Rural Report 2017: Exploring the rise of wine-making in the 'English Riviera'

When it comes to English vineyards the south-east hogs the headlines with tales of French champagne houses buying up swathes of Kent and Sussex, but the south-west is at the forefront of the industry, with 49 registered vineyards in Devon alone.

Sharpham Vineyard, near Totnes, established 36 years ago, was one of the pioneers and is still going strong under the ownership of Mark Sharman, who also produces an award-winning range of cheeses using milk from his herd of Jersey cows.

Mr Sharman says diversification or adding-value weren’t even part of the farming vocabulary when the vineyard was first set up, but even then it was clear that it was going to be difficult to run a profitable business on the steep land and small fields of the Sharpham Estate based solely on traditional farming enterprises.

However, the sheltered Dart valley and the area’s “English Riviera” climate meant it stood a better chance than many parts of England when it came to grape production, says Mr Sharman who now produces 14 different wine styles, many of them award-winning.

“People said we were mad at the time, but English wine has gone from strength to strength. In a tourism-driven area like this visitors are particularly keen to consume locally produced food and drink when they stay.”

The success of Sharpham Vineyard has inspired others to set up their own vineyards, including Knight Frank client Jane Moon, who owns the nearby Sandridge Barton Estate. The Rural Report first visited Sandridge Barton in 2011 and since then the estate has achieved its target of planting 25 acres of vines, says Knight Frank’s Edward Dixon who advises Mrs Moon.

“My husband and I both love wine so it was a dream to set up our own vineyard once we’d bought the estate,” explains Mrs Moon. “When you’re doing something new it’s always helpful to talk to people like Mark who have set up successful businesses. He was able to tell us which varieties did best in the local conditions and where would be the right place on the estate to plant the vines.”

Although the vineyard is just one of a number of businesses that Mrs Moon and her husband Andrew are involved with, it is run as a commercial venture and is starting to be profitable, says Edward. “The last vines were planted in 2014 so are still not in full production, but we have harvested as much as 80 tonnes of grapes in one year.”

So far the Moons have not created their own wine, preferring to sell their grapes to other producers to be bottled. “We may do that one day, but I think it’s important to learn to walk before you can run,” says Mrs Moon. “It’s a steep learning curve when you set up a vineyard from scratch.”