Lokkelebery Vineyard in Hertfordshire from Wheat to Vines
Last weekend Penny and Victoria visited Lokkelebery Vineyard in Welwyn, Hertfordshire.
Owner and vineyard manager Hannah Buisman showed us around her picturesque, young vineyard established in 2022.
On the recommendation of English vineyard consultants, the Buisman family have planted 25k vines over 15 hectares of flint/ clay/ loam soils on their Hertfordshire estate, which is currently mainly arable farmland.
Hannah plans to use the Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier grapes planted to make mostly still rosé wine under the her @lokkelebery_vineyard label, but will eventually produce a range of wines including red, white and sparkling.
On our tour of the vineyard, Hannah explained how the vineyard came to be planted on her family farm and how she will be the future of farming on this land. The venture has not been without it's challenges. As with all farming in the UK, weather, climate change and politics create obstacles. Sustainable practices have been put in place in order to ensure the longevity of wildlife and bees on the estate. Examples of these include the sowing of wild flower meadows and planting wild life hedgerow corridors alongside the fences of the vineyard site.
We had a wonderful afternoon walking around the vineyard and finished with delicious tea and cake, over looking the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside. This autumn will be the first wine grape harvest from this pioneering farm.
To follow Hannah and her Lokkelebery Vineyard and for more information about booking a vineyard visit this summer click here.
We are looking forward to helping out in the vineyard with Hannah and her famliy and hope to be adding Lokkeleberry wines to our range of English wine available here at Cellar Door Wines in St Albans one day very soon!
Book a local vineyard tour this summer here.
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Victoria in the vines
Flint soils create fantastic drainage on the vineyard site
Hannah Buisman, Owner and Vineyard Manager
A great view of the Hertfordshire countryside and pioneering vineyards on the Lockley Farm
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