So last one before we get onto the wine itself was something else that was obvious from our tours round both the vineyards and the winery. Hambledon, like a lot of wineries in the UK, has been so successful that expansion is now the aim of the game. But how do you do that when your winery is at capacity and the vineyards already produce what they can? The UK winery scene needs cash!
I’d like to start by saying that this isn’t a criticism of anything going on at Hambledon. The winery and vineyards are all in top working condition. This is more that they know that if they want to expand, they need to buy or rent another swathe of land for planting. They also need, and are about to action, a brand new cellar area which will come equipped with a brand new visitor centre too. The UK wine tour companies will be captain happy with that!
We’ve already seen it in other famous examples in the UK wine press. Last year Chapel Down raised a staggering and record breaking £4m from a crowdfunding campaign aimed to help them make the next push forward. Gusbourne recently issued a “booze bond” to raise up to £10m to do just the same. Even this week we’ve seen the results of Nyetimber’s renovations at their Sussex base.
The big boys in English wine are getting bigger and better than ever before. The next ten years are going to be very exciting!
Cheers
