Three generations of the same family have opened a new boutique vineyard in Yorkshire with the aim of it becoming a tourist destination for wine lovers.
Nestled in the foothills of the Pennines at Meltham near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, Helme Edge Vineyard has been established by Alan Calder, his daughter Fiona Smith and her son Tom Smith.
Set over 3.2 acres of land, the vineyard was officially opened on the 12th April. The venue looks down towards the conservation village of Helme and a wider vista of the Pennines.
Day to day, the business will be run by Alan and Tom, with Fiona supporting. Fiona’s husband Duncan and her mum Jennifer will also be involved in the family business.
Alan explained: “We started experimenting in 2017 by planting 70 vines and in 2020 we made a little vintage which was very nice. We expanded in several stages from there and decided in 2022 to turn our hobby into a business.
“We now have several thousand vines which will produce still and sparkling white wines and rosé. Vineyard tours and wine tasting started on Saturday 19 April.
Tom has recently returned from Australia where he gained experience in winemaking at a large winery in the Victoria region north of Melbourne.
He said: “I enjoyed planting the original vines with my grandad and I love working outdoors so when our hobby became an actual business, I leapt at the chance of being involved.
“We want to make coming here a real experience for people, so we will show them around the vineyard and take them through the entire process before bringing them into the tasting room where they can try the wines and have a few nibbles.
“With our outlook on the Pennines, we couldn’t have a better location to do this and with wine being in the DNA of the family, we’re very excited to share the vineyard and our passion for wine with others.”
To find out more about the vineyard visit www.helmeedgevineyard.co.uk
For more like this, sign up for the FREE Vineyard newsletter here and receive all the latest viticulture news, reviews and insight
