Furleigh Estate enjoys a bumper harvest this autumn

Sep 12, 2014

English vineyard and winery Furleigh Estate is expecting its best-ever harvest this autumn, and has estimated that it will produce approximately 100,000 bottles of award-winning, still and sparkling wine as a result.

This year’s harvest is anticipated to be twice as large as the previous record yield, in 2010. What’s more, in one of its vineyards the crop is predicted to be even bigger than the total sum of all of the previous harvests, as a result of two consecutive years of great summer weather.

Situated in Salway Ash in West Dorset, this former dairy farm is owned and managed by husband and wife team, Rebecca Hansford and Ian Edwards. The couple planted their first vine just over nine years ago in 2005. Today, more than 22,000 Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier vines grow on the south-facing slopes of the Estate.

Rebecca Hansford, owner of Furleigh Estate, said: “We are so excited about this year’s bumper harvest. It’s come at a significant time for us as we enter our 10th year as a working vineyard and winery.

“A dry Glastonbury festival and a warm Wimbledon are usually reliable indicators that the grape harvest is going to be good, so we’ve had high hopes since the start of the summer. We are so fortunate that the English climate has been kind to the vines this season!”

Furleigh Estate’s vineyard and winery will be open to the public for two very special harvest lunches.  For more information or to book, email info@furleighestate.co.uk  or phone 01308 488991.

Furleigh Estate vineyard and winery to rock the food festivals this summer

Jul 28, 2014

Furleigh Estate vineyard and winery in Dorset, is set to round off the festival season by showcasing its award-winning still and sparkling wine at two exciting food and drink festivals, The Oxford Wine Festival, and the Food Rocks festival in Lyme Regis later this summer.

The Oxford Wine Festival takes place in one of Oxford’s most iconic buildings – the Oxford Union over the bank holiday weekend, from 23 until 24 August and will feature wines from over twenty countries and forty different regions, accompanied by live music, food, and tutored tastings from some of the world’s leading wine authorities, while the Food Rocks festival, founded by chef and restaurateur Mark Hix, will be held in Lyme Regis, between 6 and 7 September and is set to be a fun-filled weekend of demonstrations, food stands, talks and tastings.

Rebecca Hansford, owner of Furleigh Estate, said: “We are really excited to be attending these two fabulous food festivals towards the end of the summer, and hope they will give our locally produced wine the exposure it deserves. Dorset and southern England in general is a treasure trove of top notch food and drink producers, so we will be in good company, I’m sure.”

Situated in Salway Ash, Furleigh Estate is open to the public for tours and tastings every Friday and Saturday and every Thursday in August. For more information or to book, email info@furleighestate.co.uk  or phone 01308 488991.

Furleigh Estate showcases new 2011 wine, Classic Cuvee at the Hotel & Catering Show

Mar 10, 2014

Dorset-based vineyard and winery Furleigh Estate, is set to descend on this year’s Hotel & Catering Show for the very first time to showcase the brand-new successor to its multi-award-winning wine, Classic Cuvee 2009.

Hoteliers, restaurateurs and bar owners will have the opportunity to sample the Classic Cuvee 2011, in addition to a gold medal winning sparkling rosé wine at the Source Producers Market area of the show.

Nestled within 85 acres of rolling countryside, lakes and grazing land and surrounded by natural woodland, Furleigh Estate in Salway Ash, West Dorset, is owned by husband and wife team Rebecca Hansford and Ian Edwards.

This former dairy farm grows a variety of vines on the south-facing slopes of the estate, including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meurnier grapes, used to produce their classic quality sparkling wine and Bacchus and Rondo grapes, which produce fine, still wines.

Most of the wine is sold within a 25-mile radius of the estate, to restaurants and retail outlets, although some of the sparkling wines have been making a name for themselves on a national level and are about to be launched at Gordon Ramsay’s new Battersea restaurant, London House, in addition to the World Duty Free shops at Gatwick airport, Heathrow airport, Southampton airport, Jersey airport and the Eurotunnel.

Rebecca Hansford, owner of Furleigh Estate said “Our reason for attending the show is that we produce a world-class product and we want to tell the great hotels and restaurants in the Bournemouth area about it.

We will be showcasing our new 2011 release, Classic Cuvee, which is the successor to our International Wine Challenge gold medal and trophy winner, Classic Cuvee 2009. We’ll also be offering our award-winning sparkling rosé wine, which is the perfect wine for the warm summer we’re expecting.”

Furleigh Estate is open to the public for tours and tastings every Friday and Saturday. For more information or to book, email info@furleighestate.co.uk  or phone 01308 488991.