshill Park also welcomes grape gatherers, and at Godstone Vineyard, you can adopt your own vine and follow its wine producing processes. And for the very green fingered, why not plant your own vines. Bob Flowerdew, of Gardener’s Question Time fame, recommends Boskoop Glory: “It’s an outstanding black grape with a marvellous flavour and it’s easy to grow even in a pot.”

So, whatever your wine preference may be, you’re bound to find something to put a fizz on your palate and a tingle in your nose right here in Surrey.

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