Date: 27 May 2005

EAST SUSSEX WINE PRODUCERS RAISE THEIR GLASSES TO ENGLISH WINE WEEK

Sussex wine producers will be celebrating English Wine Week from 28 May – 6 June. Several local producers have benefited from funding amounting to over £354,000 under Defra funding schemes delivered by the Rural Development Service (RDS). English Wine Week will include a programme of tastings and events throughout the region.

Among those local producers who have received funding are RidgeView Winery Ltd, of Ditchling Common, Davenport Vineyards near Uckfield and Breaky Bottom Vineyard near Lewes all in East Sussex.

RidgeView Wine Estate based in Ditchling Common, near Burgess Hill, are currently celebrating the good news that this week they were awarded a Silver Medal in the 2005 International Wine Challenge for their new release Blanc de Blanc Merret Grosvenor 2001 and a Bronze in Decanter World Wine awards 2005 for Merret Fitzrovia 2002. Both wines are available for tasting during English Wine Week

RidgeView Wine Estate were awarded a Processing and Marketing Grant (PMG) of £48,486 to extend their facilities within the winery. The company is run by the Roberts family and is solely dedicated to the production of quality sparkling wines made using the traditional method. In 1994 they planted 20,000 vines on 16 acres with advice from Epernay in France. They used 13 French clones of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier on three different rootstocks enabling them to emulate “l’assemblage” of the Champagne Houses that combine together the vintages of small vineyards, thereby creating imaginative blends. A purpose made 8,600sq ft winery was also built in The Estate which houses the presses, tankage, bottling and labeling lines. The winery incorporates a cellar capable of storing 250,000 bottles and a tasting room for sales and other functions. They also offer contract sparkling winemaking facilities to other vineyards in the South East. The PMG will be invested in the winery to enable the planned increase in production from 50,000 bottles to more than 100,000 bottles per annum over the next decade.

Tamara Roberts, General Manager, said:

“Over the last 18 months we have seen a significant increase in demand for our wines which we cannot continue to service without increasing our production. One key element is to equip the winery to enable this expansion and the funding from Defra is crucial to these plans.”

Davenport Vineyards, based in Rotherfield, near Uckfield were awarded a Processing and Marketing Grant (PMG) of nearly £46,840 to extend their facilities and marketing activities. The company is owned and managed by Will Davenport who trained in wine-making in Australia. The winery produces sparkling and still wines from the farm’s own grapes and provides contract wine-making services to 22 other vineyards located throughout the South East. The wines are sold through local retail outlets, restaurants, hotels and wine shops. The PMG award enabled the company to increase its maximum production capacity from 50,000 to 70,000 litres of wine per annum, and has improved efficiency and product quality, reduced wastage and increased profitability.

Breaky Bottom Vineyard, Rodmell, near Lewes was awarded a Rural Enterprise Scheme (RES) grant of nearly £13,628 to install a temperature controlled wine store. This enables the owner, Peter Hall, to store larger quantities of wine at the correct temperature maximising the quality of the wine he produces. Peter realised there was good potential for wine making in the area as the climate is similar to that of the continent – especially the Loire and Champagne regions of France, and Germany. Seyval Blanc is the main grape variety grown at Breaky Bottom, and is used to produce Loire-style wines. Peter also makes a dry, Alsace-style wine.
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NOTES TO EDITORS

Following publication of the draft Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill in February, English Nature, the Rural Development Service and the Countryside Agency’s Landscape, Access and Recreation division are working towards integration as a single body: Natural England. It will work for people, places and nature with responsibility for enhancing biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas; promoting access, recreation and public wellbeing, and contributing to the way natural resources are managed – so they can be enjoyed now and for future generations.

English Nature is the independent Government agency that champions the conservation of wildlife and geology throughout England.

The Rural Development Service is the largest deliverer of the England Rural Development Programme and a range of advisory and regulatory rural services. With the administration of a multi-million pound grant budget for schemes which support land management, rural businesses and rural communities, the Rural Development Service is the single largest organisation working for the benefit of rural areas in England.

The Countryside Agency’s Landscape, Access and Recreation division aims to help everyone respect, protect and enjoy the countryside – protecting natural landscapes; and encouraging access to, enjoyment of and sustainable management and use of the countryside.

Issued on behalf of the Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs by the Government News Network South East. For more information please contact
Jenny Lewis on 01483 882 879.

Regional news releases for Defra can be viewed at: www.gnn.gov.uk