The historic, market town of Newbury was our overnight base meaning it was a short taxi ride to All Angels Vineyard, named after the 12th century church at the edge of the vines.
As it’s tucked away amongst a number of converted farm buildings there’s no obvious signage but once you make your way round to the elegant wine lodge you are warmly welcomed by the owners.
The informative tour of the vineyards gives you a great insight into viticulture as well as lots of local history. All Angels have invested in innovative technology to protect the vines from frost but are also thankful for the local bat colony that kill off bugs that might attack the vines. After learning lots and enjoying wonderful views we headed back to the wine lodge.
Like us, most of the visitors had opted for a food platter to accompany the wine tasting – and it was well worth it. A delicious spread of dips, cheeses, charcuterie and crackers perfectly complemented the three vintage sparkling wines. The hardest part of the evening was deciding which wine was our favourite as they were all delicious!
The next day we got the train from Newbury to Reading and hopped on the Elizabeth Line to Twyford. From there it was a 15-minute walk to Stanlake Park – one of the oldest wine producers in England. Vines were planted in 1979 but the estate’s rich history dates back to 1166.
We checked in for our tour at the Wine Bar and were given a glass of wine to enjoy while we waited for everyone to arrive. The Wine Bar has a lovely feel to it (and is clearly popular judging by all the reserved tables) and there’s also a delightful wine garden where you can enjoy food and drink.
The tour was well-paced, visiting the vineyards, winery and bottling room. The tastings took place as you progressed along the tour which worked really well. The tours are advertised as ‘friendly, informal and fun’ which we would concur with. Stanlake Park has an extensive range of wines (all with beautifully designed labels). Their winemaker is Italian so not only did we get to sample a number of English still and sparkling wines but some Italian too. We really enjoyed the experience and wished we’d built in time to stay a while in the wine garden!
Another fabulous combination of vineyard visits!
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