Ancre Hill Estates to double its vineyard acreage

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 12 May, 2016

Leading Welsh wine producer Ancre Hill Estates has taken the first step towards tripling production at Newton Court Farm just north east of Monmouth.

The winery is in the process of planting 8,000 new Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines on 11 acres of virgin land.

The aim is to increase annual still and sparkling wine production from 15,000 bottles per year to 50,000 by 2022.

The new Newton Court vineyard will be the largest single plot planted at any one time across Wales, both in terms of number of vines and acreage.

A further 15 acres will also be planted next year on the adjacent field, bringing Ancre Hill Estates' total vineyard area to over 12 hectares.

Owners Richard and Joy Morris acquired the 120-acre Newton Court Farm in 2014 with farmhouse, cider press and outbuildings.

From the beginning they recognised that some of the South/South West facing slopes had a very similar terroir to The Ancre Hill, where the original vineyards and winery are based.

Richard Morris said: "We selected a variety of different clones and rootstocks for both the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir suitable for the mudstone/ sandstone soil in the vineyard. These were inter-planted in each block to increase biodiversity."

The site was prepared last year by planting a cover crop of seven different plants from biodynamic seed.

It has now been planted with 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay vines, sourced from France, that will be farmed biodynamically for the production of both still and sparkling wines.

It is expected that the first grapes will be harvested for natural wine production in three years time.

Richard and Joy Morris established Ancre Hill Estates in 2006 with their four children.

The estate produces a range of white, red, rosé and sparkling wines.

They also produce Natural Wines - wines do not use any added yeasts or chemicals - as part of the growing phenomenon.

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