Our Story
The Northbrook story
In 2001 The Tuttiett Family acquired Northbrook farmhouse and vineyard and moved in with their young family.
James was hands on in the vineyard and the family were fully involved at harvest time, grapes were sold to Camel Valley Vineyard in Cornwall and Bob Lindo made wines which were sold from the staddle stone barn at Northbrook, particularly popular were a fizz made from Kerner and the Bacchus a still white wine.
From 2010 to 2016 the vineyard was let to a vineyard operator who simply grew grapes for sale on a commercial basis.
In 2017 the decision was taken to bring the vineyard back under the family’s management and all the vines bar the Bacchus were grubbed up and the Champagne varieties were planted with a view to making the now very popular English Quality Sparkling.
At this time we reduced the planted areas to give over large spaces for wildlife habitat around the holding.
In 2020 a further 14 acres adjoining the farm to the North was acquired and, leaving substantial areas for wildlife and a new 3 acres woodland, planted a further 16,500 vines in 8.5 acres. Again, the Champagne varieties have been planted but to include a number of different clones of Chardonnay with a view to producing a really good still Chardonnay in the future.
Northbrook is now home to what is thought to be some of the oldest surviving Bacchus vines in England planted in 1988. It is these original grapes which are still producing our outstanding Bacchus wine today.
These are now supplemented with around 20 acres under vine being the 2017 and 2020 planting of the Champagne varieties, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.
The Tuttiett family’s enthusiasm for wildlife and nature recovery are overriding concerns which are inter- woven throughout the business and their long-standing commitment via the James Tuttiett Charitable Trust seeking to benefit local Hampshire community and nature projects.
