insideKENT Magazine Issue 52 - July 2016 | Page 158

BUSINESS local profile: BIDDENDEN VINEYARDS Nestled in the heart of the Wealden countryside sits Biddenden, home to Kent’s first commercial vineyard. Originally a 40-acre apple orchard located down Gribble Bridge Lane, the Barnes family started to consider diversifying the farm in the late 1960s as apple prices began to decline. After listening to a feature on the BBC’s Woman’s Hour programme about English vineyards being replanted, Mrs. Barnes was inspired to turn to viticulture. In 1969, one third of an acre of vines was planted and Biddenden Vineyards was born. Today Biddenden prides itself on being a family-run vineyard with the second and third generation of the Barnes family managing the estate. The single estate spans 23 acres of gentle south-facing slopes situated in a sheltered valley with 11 different grape varieties planted to produce an array of awardwinning White, Rosé, Red and Sparkling English wines. donations welcome for the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (R.A.B.I.), which run on Saturdays at 10am all year and on Wednesdays at 10am June to September. All tours are followed by a visit to the shop to sample the wines, ciders and juices. In the shop you will also find a vast selection of local artisan foods including local cheeses, locally brewed beer, a wide range of preserves and chutneys, Biddenden’s own honey, plus beef products from Gribble Bridge Meats, prime cuts, pies and burgers made from locally reared, grass fed Sussex cattle. The coffee shop is open daily and serves a selection of locally produced cakes. Groups and private tour visitors can pre-order Ploughman’s platters, cream teas and deli-style sharing platters. Julian Barnes and his eldest son Tom look after all of the vineyard management and winemaking at Biddenden. The knowledge which the family has built up through experience over the years can be seen in the quality and consistency of the wines produced year on year. From the first Biddenden wine, which was bottled around 1972-3, production has now grown to around 80,000 bottles per year. All vine work on the estate is still carried out by hand, including pruning, canopy management and picking, with harvest running from mid to late September right through to November. Great effort is made to ensure that the estate bottled wines are of the highest quality, which is reflected by the number of awards received, including a Silver Decanter World Wine Award 2016 for Ortega, 2014, and a Bronze Sommelier Wine Award 2016 for Pinot Reserve, 2010. For more information about tour packages and availability or to book onto a free tour please call Biddenden on 01580 291726. Biddenden Vineyards Gribble Bridge Lane Biddenden, Ashford TN27 8DF 01580 291726 [email protected] www.biddendenvineyards.com The Barnes family are passionate about sharing their story and the vineyard is open to the public daily throughout the year, with free admission and tastings. For those just passing, there is a self-guided tour route around the vines for you to take a stroll at your leisure and four-legged friends are welcome on leads. For a more in-depth experience and to learn more about the history of the vineyard, the wine and the cider making process visitors can pre-book private guided tours. Or for a short introduction to Biddenden, individuals, families and friends can book onto one of the free tours, with @BiddendenVine BiddendenVineyard 158