Twelve brave souls turned up for our visit to Greyfriars Vineyard in pouring rain and a freezing cold wind. But what a successful day. We were greeted by the owner Mike Wagstaff in his shirt sleeves while we were all dressed for winter conditions. He presented us with a glass of his prize winning sparkling wine. It had recently won a blind tasting event against Champagne. That nearly made up for the weather.

Mike gave us a very interesting talk about the history of wine production in the UK and told us all about Greyfriars wines. We were given details of how the sparkling wine was produced and were shown the enormous vats where the wine was made.

We declined a visit around the vineyard to see the grapes but instead saw the storage area that was in a cave that had been cut into the Hoggs Back.

Surrounded by bottles of wine Mike gave us a chance to taste the various sparkling wines that they produce both white and rose. It was interesting to note that the group all had different views about what they liked best.

If you are looking for something sparkling and special for Christmas why not give them a call as I’m sure you will not be disappointed with the quality of their wine, and it is much cheaper than the French equivalent. Details at www.greyfriarsvineyard.co.uk

Terry Boorman