Harris Digital Productions has started recording the planting of London’s first vineyard since Middle Ages.

Volunteers with Bacchus vines

Volunteers gathered at Forty Hall Organic Farm in Enfield on Tuesday 5th May to plant the first acre of a groundbreaking new project – to plant London’s first commercial vineyard since medieval times.

Forty Hall Vineyard is a new social enterprise led by Capel Manor Horticultural College, which is planting fifteen acres of top quality vines in the London Borough of Enfield for the purpose of producing wine for the London market. Forty Hall Vineyard will pick up the tradition of winemaking in England introduced by the Romans, and not seen in London on a commercial scale since the Middle Ages.

BBC London TV filming at the vineyard

Steve Dowbiggin, Chief Executive of Capel Manor College says: “Imagine London’s Mayor toasting the opening of the Olympics with our very own London grown wine in 2012! Our vineyard will produce a range of still and sparkling wines of the highest quality which express the fresh, light and fruity characteristics of the best English wines”.
This is no ordinary commercial venture. The vineyard forms part of a broader educational initiative which seeks to establish Forty Hall Farm in Enfield as a hub of local, organic food production. “Forty Hall Vineyard is a social enterprise with profits returned to the college charity to promote education about sustainable urban agriculture,” says Steve Dowbiggin. “The vineyard will provide educational, volunteering and therapeutic horticulture opportunities to a wide range of local people”.
Forty Hall wine will be sold directly to consumers within a ten mile radius of the vineyard making this a truly local enterprise. “We want to move wine production back to the heart of the local community and to champion quality, distinctiveness, place, sustainability and participation” says Vineyard Manager, Sarah Vaughan-Roberts. “We are also going to make really delicious wine.”

Students and volunteers planting the first 1,500 vines

South-facing Warren Field, which has wonderful views across north east London to the gleaming spires of the city, will become the “terroir” for London wine. The free-draining, gravelly soil, together with the sloping, south-facing aspect of the field makes the site ideal for vine growing. Nearly 1500 Bacchus vines will be hand-planted on the day. “Bacchus is ideally suited to cool climate wine production and produces a crisp, light wine white with Sauvignon characteristics of gooseberry and fresh grass, “ says Sarah. “It’s a perfect wine for summer picnics.”
The vineyard is looking for sponsors and volunteers to help raise the funds to plant the remaining acres of land donated by the College.

For more information go to www.fortyhallvineyard.org.uk