Hot house grapes grown in cool Britiania

One English wine grower has found a way around the vagaries of our weather by putting his vines under glass. The extensive glass housing at Strawberry Hill Vineyard in Newent, Gloucestershire, enable Tim Chance to successfully grow better-known red grape varieties, which normally don’t thrive here. Tim told ThirtyFifty that the benefits of the greenhouses include a much longer growing season as well as a more moderate and controlled climate for the grapes. He can also boast of not having to do any chemical spraying to keep his vines healthy. The vineyard won’t be in full production for another three years, but its wine list already features a red blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and a Pinot Noir. Strawberry Hill also produces one of the few still English Chardonnays.