Oaken Grove Vineyard
Oaken Grove Vineyard
It feels surreal tasting wine in England, especially in such a pretty vineyard that has a distinctive “New World’ ambiance.
Oaken Grove vineyard was established in 1986 across seven acres of Pinot Noir, Bacchus and Madeleine Angevine vines on the piece of land once used to grow apples and pears.
Phil Rossi and his wife Leena run Oaken Grove Vineyard in the tiny hamlet of Fawley near Henley-on-Thames in the Chiltern Hills. Phil got the bug early, planting vines at the tender age of seven and at 16, left to study viticulture in Tasmania.
A sense of place
I was introduced to the term ‘le terrior’ from a South African wine maker, a geologist by trade who carried rocks in his pockets including white quartz and fools gold when out and about selling his harvest. See link below.
Much is made of the term ’terrior’ which dates back to the ancient Greeks who were a dab hand at winemaking. In essence, it means a sense of place because what lies beneath the vines, the climate and elevation determines what goes into the bottles. Oaken Grove has clay loam, flint and of course that seam of chalk that links this region to the mighty Champagne-Ardenne.
English wine has been the butt of rude jokes, but it has come a long way with an increase from 12 million to 22 million bottles produced annually across the country in 2023. Oaken Grove produces typically 15,000 bottles each year, with a huge amount of effort and skill going into each and every bottle.
I got the sense that the English wine industry is expanding rapidly with new vineyards in the Thames Valley and Chilterns that are open to visitors. Who knew the biggest English vineyard is in Yorkshire? Spurred on from soaring land prices in France and hotter drier summers, the recent purchase from the big French vineyards in Essex and Kent shouldn’t come as a surprise. Taittinger was the first champagne house to create a vineyard in Chilham in Kent, with the first bottles expected this year.
The fart of a duchess
On to the most important part…the tasting. Our guide, Stirl coped with his bad cold very well, and improvised as we were unable to take the vineyard walkabout because of the rain. Our group hailed from all over the world and was in good humour, enjoying the informative and relaxed talk through the wines in the tasting room. I learnt that I’ve been opening bottles incorrectly for ever - turn the bottle, not the corkscrew. I’ll just have to practice!
As we tasted dry whites and pinot noir vintages, I was reminded how subtle are English wines with challenging economies of scale. Amazing just how much goes into making the varieties, not just making sure the wallabies from next door don’t get in, but add climate change, competition from the French champagne region, new Tech and marketing. The latter the main ingredient in setting the tone, personality, branding and even the colour of the wine. It’s an exciting, innovating industry.
And the fart of a duchess? If you open your next bottle of fizz with a splashy ‘pop’, or just a gentle ‘pfft’…your wrist action will decide.
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Links you will need
All content and images are copyright of Mary Tebje and may not be reproduced without permission. Many of my images are available to buy from Chilterns Gifts. If however you see any particular images you like, I can arrange these for you too.
Oaken Grove Vineyard is a family-run, boutique vineyard surrounded by ancient Chilterns woodlands near Henley on Thames. Book your tasting and tour here.
Autumn Harvest
Meet the vintner who reaches deep into the South African soil and history, who like a good wine, has blended ancient rocks, sunlight, the smell and memories the soil holds, Cape honey bees, Cornish tin miners and black magic. All of which cast a spell over me! I wrote and published Rocks in his Pockets in 2016.
