Hampshire’s Black Chalk Wine has opened a tasting room and courtyard at its winery in the heart of the Test valley.
The opening, which comes just over a year after Wild Escapes opened its treehouse accommodations adjacent to Black Chalk’s Hide vineyard, positions the winery as a destination and part of the burgeoning English tourism scene. The tasting room can accommodate 20 seated inside, with an additional 30 in the adjacent courtyard. Seating for a further 30 is available with a combination of deckchairs and picnic benches in The Circle vineyard, a stone’s throw from the courtyard.
The tasting room will focus on current Black Chalk vintages, alongside library collection bottles, tasting flights and guest wines from around the world, which have a connection to the Black Chalk team. The wines will be available by the bottle and by the glass, with bottles charged at retail prices plus £5.
The changing menu will celebrate the best producers from Hampshire and Dorset, focusing on charcuterie and cheese from local producers, all within a 30-mile radius of the winery. These will include Salisbury’s Lyburn Cheese, Shaftesbury’s Real Cure Charcuterie, ChalkStream Trout from the nearby River Test and Stockbridge’s Hoxton Bakehouse.
This story was taken from the latest issue of Vineyard. For more up-to-date and in-depth reports for winemakers and growers in Great Britain, read our latest issue here and subscribe here.
