The new face of English Wine: Silverhand Estate

With English Wine Week 2023 in full swing, we turn our attentions to a brand new English wine producer based in Kent who are doing things a little differently. Welcome to Silverhand Estate!

Who are Silverhand Estate?

If there were ever a sign that English wine and oenotourism is booming, then this is it. Officially the biggest wine project happening in Europe and the biggest organic wine project in the UK, Silverhand is part of the MDCV UK group who own various vineyards in Provence as well as England and its set to be a biggie.

Located in a properly ancient part of the country around Luddesdown in Kent, where there’s a 1000 year old court house and a house that belonged to William the Conqueror's brother on the vineyard site, Silverhand gets its name from the town’s namesake King Ludd, the founder of London and all round royal legend who lost his hand in battle. He was stripped of his battle rights until he was forged a hand made of silver and thus, Silverhand felt a fittingly royal name for the legacy that this English vineyard means to have. 

Big ambitions

Silverhand Winemaker

With 550 acres already under vine and another 300 to come, Silverhand’s output will be impressive with a million bottles slated to be sold by the end of 2026. A state of the art winery designed by Sir Norman Foster has been planned with a top end café-bar and restaurant on site too. While big does not always mean better in terms of wine however, it’s important to note that the team are setting an example by being organic and sustainable from scratch with their new winery being carbon neutral and producing biogas. Here are some of the things Silverhand are doing to minimise their impact on this area of outstanding natural beauty. 

Sustainable from scratch

Helena with the sustainability manager, William

The company’s existing mosaic of vineyards with their flinty chalk and clay soils are certified organic by Demeter and there’s a conservation team that works tirelessly across the estate throughout the year to ensure that the land gives back. In fact the biodiversity net gain in the area is already at +16%.

Dotted inbetween the vineyards are wild grasslands which are home to numerous wildflowers, flora and fauna. Working sheep graze between the vines and fertilise the soils and the hedgerows and bluebell woodlands are kept in place and maintained. Truffles are being planted beneath a swathe of trees to nourish the soil from within and there is also now a conservation programme for rare orchids that have been found by the hedgerows in the top fields. On the production side, the site composts organic waste, harvests rainwater and uses heat from natural sources, such as ground source heat pumps.

A new style of wine for England

What is currently setting Silverhand apart is a new style of wine they have produced which feels like a hybrid between Prosecco and Champagne or rather, traditional method, English sparkling wine. Their maiden release Silver Reign is a charmat method wine, aka the Prosecco method, where the bubbles are formed in a tank rather than in single bottles. Unlike Prosecco however, only the three Champagne varietals, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier are used in the blend, each grape is vinified separately before blending and there is lees ageing happening as well as 5% reserve wine to add complexity to the final wine. The result is a sparkling that has much of the complexity and toasty notes of Champagne, is less sweet than your average Prosecco on the market but with added fruitiness, verve and freshness. At a retail price point of £17 (though it will be launched in the on trade first), it really feels like a game changer for the industry.

Silver Reign English Charmat

Blend: 60% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir, 20% Meunier
12.5% ABV and Vegan
13 g/l Residual sugar (NB extra dry Prosecco is between 12 and 17%) and 4.6 Tartaric Acid
3 months on lees in tank
Note: Nose of elderflower, white hedgerow flowers, pear and apricot. citrus and ripe stone fruit. Filled with citrus, fresh pear and cut apple flavours, and best enjoyed at any time.
£17 from thewinecaverns.co.uk 

However, it is not just charmat  / tank method wines that the estate produces; later this year will see the release of a vintage blanc de blancs wine and a Chardonnay dominant Brut NV wine.  There are also some other exciting developments on the way, but we’ll all just have to wait and see what those are…. Watch this space!

Words by Helena Nicklin

What is Pinot Noir?

Pinot Noir is one of the world’s most popular red wine grapes. It can taste like a red wine but feel like a white. It is light bodied and elegant, with high acidity and very low tannin and this is one of the reasons why it is loved so much. Couple this with its beautiful silky texture and its flavour profile of spiced cherry, raspberry compote and earth, it’s no wonder why it is a fond favourite around the world.

Which Countries Produce Pinot Noir?

Pinot Noir loves a cool climate and you can now find incredible bottles from many places around the globe. France produces a huge amount of it, with the majority coming from Burgundy, and since the 1990s Germany has also been producing some stunning bottles. The USA has some very exciting styles coming out of Oregon and California, and although not as widely known, there are many other countries around the world that produce some very good Pinot too, including the UK, New Zealand, Chile, Romania, Austria and Canada to name a few!

What is the Best Food to Pair with Pinot Noir?

Given its higher acidity and its low tannin, Pinot Noir pairs really well with many different dishes. For the fruitier versions, try it with fish, like salmon, or chicken, whereas, bolder Pinot Noirs work really well with pork, duck, beef stews and mushrooms.

Fun Facts about Pinot Noir

1. Pinot Noir is actually one of the three main grapes used in Champagne, along with Chardonnay and the lesser-known Pinot Meunier!

2. Pinot Noir is one of just a few red grapes that is commonly made into red, rosé, white and sparkling wine!

Which Pinot Noir Should I Try?

There are so many bottles to choose from it was hard to stick to just these five, but here is a mix ranging from classic Pinot Noir to some lesser-known regions that are certainly worth checking out!

France: Volnay Domaine Cyrot-Buthiau 2017

If it’s red and from Burgundy (aka Bourgogne) the chances are it is going to be Pinot Noir. The best ones need a few years of age on them to develop but this one is ok to drink now. Think spicy cherry, lavender and marzipan. It’s delicate, earthy, understated and old school in style.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 13%
Find here: £35.95

California: Sebastiani

The fog-cooled parts of coastal California give their Pinots softness, while that ripe, sweet, juicy fruit still shines through. They’re all about strawberries and cream on a bed of red velvet. Look for some from Russian River Valleys and Sonoma County like this bottle, Sebastiani.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 13.8%
Find here: UK £25 //US $14.99

New Zealand: Escarpment

New Zealand is Pinot’s most famous (arguably) New World home. Here, it’s slightly easier drinking and fruity, yet serious. The concentrated, savoury red fruit and cinnamon notes have won hearts and palates worldwide. Head to Central Otago, Martinborough and Marlborough for great ones.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 14%
Find here: £22.49

England: Bolney Estate Pinot Noir

English still wine used to be a bit of a joke, but nowadays, we’re finding that many serious producers are looking to the key Champagne grapes like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for their still wines and gaining globally award-winning results. The Bolney Estate Pinot Noir has won multiple awards internationally and this bottle, with its soft, velvety red fruit, hints of earth and coffee beans with a touch of chocolate dipped cherry on the finish is definitely one to try.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 12.5%
Find here: £17.99

Romania: Sanziana Pinot Noir Recas Cramele

Romania has a talent for making excellent, inexpensive, seriously easy-drinking, cherry-bomb wines from Pinot Noir. Don’t expect the complexity of Burgundy, but for under £10 this is brilliant value. Keep an eye out for the other great Pinots popping up all the time.

Size: 750ml
ABV: 13%
Find here: £8.50

If you enjoyed this then why not check out these great Proseccos for under £15! Or, how about checking out these Stunning Rosé Wines?!

Your Wine Travel Guide to Kent

Kent is a county in southeast England known colloquially as the Garden of England thanks to its historical importance for growing cereal crops, hops and fruit. With the increase in vineyard plantings however, things are changing quickly and Kent has already become one of the leading areas for top-quality wines in the UK. Below, we discuss why this is, give you the big names to look out for and suggest what else you can do while you’re there...

Despite evidence dating back to Roman times showing that winemaking practices have been common in England for over 2000 years, the buzz surrounding the exciting rise of English wine is actually pretty recent. The big success story here is sparkling wine made in the traditional method (now officially known over here as the ‘classic method’), with ‘new’ grape varieties i.e. Chardonnay. Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier; the grape varieties famous for making the great sparkling wines of Champagne. Before this practice took off, Kent and the rest of England were working more with still wines made with the aromatic, Germanic varieties that did better in the cold, such as Madeleine Angevine, Rondo and Bacchus. 

Why is Kent wine doing so well?

So why the new grapes and the success with wine in Kent particularly? Fruit growing temperatures and conditions in Kent have always been excellent and the soils, particularly those under the North Downs in the north of the county, share the same chalk ridges as the famous region of Champagne in France. This discovery led to trialing out the Champagne grapes mentioned above and to great success. Climate change has also meant that in the right conditions, grapes are able to ripen just that little bit more than they used to, which makes all the difference for wine production. Add to this the modern techniques by winemakers who have travelled the world and improved disease control and you have a recipe for success - so much so that we are even seeing famous Champagne houses snapping up land, such as Domaine Evremond, owned by the Taittinger family, who have planted vines down in Faversham. 

There are now over fifty wineries in Kent alone and the area is quickly becoming a real destination for fine wine production and gastro tourism, the latter helped by the picture perfect villages, cottages, landscapes and oasthouses of the county. If you’ve seen the film ‘The Holiday’, you’ll know exactly what we mean. A group of these wineries have also got together to support each other and boost the reputation of Kent wine under the title ‘Wine Garden of England’. These are Biddenden, Gusbourne, Balfour at Hush Heath Estate, Chapel Down, Domaine Evremond, Simpsons and Squerryes. 

Beer and Spirits

Drinks lovers will also note that Kent also has a strong association with growing hops for beer and we can still see some of these oast houses dotted around the county, though they are more often used as posh housing nowadays. Distilleries are also popping up, with some offering some fantastic experience for visitors, such as Copper Rivet over in Chatham that offers distillery tours and tastings and also has a new cocktail bar and fine dining restaurant on site. 

Notable wineries of Kent

Of the fifty or so wineries dotted around the county, there are several that stand out. While these names will change over time with new ones being added regularly, these are the need-to-know producers currently making a splash and well worth a visit:

• Gusbourne

• Balfour at Hush Heath

• Simpsons

• Biddenden

• Woodchurch

• Herbert Hall

• Squerryes

• Chapel Down

• Mereworth

• Look out for Domaine Evremond too; the Taittinger family project, recently planted.

Gusbourne

Location: Appledore, Kent

Gusbourne and its head winemaker Charlie Holland have been turning heads all over the vinous world as their vintage sparkling wines gather inordinate amounts of awards. Even their first releases in 2006 (Gusbourne Brut Reserve and Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs), which were released in 2010, commanded attention immediately. Since then, the English wine world has watched in awe as the team crafts the vintages every year, adding new cuvées and styles to their repertoire. The winery now produces several white and rosé sparkling wines as well as an impressive range of still wines, each with their own personality. This is a real, fine wine producer of Kent.

On Site Experiences

Tastings & Tours
Guided and self guided tours with wine tastings are available from £25 pp.

Food

While there is no restaurant or café at Gusbourne per se, picnics are available to buy and consume overlooking the stunning Boot Hill vineyard at the top of the estate. You can however, also pre book an extended tour and tasting which includes a 3 course lunch for £95pp or for something less formal, try the discovery tour, which involves a tasting and a casual lunch for £75 pp. Locals say to try the Ferry Inn in Oxney or The Woolpack Inn in Warehorne for great pub grub if the tasting lunches don’t work for you. Also, make sure you pay a visit to Miss Mollett's High Class Tea Rooms in Appledore if you’re staying there. 

Accommodation

None on site but there are several very pretty Air BnBs down the road in Appledore, about 30 mins walk away through the vines.

Kiddie friendly: No. 
Dog friendly: Yes outside, or possibly inside if clean and very well behaved. 

Address: Kenardington Rd, Appledore, Ashford TN26 2BE
Tel: +44 (0)1233 758666
Website

Balfour at Hush Heath Estate 

Location: Near Stapleford, Kent

The 16th century Hush Heath manor is the home to Richard and Leslie Balfour-Lynn who acquired the 400 acre estate that surrounds it in 2001 after it came up unexpectedly in an auction. The couple had the foresight to plant grape vines alongside some of the apple trees and now, twenty years later, they are producing award-winning sparkling and still wines alongside their beers and high class ciders that are made just like their fizz. With their new terrace called ‘The View’ and its sweeping views across the estate, it’s a lovely spot for a tasting with a sharing platter. 

On Site Experiences

Tastings & Tours

At Hush Heath, you can do simple guided and self-guided walks around the estate culminating in a tasting or you can upgrade the offering to include sharing platters at The View. They offer several types of other experiences, including self-tutored tastings, masterclasses, wine and dine experiences and corporate and private events where they pick you up from the station!

Food

There’s no restaurant or café at Hush Heath as such, but sharing platters of cold cuts, cheeses and other local products are available on the day.  

Accommodation

The Balfour family own several gastro pubs with rooms in the area (and elsewhere), the closest of which is the Goudhurst Inn five minutes drive away. They also own the Tickled Trout in Farleigh, the Woolpack on Tenterden high street, the Ship Inn in Rye and The Windmill in Hollingbourne, all a bit further away. 

Kiddie Friendly: Yes on the terrace and in The View. Under 10’s are not permitted on the winery tour.

Address: Hush Heath Estate, Five Oak Ln, Staplehurst, Tonbridge TN12 0HT
Tel: +44 (0)1622 832794
Website

Simpsons English Wine Estate

Location: Canterbury

Run by veteran winemaking couple Charles and Ruth Simpson, this estate is tucked away on the chalky slopes of the North Downs, sheltered from the weather by stunning English woodland. A relative newcomer on the English winemaking scene, Simpson’s first wine releases of traditional method sparkling wines in their sleek, dark packaging impressed from the off and they’ve gone on to produce some serious still wines too from the same Champagne grapes, including one that’s, unusually, made from 100% Pinot Meunier. 

On Site Experiences

Tastings & Tours

Simpsons offer weekday and weekend tours and tastings as well as sought-after, Friday Sunset Sessions with food platter.

Food

No restaurant or café, but platters are available on the Friday sunset sessions. 

Address: The Barns, Church Lane, Barham, Canterbury, Kent, CT4 6PB
Tel: +44 (0) 1227 832200
Website

Biddenden Vineyards

Location: Biddenden

Biddenden is Kent’s original vineyard, dating back to 1969 when the first vines were planted on the Barnes family’s orchard farm. Unlike many of the other new wineries in Kent, Biddenden doesn’t just focus on the three Champagne grapes for its wine but celebrates eleven different grape varieties, including what we could now call the ‘heritage’ English grapes such as Bacchus, Ortega and Huxelrebe. A true location for quintessentially Kentish produce, Biddenden also produces cider, juices and sells a range of local produce. If you want to know Kentish wine, you should start here. 

On Site Experiences

Tastings & Tours

Self guided tours and wine tastings are available 7 days a week and group bookings for up to six people are available Weds-Sat. 

Shop

As well as wine, cider, beer and gin, Biddenden has a shop that stocks a wide range of local and regional products and snacks, such as cheese, meats and condiments from independent and artisan producers.

Address: Biddenden Vineyards, Gribble Bridge Lane, Biddenden, Kent. TN27 8DF.
Tel: +44 (0)1580 291726
Website

Woodchurch

Location: Woodchurch

Woodchurch is a relatively new, family-owned winery located on the edge of the picturesque village of Woodchurch in Kent, overlooking the ancient Romney marsh down to the English channel. Established in 2009, their vision is to create some of the world’s finest sparkling wines with a hand-made approach in their state-of-the-art winery and minimal intervention.

On Site Experiences

The cellar door shop and new terrace bar are now open again and they serve wines by the glass with some free tastings. There’s no need to book ahead for this. 

Tastings & Tours

Guided tours with four wines are available for £20 per person, lasting about an hour and a half.

Food

Cheese and Charcuterie boards are available too, 11am - 4pm but it’s wise to pre-order. 

Address: Susan's Hill, Woodchurch, Ashford TN26 3RE
Tel: 01233 860276
Website

Herbert Hall

Location: Marden Tonbridge

Herbert Hall is the name of a colourful character who was also a tenant farmer who arrived in the village of Marden at the end of the 19th century and worked on the ten-acre site to the west of the village. On the estate, he grew hops, apples, pears and plums and his farm has remained in the Hall family for three generations. It was in 2007 however that his great grandson, the now winemaker Nicholas Hall, chose Herbert’s original site to plant a vineyard with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. Today, with fellow winemaker Kirsty Smith, he now produces vintage, English Sparkling Wines with a focus on organic viticulture and meticulous fruit selection.

On Site Experiences

Tastings, Tours & Food

The Herbert Hall bar is open on Saturdays 12pm-8pm and Sundays 12-6pm during the summer, but is currently weather dependent. The bar also serves beers, cider and soft drinks, as well as still wines, their own sparkling wines, and charcuterie and cheeses.

Address: Poultry Farm, Plain Rd, Marden, Tonbridge TN12 9LS
Website

Squerryes

Location: Westerham, Kent

The Warde family motto, which can be seen above the door at Squerryes Court, reads ’Licet Esse Beatis’, which means: ‘it’s permitted to be joyful’ and this is a place that embodies that perfectly. Located just outside Westerham at the foot of the North Downs, the family have lived here for eight generations over 300 years, with Sir Patience Warde one of the first generation, trading wool from the Estate with the French for red wine. Fast forward centuries later and the family turned down offers from a Champagne house to buy some of their land. It was the right decision as now, Squerryes is making a solid name for its vintage, sparkling wines in their own right.

On Site Experiences

Tastings & Tours

Squerryes offer tours that culminate in tastings that include their signature Brut release, the Rosé and Blanc de Blancs. Tours run on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays every weekend through to October.

Food

Squerryes is a great choice for when you want to make a day of it, with a tour, then a tasting and a proper lunch or dinner in The Terrace restaurant or The Bottle Store restaurant. There is Al Fresco dining at The Terrace between April and September and you can look forward to small, seasonal dishes and sharing plates with select cuts of prime meat and seafood, created by their estate chef, Alexander Baillieu. 

Private Hire & Weddings

You have found your perfect location for a party or a wedding. Squerryes Court has featured in many a period drama and could be the perfect backdrop to your big day. The winery space is also available to hire. 

Address: Squerryes, Beggars Lane, Westerham, Kent, TN16 1QP
Tel: 01959 562345
Website

Chapel Down

Location: Tenterden, Kent

Chapel Down might well be the name in English wine that you are most familiar with as they were one of the first to go big and get ‘out there’ in mainstream shops and restaurants. Located just outside Tenterden and pretty close to Gusbourne and Woodchurch, this is a great location to start an English wine tour, especially as there are some great pubs with rooms nearby. Chapel Down themselves also offer a range of experiences, from guided tours, wine tastings and full-on masterclasses, to lunch at their restaurant ‘The Swan’. There are also accommodation packages you could look at with their partner hotels.

On Site Experiences

Tastings & Tours

You can do guided and self guided tours around their vineyards and herb garden. There are various options from simple tours and tastings to full, deluxe tour packages. Cheese and wine tastings are also available.

Food

Chapel Down boasts a two AA Rosette and Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants specialising in modern British cuisine and locally sourced seasonable produce.

Lease the vines!

Chapel Down also has a vine lease programme where you can buy or gift someone their very own Bacchus vines and create personalised wines. There are also events for the leaseholders to attend and you are able to visit your vines at any time to see how they are coming on. 

Address: Chapel Down Winery, Small Hythe, Tenterden, Kent TN30 7NG
Tel: 01580 763033
Website

Mereworth Wines

Location: Mereworth, Kent.

Mereworth is a pretty ancient Kentish site that even gets a mention in the Domesday book! The area, like much of Kent has a long history of growing fruit and hops and now, Mereworth has its own winery, swapping hops for grapes. It’s a new winery on the scene but is already making a splash with its first vintage of 2018 sparkling wines winning prestigious awards already. It’s rapidly becoming a serious destination for wine lovers thanks to its calendar of events such as their Indian wine supper and their Champagne Vs England sparkling wine tasting. 

On Site Experiences

Tastings, Tours & Food

Mereworth Wines runs tours and tastings, with an option of masterclasses and wine-and-cheese pairings too. Check their website for their events too.

Address: Brewers Hall, Tonbridge Rd, Mereworth, Maidstone, ME18 5JD. 
Tel: 01622 817795
Website

Places to stay in Kent for your wine tour

The Woolpack Inn, Warehorne.

Tickled Trout in West Fairleigh

Woolpack, Tenterden high street.

The Ship Inn, Rye.

The Windmill, Hollingbourne.

The Oxney Barns, Oxney.

Shepherd’s Huts, Oxney.

Want to know more about English wine? Here are some need-to-know producers to seek out. Or you could try this article for the best UK vineyard hotels. Or this one for the best places to drink English wine in the UK!