Barnsole Vineyard

I first met Phil Watts in early December 2019 when he popped across with our first order of the Barnsole Bacchanalian 2018. Full of energy and vitality, his enthusiasm for his produce shone through.

Barnsole Vineyard lies between Canterbury and Sandwich near the Isle of Thanet. The vineyard was established in the 1990s by the Danilevich brothers who passed the business over to Sally and Phil three years go. Sally and Phil have invested in new vineyards and planted different grape varieties but have kept a number of the original grapes such as Bacchus.  The soils are mixed but include clay, gravels, and alluvial. They aim to make distinctive wines which reflect the vintage conditions and have created a richer than normal wine with the 2018 Bacchus.

The next time I met Phil and Sally for the first time, I popped across to pick up another order, it was disgorging time. A cold December day, it was my first attempt - a proper amateur and I didn’t want to mess up… I’ve got a sneaking suspicion they will never ask me again!