Supplier Spotlight: Poulton Hill
Producing up to 20,000 bottles a year, from their 9,750 vines planted on the warm and sunny south-facing slopes of Poulton Hill Estate, we are shining a light on friends of Thyme and local Cotswold wine makers Poulton Hill, in celebration of English Wine Week.
A firm favourite in the Ox barn and the Swan, we have not only incorporated wine pairings on to our June dinner menu in the Ox barn, but we are also introducing wine tours and tastings for our guests too. We joined Courtney to learn a little more about the wine, the ethos and the business.
Poulton Hill is a family-run wine business based here in the Cotswold's. Where did the idea come from to start an English wine business?
Max, founder, spent a lot of time in France and fell in love with the lifestyle and their wines. When he returned to live in the UK, he wanted to give it a go here in the Cotswolds.
What is the best part about running a wine business?
The excitement after months of Winter vine dormancy, to seeing those new buds appear in the Spring, knowing that soon the vineyard will be full of juicy fruit and subsequently turned into something very special. Not to mention all the necessary sampling that goes into every vintage!
Do you find the British weather a challenge for growing the grapes?
Yes, the British climate is by no means straightforward. And with the arrival of the Spring buds, we now need to be very careful of the late April/ May frosts which can and have historically damaged huge crops throughout Great Britain. However, the grape varieties we have planted on the estate complement our climate, geography and soil perfectly.
You are an environmentally conscious company, what are your key environmental values?
We don’t want to put unnecessary pressure on the vineyard with heavy machinery and chemicals. All pruning, canopy management and harvesting is done by hand. We keep two flocks of rare-breed sheep, Jacob’s Sheep and Olde English Babydoll Southdown Sheep, who are perfect for grazing the vineyard, keeping down weeds, adding natural fertilizers to the soil and aiding drainage. This also reduces the need for chemical sprays and we have wildflowers planted across the estate to help insect populations.
Can you tell us a bit about the production of your wine?
All of our grapes are hand harvested which is no mean feat and we rely on the support of local volunteers to help us with this. From there, all of our grapes are driven up-to our contract winery where they spend time in fermentation, followed by blending and ageing before being bottled, labelled and returned to us down the line.
Do you have a favorite food to pair your wine with?
Our White wines all pair beautifully with seafood, curries and English cheeses and our Red wine is well rounded, medium bodied and low in tannins making it the perfect accompaniment to a broad range of meat dishes.
If you were hosting a wine filled dinner party, Who would your dream guests be?
Ooh, what a question. I’d have to say David Attenborough for his endless passion and enthusiasm for the natural world. Ben Fogle for his adventurous stories and lastly Emma Thompson for her brilliant sense of humour and wit.
What's next for Poulton Hill?
We’re concentrating of our efforts on our current grape varieties as we want to make sure we continue to deliver award winning still, sparkling wines and spirits. And developing ideas for future events within our vineyard and Cellar Door, along with our popular Tours and Tastings.
