Sussex’s Roebuck Estates will be the official sparkling wine sponsor of the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2024, which will run from 2-7 July and attracts around 135,000 visitors.
Established in 2013, and releasing its first sparkling wine in 2019, Roebuck has always had a clear vision: to craft exceptional vintage sparkling wines every single year from its collection of vineyards throughout Sussex and Kent. Roebuck is a founder member of the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain certification scheme and was awarded the Gold Trademark last year.
This is the first time that the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival has chosen an English sparkling wine producer as its official sparkling wine and visitors of the week-long celebration from the world of horticulture will get to enjoy the Roebuck sparkling wines in all hospitality areas, and its 2018 Classic Collection will be available in the Roebuck Estates Sparkling Wine Tipi Bar.
“This collaboration marks a significant milestone in our brand journey but also shows how exciting the English Sparkling Wine category is right now,” says Roebuck Estates CEO, Michael Kennedy. “Our wines are rooted in the beautiful English countryside, and as such Roebuck Estates has a natural affinity with the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival which is a celebration of all things horticulture, bringing together amateur and professional gardeners who share our passion for growing.”
Visitors will be able to purchase Roebuck Estates wines by the glass and bottle, choosing between the Classic Cuvée, Rosé de Noirs and Blanc de Noirs which are currently all from the “outstanding” 2018 vintage. Head of Viticulture, Jake Wicks will take to the ‘Get Growing Stage’ on Sunday 7 July – historically the busiest day of the Festival – with Michael Kennedy to lead a talk on ‘A Golden Era of English Wine & Viticulture’.
“We see ourselves as champions of viticulture in the UK,” says Wicks. “Our six parcels of land span the beautiful counties of Sussex and Kent and are known for their rich, fertile soils and exceptional quality fruit. With 70 individual blocks of vines, each with its own clone and rootstock combination best suited to that soil, our wines are a generous expression of the growing season in which they are made. Last year we also launched our Roebuck Viticulture Academy to help our trade partners understand the skill, craftsmanship and technical knowledge needed to produce exceptional vintage sparkling wines every single year.”
Natalie Gearing, Show Manager of the RHS Hampton, added: “It’s wonderful to partner with Roebuck Estates, an organisation that champions English horticulture and viticulture. Many of our visitors love to enjoy a sparkling wine during their visit to the Festival and to be able to offer a quality English sparkling wine really supports the RHS’s wider sustainability goals.”
