An artisan Herefordshire wine company will be attending the two-day Hellens Garden Festival in the county to raise money for the charities St Michaels Hospice and Back to the Wild (June 2022).
Foxbury Fields Vineyard, which is based in Bromsberrow, will be at Hellens Manor, Much Marcle near Ledbury on June 11 and 12, to showcase its English wines to visitors.
Heather Williamson, who set-up Foxbury Fields Vineyard, which is based at the foot of the Malvern Hills and produces small batch Bacchus and Ortega wines from grapes grown in their own unique micro-climate, said: “We’re really looking forward to returning to the Hellens Garden Festival. Last year’s event was fantastic, and we hope this year’s will be even better. It includes a whole host of activities for everyone of all ages.
“The Festival is a lovely celebration of plants, produce, crafts and sustainability all in the beautifully landscaped gardens and grounds of Hellens Manor. It’s the best of British and so it’s apt that we’ll be attending with our truly home-grown and locally-made wines.”
Entry to the event is based on an advanced ticketed system and all profits will be donated to regional beneficiaries St Michael’s Hospice and Back to the Wild. It’s a family-friendly festival and dogs are also welcome too.
Heather continues: “It’s definitely a collaborative and creative venture. With plenty of workshops and talks also available to help promote sustainable practices, it mirrors our ethos of locally-grown and made wine, sold here in Hereford. We’ll be one of the many food and drink stalls offering tastings of our carefully crafted English wines from our vineyards not far from Hellens Manor.
“Our Bacchus wine is a pale lime-green aromatic dry white wine. It offers complex aromas of elderflower, layered with kiwi, grass and a herbal overlay. Well balanced with length on the palate, this is a classic English Bacchus at 11.5% VOL.
“The Ortega wine we produce is a delightfully perfumed medium dry white wine with refreshing lemon and orange aromas. Crisp and deliciously fruity, it is wonderful on its own, as an aperitif or as an ideal accompaniment to fish dishes. Vintages are available at a 11.5% VOL.”
The Bacchus grape grown at the vineyard was created in 1933 by viticulturalist Peter Morio by crossing Silvaner x Riesling with Muller-Thurgau varieties to create a grape that produces a fine white wine.
Originating in Germany, Bacchus has increasingly been grown in the United Kingdom. The climate being colder means the grapes tend to have increased levels of acidity compared to their German counterparts, giving a new flavour take on a classic German grape by keeping it from becoming too intense or sugary.
The Ortega grape is utilised for white wine. It was created in 1948 by Hans Breider at the Bayerischen Landesanstalt für Wein, Obst-und Gartenbau in Würzburg and was discharged with varietal security in 1981. It is a combination of Müller-Thurgau and Siegerrebe.
Ortega matures early and isn’t susceptible to frosty conditions, making it ideal for wine production in the UK. It is regularly utilised for sweet wines, which are considered to improve with cellaring. Ortega wines often have hints of Muscat and peach, along with a citrus aroma, which produces a crisp and fruity wine.
Foxbury Fields, which is a South West Vineyards Association Silver medal winner, is now able to sell direct to consumers online via its website www.foxburyfields.co.uk and purchasers can collect their orders from the vineyard by arrangement only.
Its wines are also available for collection, by arrangement only, from Wyevale Nurseries in Herefordshire, which is one of the UK’s leading commercial nurseries and celebrates its 91st anniversary this year. Wyevale Nurseries is family-owned and is currently run by the third generation of Williamsons, Heather and Simeon, who are joint Chairmen of the company.
Heather added: “If any businesses in the area would be interested in stocking and selling our Foxbury Fields Vineyard wines direct to the public, we would love to hear from them too. They can get in touch with us by calling 07974793367 or emailing [email protected].”
Foxbury Fields Vineyard will be at Hellens Garden Festival, on Saturday, 11 June and Sunday, 12 June with details on how to book tickets are available here: https://hellensgardenfestival.co.uk
For further details about Foxbury Fields Vineyard, please call 07974793367 or visit www.foxburyfields.co.uk.