History of the Vineyard

 

In 1988 Brian Cable established the original vineyard having acquired a 25-acre field adjoining the old Northbrook farmhouse. Five varieties of grape were planted Huxelrebe, Schoenberger, Kerner, Reichensteiner and Bacchus all popular choices of the day. The vineyard was known as Northbrook Springs Vineyard.

Once the vines were established wines were made at Wickham Vineyard and engaged the services of John Warenchek the Australian flying winemaker and various blends were made and sold from the cellar door situated in the charming staddle stone building at Northbrook.

Brian recounted the harvest of 1994 when the entire grape crop was consumed by a horrible mould and the grapes shrivelled on the vine. John Warencheck came to the vineyard and Brian, head in hands said the year was a disaster and the crop a complete write off.

John suggested they take a look since he was at the vineyard and encouraged Brian saying he thought perhaps something could be made of the crop and he should harvest and see what they could do.

The crop had suffered an outbreak of botrytis and this causes the grapes to shrivel and become intensely sweet. John made a sweet dessert wine which was sold in half bottles and the wine won the outstanding gold medal that year.

Brian said he went from certain financial ruin as far as the crop was concerned to the last of the half bottles commanding prices of up to £75 per half bottle.

In 1996 the vineyard had a truly bumper crop producing 54 tonnes of grapes and all of the crop was turned into three different blended wines. Due to the volume produced against sales of only 5000 bottles a year this was the last year of production under Brian’s stewardship. Northbrook was then taken over by the Tuttiett family in 2001.

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