Here at The Forest Foodie, we’re all about finding the tastiest locally produced produce and sharing it with all of you – whether you’re looking for a treat at home, are visiting on holiday, or a visiting yachtsman. We are constantly on the hunt to be able to offer you a taste of The New Forest.
Last week we were very fortunate to have been invited up to the north edge of the Forest near Cadnam to Brook Hill Vineyard. Brook Hill is a small family run winery based near Bramshaw and they make a white and rosé sparkling, a still white, and a still rosé. Unlike a lot of local vineyards, they make all the wine themselves, onsite.
We were kindly hosted by Amanda and Ian who set up the vineyard from scratch back in 2012. Ian – a retired scientist, and Amanda – like us, a wine lover! The combination of the two, a genuine passion for what they’re doing and constant tweaking and experimenting made for the most delicious wines.
The vines were beautifully maintained in the most stunning setting. Rows of perfectly manicured grapevines overlooking fields. They have 2,500 vines in total, ranging from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Bacchus, Ortega, and Dornfelder.
We were lucky enough to have been shown all of their machinery, pressers, tanks, and even their traditional turning methods using pupitres (wooden riddling racks.)
When it came to the tasting, we were very lucky to have tried all of their varieties. They come highly recommended, for us in particular the sparkling rosé and the still white. We will be soon launching these to be part of our hampers, as we feel they will complement our food superbly.
We’ve just heard today that they’ve also just won Silver and Bronze awards in the IEWA (Independent English Wine Awards) – pretty impressive, bravo.
Ian & Amanda at Brook Hill Vineyard are by far the wine experts – so do get in touch with them, give them a follow on Facebook or Insta or get in touch with us today at The Forest Foodie and we will pair their wines with some glorious local food.
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