Mereworth Wines: A Boutique Winery With A Rich Heritage

Katy Mason

6 hours ago

4 min read

Over the last decade, wine production in Kent and the South East has boomed. Dubbed the “Wine Garden of England”, Kent is now home to over 120 vineyards with large-scale producers such as Chapel Down dominating shelves and giving Champagne a run for its money.

However, unlike their bigger competitors, Mereworth Wines prides itself on being small but perfectly formed. Producing just 15,000 - 20,000 bottles of just three vintage sparkling wines per year, their focus is on creating exclusive, limited-edition collections through passion and hard work, whilst celebrating the site itself’s well-established heritage.

I was kindly invited to visit Mereworth Wines last month for one of their Tour, Tasting & Pizza evenings, hosted every Friday. Arriving at their rustic winery and taproom at the historic Brewers Hall Oast located between Tonbridge and West Malling, we made our way up the steps to their alfresco terrace to start our visit off with a chilled glass of their 2022 Sparkling Pink in the late August sunshine.

From the first sip, it was clear that this was something special. Created from a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, this crisp sparkling wine was fruity and light, but with creamy brioche notes - an elegant and enjoyable combination. Keen to discover more, we were taken through to the tasting room to begin our tour with guide, Steve.

Despite only having found its identity as a home for viticulture in the past decade, Brewers Hall Oast is no stranger to drink production and has a deep-rooted connection with agriculture. Believed to have been responsible for some of the first hops planted in the country, its heritage dates back over 500 years and boasts a long association with fruit and hop growing.

Mereworth’s Founder is William Boscawen, whose ancestors have been nurturing and generating agricultural enterprises from the land for over 200 years, and the site’s rich history is still very much present as you walk around the restaurant and winery. The annual hop statistics remain pride of place on the exposed brick walls, whilst hop pockets from days gone by adorn the walls as artwork, making it clear that the land’s extensive backstory is a real source of pride.

Though the vines themselves are situated nearby on the Greensand Ridge, there some rows of Divico vines just by the terrace, which is where Steve began our tour and introduction to the company. Coherently explaining the grape-growing process, harvesting and numerous challenges involved in the wine’s origins, he was both engaging and informative with a clear passionate knowledge for the subject matter.

Photographer: Adrian Franklin

We were then taken ‘behind-the-scenes’ to discover more about the intricate and lengthy process the wine goes through from vine to bottle within the winery itself. Acting as another example of how the focus is on quality over quantity, we learnt how Mereworth Wines only grows three grape varieties - Chardonnay Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier - which form the basis of their three flagship sparkling wines. These varieties are the same as those grown in the Champagne region and have been lovingly and carefully created by expert Winemaker, Scott Gebbie who has been at Mereworth since 2018. Bringing extensive international experience and a wealth of knowledge, Scott's has worked in both northern and southern hemisphere viticulture and winemaking, including Champagne.

Seeing the equipment used and learning about the fermentation, aging and blending journey was a fascinating insight and made us appreciate the vintage wines even more. The winery uses the traditional method (Classic Method) as derived from the techniques established in the Champagne region and now adopted in wineries across the world; a complex and highly-respected approach to wine making.

Photographer: Adrian Franklin

We emerged from the winery buildings as the sun was dipping low and the striking spire of St Lawrence’s Church was lit in a soft glow. It was now time to try these sparkling wines we’d heard so much about as we were led back to the tasting room. Here, we sampled a trio of sparkling wines - White from White (a classic Blanc de Blancs, 100% Chardonnay), Pink (Rosé, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) and White from Black (Blanc de Noirs, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) - tutored and guided by expert Steve. Each with their own unique identities, it was hard to choose a favourite but needless to say, all went down very easily! Whilst the White from White was light, fruity and summery, I found myself equally drawn to the deeper, brioche notes of the White from Black.

Pleasantly full of wine and newfound information, we then headed to the restaurant for pizzas and cocktails. From the selection of stone-baked pizzas, my husband and I opted for a Carnivore’s Cuvee featuring pepperoni, nduja and Parma ham and Goat’s Cheese and Red Onion which - after a little persuasion! - we agreed to share. I also couldn’t resist adding a portion of parmesan and truffle fries to our order which went down a treat. The flavours were delicious and the pizza cooked to perfection - it was the ideal way to round off a fabulous evening at this beautiful boutique winery.

Find out more about Mereworth Wines and their upcoming events at the link below:

https://mereworth.co.uk/