So safely settled into my "home" for the next 5 days in the Napa Valley what do I know after my jaunt around the south of England....?
Other than it takes pigging ages to get to most of the lovely places I visited, only a sadistic fool would recommend someone drive from Kent to Cornwall via Dorset on the same day, the main thing I discovered is that England has the capacity to make great fizz from a range of grape varieties.
On my last couple of days I drove through fog and endless drizzle to see the folks at Camel Valley. Camel Valley is another award winning establishment which produces both still and sparkling wine to great effect. Despite it being the beginning of November a lorry load of grapes arrived whilst I was there to be processed ensuring no rest for Sam and the team just yet.
As the winery folks were busy Jack took me through their range in the lovely tasting room which I can imagine if you're not driving and the sun is out is one of the best things to do on an afternoon in Cornwall.
If Cornwall is a drive too far for you timewise then just outside of London is Denbies Estate. It's all geared up for visits, the whole team are incredibly chirpy, the wine is very good, particularly the award winning Greenfields Cuvee 2006. 100% Pinot Noir and utterly scrumptious, bags of fruit, including some crunchy redcurrant flavours, hints of candied peel, refreshing acidity and a fine creamy mousse. They have a train, restaurant, gift shop and you can even get involved during harvest with some picking followed by a trip to the winery to see the grapes being processed and then a tasting and lunch. All in all well worth a look see if you want to know a bit more about English wine but you haven't much time.
I love visiting wineries and vineyards as I don't think anything else can give you the same sense of place as actually being there. There are rules however for visiting vineyards/wineries, under no circumstances must you repeat the following to anyone before, during or after a trip to wine land. They will just assume you are a cretin and are just trying to show off.
1. "You know we went to (insert winery name here) and this only cost a couple of Euros/Dollars/Groats and it's what all the locals drink. It's so overpriced when you buy it here isn't it?"
Oh just f*$% off, either buy it where you've just been and have it shipped over or just keep your mouth shut. End of, nobody cares.
2. "That's hardly a taste, how am i supposed to find out if I like it from that tiny amount"
Tasting, not a free bar. If you want more buy it from these nice people who just gave you a sample to taste and let you look around their winery.
3. "It just tastes like wine, all that other stuff is just power of suggestion, you're only saying you can taste blackcurrants because someone else said it. They all taste the same to me"
Why did you go to visit a winery? Go home immediately after apologising to the person at the cellar door who has been looking after you.
