Oxford, England
It is sometimes forgotten that winemaking was part and parcel of English life way back in the Roman Empire, some 2000 years ago, when temperatures were higher than they are today.
Winemaking, notably at religious monasteries, continued through to the Middle Ages. But English winemaking came to an abrupt halt when King Henry VIII abolished the monasteries.
Winemaking would only begin returning to England following World War 2, some 400 years later. With a latitude similar to Reims, the capital of France’s Champagne region, it is not surprising that sparkling wines are the most important English wines made near the town of Oxford.
Yesterday, in August 2023, with my good friends John and Diane, I visited the lovely Brightwell Vineyard, just 8 miles south of Oxford, and adjoining the south side of the River Thames.
Brightwell Vineyard was first planted in the late 1980s. Carol and Bob Nielsen acquired Brightwell Vineyard in 2000. Today it covers 16 acres and grows 8 varieties of grape including Bacchus, Chardonnay, Huxelrebe, Dornfelder and Pinot Noir.
White, rosé, red and sparkling are made in the on-site winery employing natural, minimum intervention methods. This allows the subtle, distinctive flavours of the different grape varieties to shine through, as Carol said on the occasion of our visit.
Brightwell Vineyard frequently wins medals in Regional, National and International competitions. Brightwell Vineyard also produces an English Brandy, one of England’s first.
Carol explained to us that the flinty chalk greensand and gravel of the Thames Valley provides ideal grapevine soil, while the region is sheltered by the surrounding hills of the Chilterns, North Downs and Cotswolds making it one of the warmest and driest areas of the UK in summer. Global warming is another factor, facilitating the English wine industry.
According to Carol, Brightwell Vineyard receives local community support via volunteer grape pickers. And the vineyard did not really suffer from Covid-19. Indeed, sales picked up, as local citizens are taking a growing interest in English wines.
To finish off our visit, we tasted a Pinot Noir, which was indeed excellent – deep, rich and intense flavours, with a perfect balance of fruit, acid and tannins.
Last night, we tried a bottle of white wine made from the Bacchus grape. Wonderful, with a fresh and crisp citrus flavour. The Bacchus grape was created by viticulturalist Peter Morio at the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding in the Palatinate in 1933. He crossed a Silvaner x Riesling cross with Müller-Thurgau.
Carol and Bob Nielsen’s wine adventure is an inspirational story. Their vineyard fell into their hands because it came with the house they bought. Then these retirees from the RAF decided to turn winemaking into a second career. But having no experience in the wine industry, this meant going back to school. Congratulations to Carol and Bob!