After careers in retail buying and professional brewing, Marcus now shares his love of wine and ale as a tour guide and writer. He shares his Bucks beauties.
My new book, Oxfordshire Uncorked, features 15 local wineries and vineyards, and the wines they produce, including two in Buckinghamshire and several others clustered just over the border around Henley.
Nowadays the standard of English wine generally, and the wine produced locally is excellent. You no longer need to worry that investing £15 for a still wine or £30 for a sparkling wine is a risk not worth taking. And the wines made locally have won awards and medals that prove just how good they are. What could be better than an English Sparkling wine to enjoy this Christmas, made by the same method as Champagne?
October was harvest time for most of thee local vineyards. Many of them encouraged volunteers to come and help harvest the grapes where they were rewarded with lunch and wine for their efforts. Winter can be a quiet time in the vineyards but many still welcome visitors over the colder months and have cafes or shops on-site where you can spend a pleasant couple of hours. In addition, several local vineyards host other events year-round.
Let’s focus on three in or near Buckinghamshire, all of which have wineries making wine on-site as well as their vineyard producing the fruit: Chiltern Valley Winery and Brewery, near Henley and right on the Buckinghamshire-Oxfordshire border, continues to run regular tours and tastings throughout November, December and January. Winter is a good time to visit so you can also enjoy discounts on their luxury, B&B accommodation – no need to drive home! In addition, dinner can be arranged at the lovely, local Stag & Huntsman pub in picturesque Hambleden with return transport included. Book now for best prices and availability. They even offer a cookery school as well as weddings and Christmas parties in their lovely, converted barn.
Chiltern Valley was established in 1980 and is one of the older establishments in the region. They are well set up for visitors and attract a lot of walkers and cyclists exploring the Chiltern Hills AONB. Chiltern Valley produces a wide range of still and sparkling wines, all available to take home or to enjoy on-site by the bottle or glass. In addition, they offer bottle-conditioned ales brewed on-site, and a food van open every day serving coffee as well as hot and cold food. Try the lovely sparkling wines which have an extremely fine fizz on the palate, or their oaked white wines with tropical fruit flavours which are not always expected in English wines.
Further north in the Chilterns, at Radnage between Chinnor and High Wycombe, you can find Daws Hill vineyard and winery. Planted in 2004 and run by Holly Morgan, Holly produces sparkling wines only, made by the traditional method, like Champagne. Holly relies on a team volunteers to help her in the vineyard, many of whom love to be outdoors and talk about the positive impact the work has on their mental health.
Daws Hill hosts regular events. October saw another successful Sushi and wine evening in partnership with Sakana Oxford – an online Japanese food service based in Chinnor. Other popular events have included Food Foraging (next planned for March 2025), a Wine blending workshop, and regular Wine & Cheese pairings. Daws Hill produces lovely sparkling wines from the Auxerrois grape – common in Cremant d’Alsace wines – and from the big three Champagne grapes – Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. They even produce an unusual, elegant cider made in the same way as the wines with a second fermentation in the bottle – a lovely match for traditional English cheese or pork pie. Look out for Holly at local Christmas markets such as Waddesdon.
Just outside Marlow, Harrow and Hope focuses on making high-end sparkling wines from the three classic Champagne varieties – Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Henry and Faye Laithwaite planted the vineyard in 2010 and aim to let the grapes and their wines express the ‘terroir’ of the vineyard. The vineyard and its wines are now certified Organic. Prices start around £33 and are available from Laithwaites as well as independent delis and wine merchants such as Grape Expectations in Marlow. Henry and Faye produce wines with weight, texture and complexity.
Tours run in the summer but sell out and should be booked well in advance. Harrow & Hope also hold pre-release launch days in summer which are probably the best time to visit, taste the current range, and to purchase newly launched wines. In the meantime, a traditional method sparkling wine from Harrow & Hope would be an excellent choice for a Christmas or New Year treat. https://harrowandhope.com/
If you can’t wait until Christmas to get into the local festive spirit, you could consider joining Marlow-based floral designer, Joanne Caldwell, on weekend of 6th-8th December. She is running three Christmas Wreath-making workshops at Oaken Grove vineyard, near Henley-on-Thames. Joanne will be providing all the materials and her expert knowledge on how to use seasonal foliage and festive decorations to create your own wreath design just in time for Christmas. Mulled wine and sparkling wine from Oaken Grove are included in the ticket price with the bar open throughout the workshops.
Check out Oxfordshire Uncorked for details of more regional vineyards including visitor facilities and the wines that they produce… An excellent Christmas present for any wine lover.
You can buy Oxfordshire & Uncorked from Blackwells, Waterstones, Amazon and more. Oxfordshire Uncorked – A Guide to the Vineyards and Wines of Oxfordshire and North Cotswolds
