Bluestone Vineyard, situated near the city of Salisbury and the ancient monument of Stonehenge, literally has thousands of years of history under foot, or in this case under the vines.
Bluestone Vineyard shares its car park and entrance with a Rare Breeds Survival Trust Farm Park which has native breeds of sheep, pigs, ducks, geese and goats that used to be common in the British Isles but are now in danger of being lost.
Brothers Nat and Toby McConnell run the vineyard operation – their parents bought the farm park in 2001 – and the 40 acre site had plenty of space and was a place that was welcoming to everyone. Nat and Toby followed their own paths but they had always felt a connection to the land. “Running a farm park that welcomes 40,000-60,000 visitors a year comes with its own problems,” said Nat.
This deep family connection to the land and area meant that Nat and Toby wanted to be able to produce something tangible from the ground they love so much. They wanted a product that would reflect the unique nature of this site and the thousands of years of human history that the area holds.
There were more than 14,000 vines planted on the site in 2016 and 2017 and Vineyard Magazine first visited the fledgling vineyard early in 2020. The vineyard was planted with Burgundian clones of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varieties with a small parcel of Pinot Meunier. Ian Phillips of Vineyard Solutions was the consultant who helped Toby and Nat decide on the vines that would help them build a premium sparkling wine brand. At its maximum the vineyard is 136m above sea level planted on the side of Beacon Hill. Whilst the site is undoubtedly high in places, evidence that the climate is mild here can be seen in the many varieties of spring bulbs that have bloomed by the middle of February.
The sight of so many spring flowers prompts a discussion about frost damage in the vineyard. “We learn more and more about the site each year,” said Nat. The site had been used as grazing land for decades so there was no working agricultural knowledge of the growing conditions in this area. “There was frost damage in 2017 when the vines were establishing. This probably meant the vines took a year longer to get fully established but we have not had frost problems since the vines have been in production,” said Nat. That does not mean that the team at Bluestone Vineyard take a relaxed attitude to frost. “We prune the Pinot Noir and the Pinot Meunier first and we delay pruning of the Chardonnay in order to ensure bud burst is as late as possible, this is a technique that seems to have worked well for us in recent seasons,” said Nat.
Nat holds an Msc in Viticulture and Oenology from Plumpton but he is keen to point out that multiple vintages working in the vineyard have taught him a great deal. “When we first planted the vineyard we really thought that moles were going to be a big problem but actually it turned out to be hares burrowing and causing problems for the tractor,” said Nat.
Nat has a deep understanding of how each variety will perform on the site, to demonstrate he talks through the particular idiosyncrasies of each variety. “At the start of the season we have to improvise with the Chardonnay pruning every vine sympathetically and individually so that it produces beautiful fruit that is robust and consistent. The Pinot Noir crops heavily with good quality but requires strict canopy management. The Pinot Noir also has a tendency to double bud however the Pinot Meunier which make up about 5% of the total vines are nice to work with as the canes are flexible.”
Since the release of the estates first vintage Nat has taken on the task of marketing the wines. Toby undertook the viticulture apprenticeship course at Plumpton and has become more involved with the vines. “I do miss the connection with the vines, I miss being out among the vines everyday, perhaps a bit less when it is raining,” Nat said with a wistful note in his voice.
Discussing problems in the vineyard such as mildew, Nat pointed out that as each year passes his viticultural education has become far more attuned to this specific site. “We know where mildew may first appear in the vineyard and Toby has done a great job in a difficult season,” said Nat. Bluestone Vineyard have added to their ranks and have taken on a new vineyard manager, Christopher Gore, who will be undertaking a course at Plumpton in the coming year. Progressive learning is a key foundation principle at Bluestone Vineyards and ensuring the team have the knowledge and confidence to progress the vines and the wines with the latest ideas and techniques is very important to Nat and Toby.
At Bluestone Vineyard there is such a connection to the soil it is not a surprise to learn that Nat is eager to implement regenerative agricultural principles. “Soil is a living thing. It is about finding the right tools to create the right system that still allows latitude, for example utilising the rows in a way that can build both soil health and increase the quality of the grapes and be profitable,” he said with enthusiasm. Nat has done extensive reading and research around the subject and highlights that it was the book Dirt to Soil by Gabe Brown that first peaked his interest in regenerative agriculture. Nat and Toby have used a three acre plot at the vineyard to trial different techniques including organic sprays. “I want to build a progressive forward movement,” said Nat.
Since Bluestone Vineyard planted vines in Wiltshire the county has become the home of several other large vineyard operations. This is rather poignant as there is significant evidence that Bluestone Vineyard is part of an ancient trading route. There are three parcels of vines at Bluestone and these are aptly named Iron age, three acre and Roundhouse. It is in Roundhouse that there is evidence of an Iron age settlement. “We regularly find relics dating from the Stone Age to Roman Times such as flint arrow heads or remnants of pottery and just before the vines were planted we had Time Team at the site,” said Nat. At this point in the conversation as we are walking through the vines Nat spots a rather interesting pottery remnant that is probably roman – he quite literally found the proof of his statements at our feet.
Surprising finds on the vineyard are not limited to ancient relics. “Once we found a naked man in the vineyard,”said Nat with a laugh. “He had been involved with some sort of Solstice celebration at the nearby World Heritage Site of Stonehenge and somehow found his way into the vineyard. When he saw us first thing the next day he ran off through a patch of stinging nettles,” he added. “We never saw him again, and fortunately that was the only time that has happened.” There cannot be many vineyards in the world that have found naked people on the same site as ancient arrowheads and roman pottery.
The wines are made at Hambledon and Nat explained that the relationship works really well. “Like us Hambledon are quality driven and they only have a small number of contract clients,” explained Nat. “Felix at Hambledon is very passionate about what he does and very happy to try new things such as fermenting some of the wines in concrete eggs,” added Nat. In 2023 Bluestone were able to get six blending options from the 20 tonnes of fruit that was harvested. “I love it when it comes to choosing the blends because the whole family come together and each person shares their opinions about the wines,” said Nat with a warm smile.
Before the vines were producing fruit and whilst the first vintages were on lees Bluestone bought in fruit to make wine. This can be a controversial strategy but Nat said: “This has been an important part of the learning journey for us as it means that we are better placed to know what we want from the wines we make from our estate fruit.” Focussing on premium sparkling wines there is now a Premiere Cuvée, a Premiere Rosé and a saignée Sparkling Rosé. The wines use a little reserve wine but the focus is to reflect the vineyard and therefore the wines are predominantly vintage wines. The aim is to have wines that embrace seasonal variation.
The Premier Cuvée was first produced from estate fruit in 2019 with three years lees aging and 6g of dosage the wine has 48.5% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir and 18.5% Pinot Meunier. “The Premier Cuvée is our best seller because it is familiar but the complexity of the Rosé surprises people,” said Nat. The 2021 Premier Rosé spent 24 months on lees and was disgorged in June 2024. With 8g dosage the rosé has 60% Chardonnay 27% Pinot Noir and 13% Pinot Meunier. “The wines go through full malolactic conversion as we feel this benefits the fruit and makes the wines even more food friendly,” he added. There are a lot more wines to come including a Blanc de Noirs which is patiently waiting to be ready for release.
The Bluestone Vineyard team launched a rebrand in 2024 “as a celebration of the wines produced from estate grown fruit,” explained Emily McConnell who is married to Nat. There has been a lot of thought put into the branding including ice bucket friendly labels. The foils have been removed which is better for the environment but also give the bottles a sleek modern look. “We spent years thinking about exactly what we wanted the wine label and bottle to look like, we included winemaking details on the labels so that they would appeal to people who really enjoy the experience of wine and we wanted the back label to be of the same quality and as important as the label on the front,” said Emily. The details included on the label give a transparency to the winemaking which is quite enticing and there is a QR code that gives a link to even more interesting facts about the winemaking journey.
The wine labels have a wonderful colour scheme currently with subtle shades of blue and pink to denote the different wines. “The colour palette was taken from the feathers of the peacocks that roam the site,” said Nat. As with everything that has been done at Bluestone there is a real sense of not simply looking but really seeing the intricacies and the beauties of grape growing and winemaking. Of course peacock feathers have a vast array of beautiful colours that will enable a whole host of wines to follow.
The wines are sold locally via the on-trade and through external events such as the Christmas Market at Bath which takes place across several weeks in November and December. The vineyard also has its own modern tasting room which offers a range of events such as a bouquet arranging event for Mothers Day. On Saturday and Sunday (from April through to October) visitors are welcomed to the Signature Tour which is a structured 1.5 hour tour and tasting. In the afternoon there is an alternative event aptly entitled sip and stroll. “We wanted to offer something for those people who wanted to take a casual approach to wine and were looking for something a bit different,” explained Emily. The vineyard is ideally situated to introduce many national and international visitors to the Wiltshire wine scene and has entertained overseas tour groups, shining a spotlight not just on local wines but local artisan meats and cheeses as well. “It is about creating a market, one coach load at a time,” said Nat poetically.
The entire experience at Bluestone Vineyard is one of gaining knowledge and understanding. Recognising that true excellence is a marathon and not a sprint. The team at Bluestone Vineyard have demonstrated incredible patience, allowing everything to develop at its own speed, from the vines and the wines through to the tourist experience. On a site with thousands of years of history it is reassuring to know that the future is also secure in the hands of the dedicated and passionate Bluestone team.
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