A newly opened terrace bar at an award winning Yorkshire vineyard is proving to be extremely popular with post lockdown visitors.
Dunesforde Vineyard based in Upper Dunsforth in North Yorkshire, recently opened their new outdoor pergola to the public on selected days, allowing visitors to sample their award winning selection of wines amongst the beautiful surroundings in which they’re produced.
The boutique vineyard, whose 6000 vines were established in 2016 by the Townsend family, is one of England’s most northerly commercial vineyards and has already received a WineGB award for its products.
Peter Townsend, Head of Wine Development at Dunesforde said: “Our new terrace is a fantastic sun trap and has proved hugely popular with visitors already. As a small vineyard in Yorkshire, we’re lucky to enjoy a beautiful setting here, which pairs perfectly with wine and friends.
“We’re opening to the public every Friday in the summer months and are taking table bookings on our terrace between 4pm- 7pm, to enjoy wine by the glass and some light nibbles.”
While the vines at Dunesforde were planted just five years ago, the idea for the vineyard came over a decade earlier after founder James Townsend experienced the skill and passion needed to produce quality wines during his time at Castello di Potentino in Italy.
Passing on what he had seen to the rest of the family, the Townsend’s set about finding a vineyard in England where they could work together to create quality wine closer to home.
James said: “English wine had been gaining quite a reputation for some time and after much research and many vineyard visits around the world, we began our search for a site in England.
“After looking at many areas all over the country, it seemed like fate when land in the village we’d lived in for over thirty years became available. Despite its northerly location, we were encouraged by our experts’ report on the Dunesforde site with its sheltered surroundings which meant it could be a degree or two warmer than the wider area which is vital this far north.
“Our relatively low rainfall during the vines’ growing season allows the vines to work hard, which helps them produce more complex flavours in the fruit and this paired with our carefully chosen varietals and root stocks to suit our soil and climate has allowed us to produce something really special!”
For more information, to buy Dunesforde’s range of wines online and to book a table at the Terrace Bar, visit their website www.dunesforde.com/terrace-bookings