When Jan and Anthea Mirkowski first established Fairmile Vineyard in the foothills of the Chiltern Hills in 2011, they were proud to become the latest page in a history of English winemaking that goes back longer than many people might imagine.
The recent hot summers have brought English sparkling wine into the limelight, with many of the country’s wines winning international awards. However, the history of winemaking in England certainly dates back to the Doomsday Book – and possibly even as far as the Romans. In fact, the process for making sparkling wine was first documented in this country, too – in papers archived at the Royal Society of London in 1662.
The Mirkowskis chose to writer their story on a steep south-facing slope where well-drained soil combines with breezes blowing along the Stonor valley to create excellent vine-growing conditions. The climate around Henley-on-Thames is similar to that of the Champagne region, and accordingly the three archetypal Champagne grapes – chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier – were used to plant the three hectares and a traditional method of secondary fermentation is employed to create these top-quality English sparkling wines.
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