In the first week of May, our French plantation team arrived in Barham along with 20,000 Pinot Noir, 13,500 Chardonnay and 8,000 Pinot Meunier vines, to plant our third tranche of vineyard. This expert team, now on their third visit to the UK, was unfazed by the grey skies and the typical British weather, ensuring all of the vines had been planted within two days. This final plantation stage took place at our Railway Hill site on the South Barham Road and we expect the first crop from this vineyard to be harvested in 2019.
Across the plantation days, we were delighted to share our story and plans for the future with local and national press visitors, many of whom were then going on to witness the Domaine Everemond/Taittinger plantation in Chilham. We also hosted a very successful first event for our Private List members in conjunction with Barretts Land Rover of Canterbury. The day comprised of tours of the plantation, vineyards and state-of-the-art winery. The grand finale was a delicious three-course lunch accompanied by a guided tasting of specially paired Domaine Sainte Rose wines on-board a quintessentially English double-decker bus overlooking the Roman Road Vineyard.
Simpsons Wine Estate is looking forward to welcoming more visitors over the summer as we embark on our premier Vineyard Tours and Tastings events.