One of the UK’s most northerly commercial vineyards are set to reopen their popular terrace and extend their events offering for visitors this week.
Dunesforde Vineyard, based in the North Yorkshire village of Upper Dunsforth in the Vale of York, opened their vine covered terrace in 2021 once covid restrictions allowed outdoor socialising, and the beautiful surroundings paired with their award-winning wines proved to be the perfect tonic to the end of lockdown.
Now, the boutique vineyard which was established in 2016 by the Townsend family are set to extend their events offering to accommodate a wider audience.
Peter Townsend, Head of Wine Development at Dunesforde said “We’ve all got a bit of a spring in our step with the improvement in the weather and with this brings thoughts of good company, great wine and occasions to remember. We’ve extended not only our range of wines but also the choice of platters especially selected to work well on the terrace!
“Set amongst our 6000 vines, our idyllic location and south facing terrace proved really popular last year for outdoor drinks with friends. This year we are delighted to be able to build on that and offer guests the opportunity to use our inviting facilities for larger parties and events such as family celebrations, business meetings and team away days.
“Our two impressive tasting rooms complete with captivating views across the vines are now available, with The Queen of the North room comfortably seating up to 8 and our Roman Room up to 60.”
All rooms have a strong Roman influence partly due to its close ties with the former Roman town of Aldborough just three miles away and also eldest son James Townsend’s experiences in Italy where he brought back home the skills and passion needed to produce quality wines during his time at Castello di Potentino over ten years ago.
Following a number of trips to Italy, the Townsend’s eventually decided to set about finding a spot for a vineyard closer to home, in England, where they could work together to create quality wines.
Despite Dunesforde’s northerly location, the sites’ sheltered surroundings mean it can be a degree or two warmer than the wider area which, paired with its relatively low rainfall made it a surprisingly good position to create the vineyard. The conditions, paired with the carefully selected grape varieties, require the vines to work harder which in turn produces more complex flavours in the fruit.
As well as the Terrace and events spaces, the Dunesforde team also offer regular tours of the site as well as tasting events which can both booked online.
For more information visit www.dunesforde.com or contact the team to discuss.