English wine week celebrations: 19th - 27th June
What a time to be championing English wine week, which is taking place from the 19th - 27th June.
A perfectly timed, midsummer event, that we are very excited to be part of. The week provides a great opportunity for us to really inspire you, our customers, to get to know more about the world of English wines, and most importantly our very own vineyard here on Cobbs Farm – Alder Ridge.
How are we celebrating at Cobbs?
1) In our farm shops, we have a fantastic special offer on our Classic Cuvee which we have extended especially for the occasion. You can get your hands on a bottle of this internationally award-winning wine for just £21 (normally £28.99).
From our very first vintage in 2013, this is the perfect wine to begin your English wine tasting journey with, or if you are already an English wine enthusiast, time to stock up!
2) On our vineyard, we are hosting 3 vineyard tours that are open to the public! We have a morning and afternoon tour and tasting, as well as a tour and sparkling wine workshop at 5pm. Tickets are £20-£40 and can be purchased here:
Our tours are being run by the fantastic local duo, Berks Fizz.
Ollie and Natasha bring a wealth of experience, enthusiasm, and passion for English wine to the team, and we are very excited to be working with them.
On our tours, you will visit our vineyard and discuss the trials and tribulations of winemaking in England – followed by a sparkling wine production tutorial, and a guided tasting of a range of our sparkling wines.
These sessions are designed to be fun, informative, and engaging and are a perfect way to spend a couple of hours with friends this summer and learn more about the huge future for English Wines.
How can you celebrate?
1) Swap your ‘usual’ bottle for an English one instead this week.
2) Get to know your local vineyards and support them! Follow their social channels and comment and like their posts. Hampshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire have an abundance of fantastic vineyards. See a list here
3) Book on a vineyard tour – preferably one of ours! See dates
4) With Afternoon Tea at Cobbs – and a glass of our English Sparkling wine! Book now
5) Purchase tickets for a local English food and wine festival! Buy now
Alder Ridge Vineyard
Here are some fun facts about our vineyard on Cobbs Farm:
1) We planted our first 5 acres of vines in 2011 and planted a further 2 acres in 2015
2) We grow four classic champagne grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Précoce
3) It is our south-facing land and chalky terroir that make our land the ideal location to establish these grape varieties
4) We managed to take our first full commercial harvest in 2013, after an exceptional growing season. This crop went on to become our first internationally award-winning wines
5) All our wines have been fortunate to have received international recognition, with our Blanc de Noirs style wines being named Best in its Class at The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships 2017 and the Wines of Great Britain Awards 2019.
6) In 2021 we installed a frost protection system on our vineyard (over 20 miles of irrigation pipework) to help protect our special crop during the frosty season
7) The name Alder Ridge evolved when we were preparing our land for vines and pollarding a run of Alders on the Easterly boundary. The iconic Red Kite that features in our branding is seen daily at the farm.
8) In 2020 we updated our branding to a more modern, minimal style, reflecting the unique qualities of English Sparkling Wine.
9) We currently have three wines available: 2014 Blanc de Noirs, 2013 Classic Cuvée and a Non-vintage Special Cuvée.
10) By the end of 2021 we will have two more wines in our range to enjoy, including our first Sparkling Rose (due for release in time for Summer!)