I have only done one really practical thing in my life which is when I sucked a Hama bead out of our son’s left nostril using a straw.  He was 2.  That I mention this quite often, 19 years later, is because that Hama bead is my proudest moment as a mother, a little beacon of common sense in an otherwise pretty arid landscape, which may explain why I thought a bird had crashed into the greenhouse and a vandal had sprinkled concrete powder around the veg beds.

Shards of glass continued to drop as I moved around so I went outside to look for a potential culprit - a dead bird on the ground.  I walked round paths that were peculiarly greyish white.  On closer inspection I identified a layer of dandelion fluff such as I’d never seen.  I sent photos to Zam.  Willow he declared.  And the greenhouse… well it was possible that a tiny stone had been thrown up by his mowing, unnoticed by us the evening before but creating a dink, which later shattered.

I was incredibly nice about it.  Because just for once ….

It has however left the seedlings we are not going to eat - the salad and tomatoes have been binned - vulnerable to frost.  And it’s all about the F word this week because following that little heatwave, the temperature is falling and a polar air mass is coming. As he keeps saying while watching the weather app 24 hours a day.   I wouldn’t dream of mentioning the tomatoes.

We are clearing out my mother’s house … a desk full of blue Sellotape tins that now hold bent paper clips and desiccated rubber bands.  There are photographs of people we can’t identify, ration books, her school certificate, unfinished rolls of tapestry, incomplete sets of playing cards, discoloured bits of tissue paper.  That’s just the top drawer.   We have filled three skips from the cupboards and when we began we dithered over what to chuck but now, now we’re getting pretty ruthless.

Although I find it incredibly hard to throw anything with human handwriting on it, including pocket diaries from 1983 in which my father itemises every expense (“fuel £10.20, parking 10p”) and their address book which has been by the telephone as long as I can remember.  An address book. Imagine.

And then we tackled the larder … and the wine.  I took about 11 bottles of white wine home.  These have price tickets in francs and lire so I can see they were cheap in the first place.  They have not stood the test of time and of the 5 we have opened, 5 have been poured down the sink. Zam says he’ll use the rest for vinegar.  My mother would approve.  She never threw anything away.

We adapted to the Spanish hours pretty easily – lunch at 3 and dinner at 10 – until last night when it all seemed to catch up with us and we bought queso and jamon in a supermarket before retreating to our hotel room to watch Netflix. We have covered 1000 miles in 5 days including a drive to the top of the Picos Europas that had even Zam, an unflappable driver, gripping the steering wheel as we squeezed past oncoming cars on hairpin bends with a substantial drop on the driver side. The driver being on the wrong side, as it were.  Booking hotels as we go has born some surprises including a hotel in which we were the only guests. Provided with a door code via WhatsApp it was like arriving at a ghost hotel – very comfortable but definitely eerie.   We went to the nearest town for food where the waitress tried to explain that we were having potatoes with potatoes as we made our pintxo choices but we took no notice and downed a couple of glasses of Albariño.  With 2 plates of potatoes. An elderly couple wandered in with a dog the size of a donkey. They sipped coffee and exchanged not a word but stared at their dog whose bouffant hair was so beautifully coiffed that I stared at it too. It sat as still as a statue, quite used to being stared at.

Then the rain came down … torrential rain… as we headed towards Vigo. Unable to see much out of the filthy windscreen, Zam pulled over and got his shampoo out of the boot in order to clean it. His familiarity with this procedure leads me to think he does it quite often. Tomorrow we visit a winery, the first and I think only one which is a good thing. I mean obviously I love a winery, but one is enough.  As I told the driver.

Join us for a festive evening of wine and wreath-making at our state-of-the-art, working winery. A perfect workshop to do with friends or family in the build up to Christmas.

TICKETS – Stem & Green x The Grange

After a short demonstration, you’ll be given your own table as a group or family to have fun, get creative and make your very own fully natural wreath.

Your luxurious wreath will be 100% sustainable and completely biodegradable, made from locally sourced foliage, berries and dried flowers, a perfect Christmas decoration.

Alongside this wreath-making workshop, you'll get a mini-tour of The Grange Winery and a taste or two of The Grange wine to enjoy as part of your ticket. More wine will be available for purchase to fuel your creative flair.

Participants must be 18 or over to take part. All materials and scissors will be included, though you might like to bring your own apron and any of your own decorations which you might like to add.

Price includes VAT

£75 pp

Every Wednesday afternoon in December (and on the mornings of Saturday 21st December & Monday 23rd December 10am – 1pm), we will be swinging wide the winery doors to cater for your festive wine needs.

This is a marvellous opportunity for us to showcase our full portfolio of wines and for you to drive away with pretty much everything, from sparkling to still, that you might need for the big day and, indeed, the week thereafter…

You will taste our collection of wines in bottle and also in some of our magnificently festive-looking magnums!

CLASSIC

Only available in magnum due to unprecedented demand for bottles.

PINK NV

Our best kept secret, the most-awarded wine in our arsenal and Decanter 2020 Platinum medal winner.

WHITE FROM BLACK 2020

Awarded IWC 2024 gold medal

*NEW RELEASE* The WHITE FROM WHITE 2018

Blended from ultra-ripe chardonnay from the endless summer of 2018. Golden yellow in colour, luxuriously rich and toasty with aromas of baked orchard and citrus fruits, reminiscent of caramelised tarte tatin.

STILL PINK 2023

With juicy macerated berries and stone fruit on the nose, the palate is full and rich with more stone fruit and a hint of lychee before a very light spritz carries through to a distinctly dry and moreish finish. That’s the Boxing Day ham covered!

*NEW RELEASE* PINOT NOIR 2022

We made this from the magnificent 2022 Pinot Noir fruit imagining it would be something rather good to add to our sparkling PINK blend but, lo and behold, a delightful, albeit very light, cherry, blackberry and forest-floor flavoured PINOT NOIR for, might we suggest, your Christmas turkey? Just 11% alcohol too.

If ALL THAT wasn’t reason enough to pop by, we will also be working with local producers and suppliers to showcase their wares to add to your Christmas wish-lists each week. Keep an eye on our socials for more information.  There will be special cellar door prices, promotions and merchandise to make the journey up the track worthwhile!

Choose The Grange for your all festive wine - The Grange Christmas case is the perfect selection of our still and sparkling wines!

Make sure you don’t miss this chance to visit the winery, meet the makers and taste the wines which will be proudly furnishing your Christmas tables and filling the glasses of your friends and your family all the way into 2025!

After last year’s rip-roaring success, we are going again on the ‘Makers’ Sale of Work’. There will be a fabulous array of makers on show, each laden with beautiful things to sell.

We will be welcoming our marvellous makers at The Grange Winery on Thursday 28th November between 9am-3pm.

Entry is free and we will be taking donations for Allegra’s Ambition on the door. Allegra’s Ambition aims to enable, engage and empower young, disadvantaged people to fulfil their potential through participation in sport and outdoor activities.

Our Makers:

Acre & Holt

Beautifully designed wool and Scottish tweed for women and men, proudly made in Britain.   Waistcoats and trousers with perfect tailoring that never fails to flatter and everything so well made, it lasts forever.

@acre_and_holt

Silo Studio

Design studio founded by artist and designer Hannah Watts. The studio consists of artwork, homewares and musings by the designer which draw inspiration from the culture, colour, energy and craftsmanship of Africa where she spent a lot of time travelling through the years. Bold, bright and beautiful.

@s_i_l_o_studio

Claire Ayeni

Claire worked for a couple of small fashion accessory companies before working on her own designs which combine her love of textiles and colour.  Her contemporary handmade macrame bags and water bottle holders are designed to be both practical and fun. 

@claireayeni

Sarah Tyssen

Exquisitely woven textiles in Australian Merino lambswool,  Sarah produces subtly coloured scarves, shawls, blankets, cushions and other homewares designed on a 16 shaft Louet Megado dobby loom in her Surrey workshop, for production (mostly in limited editions of up to 12 of each colour) on a power loom in a Yorkshire mill.

@sarahtyssen

Izzy Letty Ceramics

Izzy is a London-based potter working predominantly in stoneware on the wheel. Passionate about craftsmanship, each piece is designed with a focus on enhancing daily life and a belief that authenticity to material is integral to good design. All manner of stunning, candlesticks, bowls, vases, mugs and sets derived from classic forms with elegant handmade glazes.

@izzylettyceramics

Louise Brown Basketmaker 

Louise is a City and Guilds qualified basketmaker who shares her passion with others through teaching. Being a member of the Basketmakers' Association opened her eyes to the incredible diversity within basketry, both traditional and contemporary and she will bring a wonderful selection - plus you could sign up for her upcoming workshops.

@louisebrownbasketmaker

Francheska Pattisson

Francheska creates sublime ceramic artworks. She works mostly in white earthenware, both on the electric wheel and by hand-building. She states that surface is as important as form; the clay becomes the canvas. She applies colour in the form of slips and underglazes in multiple layers, combined with wax resist and scraffito.

@the_open_kiln

@francheskapattisson

Beyond The Barn

Beyond the Barn is a florist based near Winchester in Hampshire.  Jo and Ruth are creative friends who share one passion and who have combined their natural talents and their love of flowers for over 20 years.  Wreaths, decorations and the best amaryllis we’ve ever seen.

@beyondthebarnflowers

Kuka-Me Jewellery

Reema Pachachi became the first Creative Director of De Beers LV in 2001.  Having had over 30 years experience in jewellery, she launched her own brand kuka-me. Gorgeous, easy-to-wear sterling silver and 18ct gold jewellery, particularly created for independent women with an individual sense of style.

@kukamejewellery

Laura de la Mare

In her Sussex studio, Laura designs blockprinted linens, cottons and oilcloths - a little bit Bloomsbury but also very contemporary - in wonderful natural colours.  Cushions, bags, wrapping paper and tea towels as well as fabric to order and incorporating designs by her daughter Maudie of fungus&mold.

@lauradelamare60

Victoria Ogilvy Essence

Victoria’s work is intuitive, holistic and smells utterly delicious.  Exploring the ancient form of scent making led her to create four signature blends and a wide range of products including candles, bath soaks, soaps and natural perfume elixirs.  Body balms, oils … and more.

@victoriaogilvyessence

Middlemarch Fine Art

Middlemarch Fine Art specialises in the work of mid to late twentieth-century British artists and will be bringing a small selection of works including Tessa Newcomb, Elisabeth Frink and Mark Hearld.

@middlemarchfineart

Camilla Dinesen Jewellery

Danish jeweller Camilla Dinesen was a part of the creative crowd that birthed the movement of Young British Artists in the nineties.  Today she is working out of her studio  in the countryside near Winchester with clients who love her quirky somewhat schizophrenic (her own words) style that somehow combines architectural with organic in silver, gold and white gold.

@camilladinesenjewellery

Lizzal Makes

Having worked in the textile design industry for over 20 years Liz McKenzie decided to explore other creative avenues, drawing on that background to  develop a ceramic style that echoes her love for colour and texture in a wide variety of forms with wonderfully diverse outcomes.

@lizzallmakes

Eland Publishing

Eland has the largest list of classic travel books in the world. They currently sell 175 titles and are beginning to feel confident that wherever you travel, or are passionately interested in, there will be an Eland title to expand your horizon. Barnaby will not be able to bring the full list … but a very good selection.

@elandpublishing

Rebecca Wordsworth Porcelain

Rebecca Wordsworth  works solely with porcelain, in all it’s unpredictable glory.  She immortalises seasonal hedgerow flowers by hand-pressing them directly onto the clay and sparingly applies gold lustre to elevate pieces that are delicate but eye-catching.  Every piece she makes is beautiful and unique.

@rebeccawordsworthporcelain

Hand Knits by Me

Inspired by fellow artists and a love of textiles, Michele decided to meticulously source the exact colour and yarn she wanted to hand knit the perfect jumper.  And has now added cardigans, tank tops, hats and fingerless gloves.   Working from her cottage studio,  she uses a mix of natural mohair and lambswool in wonderful earthy colours.

@handknitsbyme

McMillen Art

Step into artist Nick McMillen's world, where bark weaving and botanical charcoal drawings unveil the hidden wonders of the woods in intricate and fascinating detail.  Nick is bringing a series of limited edition drawings and prints.

@mcmillenart

Sally Ashburton 

Textile designer and inveterate collector will bring a selection of brocante, fabrics and vintage clothes… Eclectic and unusual.

Rufena Tuscan olive oil (available for the first time), hand-embroidered t-shirts by Fa)i(te design, hand painted furniture and clothing by new young designer Chloe Lewin for Ant Elias.

Becka Cooper

Of course, the inimitable Rebecca Cooper will be amongst this brilliantly assembled throng of makers, crafting her very own brand of delicious treats to accompany your shopping day. The much-needed sustenance sourced from local farms and suppliers to fuel you for the fair.

@cooper.becka

We very much looking forward to seeing you.

A great article from Laura Hadland written for Vineyard Magazine where she caught up with our very own Harry Pickering.

For those approaching the subject for the first time, there can be a bewildering array to choose from. Materials might include stainless steel, concrete, oak, plastic or even clay. Each comes with its own advantages, disadvantages and price tag. So how does one negotiate the tricky business of tank selection?

Tank selection

• Look at vineyard size and predicted production volumes. Not only do vessels need to be able to accommodate all of the juice produced at harvest, but consideration needs to be given as to how this will be divided up by style.
• This leads us on neatly to style and quality considerations. Different materials offer the potential for different outcomes at the end of the process. Stainless steel is perhaps the most common and relatively cost-effective material, leading to crisp, clean wines. Oak vessels come at a significant price but can add more complex layers of flavour to the finished product.
• For some winemakers, environmental impact and sustainability are at the heart of their working practices. For them, the environmental impact of their tanks – how they were produced, how energy efficient they are and how recyclable they will be at the end of their life – can be a critical factor in selection.
• I’ve alluded to the price already, but it isn’t just the upfront costs that need to be considered. Maintenance and the longevity of different tank types also need to be factored in so that an informed investment can be made that will keep the business in good shape over the years and decades to come.

A material question

Let’s look at some of the different types of tanks that are available in more detail. What do different materials add – or take away – from the finished wine?

Mixing materials

Stainless steel has become the industry standard. It’s an inert vessel, easy to keep clean and relatively affordable. But sometimes, a pure expression of the fruit isn’t all that’s required. Some winemakers look to add depth and complexity to their wines by blending liquid fermented in a range of materials.

In Hampshire, the Grange Estate’s Classic NV English Sparkling Wine is fermented 86% in stainless steel tanks and 14% in old oak barrels before undergoing a 33-month lees ageing process in bottle. The Grange Estate have recently moved into their own newly-built winery facility. Until 2022, their vinification took place at Hattingley Wine Estate, but now winemaker Harry Pickering has greater control over the vessels he sources and how he uses them to achieve the depth and complexity of flavour he is looking for.

“We ferment a bit of everything in barrel as well as in tanks. It gives you two different components to play with from the same fruit. For us, we find anywhere between 80% to 90% for the stainless steel tank fermentation is where things sit nicely.

“The tank components are the bones of the wine when we’re looking at blending, that’s the main structure. The fruit components are more obvious and it’s more structural in terms of acidity. By fermenting in tanks you get the pure expression of the fruit because they are in the most inert vessel and completely unadulterated.

“On top of that, you start to layer the oak. The majority of the oak we’ve used up until now is old oak, fourth fill. Those barrels come from a Tonnellerie in Champagne. They sell Champagne barrels to producers in Bordeaux and Burgundy. After they’ve had the yeast in them for four years fermenting white wines, they take them back and distribute them out to people who want older oak. The reason for going through this Tonnellerie is purely a reputational thing more than anything, in terms of knowing that the oak you’re going to get is being properly quality controlled. You’re trying to limit any spoilage or microbes being in that wood, so you need to know the provenance of the old oak to limit the risk of contamination.

“The idea is not to impart those oak tannins and give the wine an oakiness. It’s more about the micro oxygenation that you get from the oxygen being able to permeate through the wood during the ferment and ageing, compared to a stainless tank. In a barrel, there is a lot more surface area of the wine in contact with the yeast lees and the surface area of the barrel itself. That allows for more exposure to oxygen and more exposure to the dead yeast at the bottom of the barrel post fermentation. In turn, that leads to autolysis and the breakdown of the yeast. The mannoproteins that you’re getting from the dead yeast soften the wine and add those soft and buttery autolytic characters.

“So the old oak softens and it broadens the palate. That’s adding the flesh onto the bones. We find that between 10% and 20% in old oak is where that sits nicely. It’s about the balance between softening the wines, but still having them maintaining their structure and core personality. They’re not becoming overly flabby, just softening and rounding out the palate.

“Since we’ve had the winery, we are beginning to play a bit with new oak, which adds a third dimension to the whole thing – almost like the accessories that are added to clothing. But the amounts that we are adding are so tiny that you can barely perceive them. We only add about 1% to 5%. It ripens up the fruit and makes the wine a bit more serious. It’s almost like turning the volume up a bit. It’s not about changing it dramatically and making an oaky wine, it’s about adding a bit of perfume, that little bit of personality at the very end.

“Because this is a new thing for us, we’re still working out which Tonnellerie suits our needs. Each year we’re going to use a new one, look at their barrels and see how they work for us. Then we’ll hopefully end up with five or six different Tonnelleries’ barrels in the winery over the next few years, that are toasted to different degrees, and increase volumes depending on who we like most. I imagine it will always be a range of them because they will offer different things and it’s useful to have that diversity for blending.”

READ MORE https://www.vineyardmagazine.co.uk/wine-making/tanks-for-everything/

https://www.vineyardmagazine.co.uk/wine-making/tanks-for-everything/

We get a lot of people on our tours saying “I can’t drink/hate rosé/PINK…” and this speaks to us of some terrible past trauma – over-fruity, ultra-sweet glasses of what looks and tastes like warm, fizzy and dilute Ribena, consumed in an airless tent on a boiling hot day – and, therefore, our hearts go out to them, we have been there too!

But this is exactly why we designed our PINK NV differently – on tours we offer these PINK refuseniks a glass and watch the scales fall from their taste-buds…

It is, perhaps, the best kept secret within our wine portfolio – a 60/40 blend of Meunier and Pinot Noir that tastes almost like a CLASSIC!

TASTING NOTE

Pale onion skin in colour with a little, barely pink, white peach. Is the colour important when it comes to the flavour? We think so, BUT don’t judge a book by its cover ladies and (especially) gentlemen. There is nothing too sweet here…

The nose has almost macerated red berry fruits but also grapefruit pith alongside crisp red apple, with a lick of something creamy. With 33 months on lees and 8 months on cork the complexity is starting to build with the fruit surrounded by cream, hazel and spice – and the very long finish is beautifully savoury and very slightly saline.

Pink, it's my new obsession...

Pink, it's not even a question...

Pink, on the lips of your lover...

'Cause pink is the love you discover.

Steve Tyler - Aerosmith

This year, in America, two broods of cicadas have emerged together for the first time since 1803: Brood 19 which appears every 13 years and Brood 13 which pops up every 17 years.  When they appear in the same place at the same time, such as Illinois, the noise was so loud that locals called the police.  I know this because I bought the Junior Week by mistake at Waterloo and it was my only reading material on a broken down train that stranded it’s passengers for over an hour somewhere near Basingstoke.  A long time after finishing it, I went to put my empty coffee cup in the bin – as an outing – where a woman was sitting on the floor feeding a rabbit lopping about by her feet.

I then remember the woman with the rabbit and how I mentioned this to the two women I had befriended as we discussed ways to get off the train.  “I think I’m in a dystopian nightmare,” I said. “There’ll be a nun with a guitar next” one of them replied.

Zam comes home worried about record breaking rain, September sun, weirdly cold nights, violent storms … weather.  “And spotted wing drosophila” he adds. Oh DEAR, I try to sound sympathetic as I hoover up hornets that have died of natural causes near the sink. On the floor. And most window ledges.  No sign of a singing nun yet though.

Join us at the vineyard to while away a few hours on a Thursday evening this summer.

Every Thursday from now until mid/late September, we will be firing up the BBQ and opening the bar under the canopy at the winery from 5:30pm -8:30pm.

Good vibes, wine, food, friends basking in the summer sunset!

A gently immersive experience on the terrain from which the wine has come, the smells and the sights are even more alluring on a warm summer breeze.

No need for tickets, come up, park, get a glass and a bite, find a chair and chill...