The Grapes

As we intend to make both sparkling and still wines we have planted six varities:

Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir will be used to make sparkling wine. Pinot Gris was used in the making of Champagne before phylloxera required re-planting but was generally felt to be unreliable so is no longer used.

Bacchus and Madeleine Angevine will be used to make still white wines. These varieties are quite widely grown in the UK The wines are more in the French style than those grown in England in the past.

Bacchus
Early ripening cross of Sylvaner, Riesling and Muller-Thurgau. Most English Bacchus wines are pleasantly scented and dry with a hint of Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc.
Madeleine Angevine
A White French grape producing a consistently good crop and a high quality 'Muscadet' type wine. It is a cross between Madeleine Royale and Précoce de Malingre.

The first harvest -- a few kilos, see here