MP celebrates English Wine Week with wine fit for the Queen

Arundel & South Downs MP Nick Herbert visited Stopham Vineyard this week (6 June) to celebrate English Wine Week, after the local producer was chosen as one of two English wines from Sussex to be served during the Jubilee celebrations.

English Wine Week is a national campaign to raise awareness in English Vineyards and wines.  The week provides a great opportunity to outlets across the country to promote the English wines that they already stock, or consider featuring them, and to work with local producers.

To celebrate English Wine Week, Mr Herbert visited Stopham Vineyard, located on the Stopham Estate near Pulborough.

His visit was particularly timely as Stopham's Pinot Blanc 2010, a dry wine produced from the pinot blanc grape, was this week served on board the royal barge as it carried the Queen and her party down the River Thames.

This wine was one of two Sussex wines chosen, the other being the Nyetimber Classic Cuvee 2007, from the award-winning West Chiltington based producer, regarded as one of England's leading names in sparkling wines.

Stopham Vineyard was first planted in 2007 with 21,000 vines by Winemaker Simon Woodhead, who used to design automotive sensors at TAG McLaren F1 before creating Stopham Vineyard.

Simon commented "It was great to have English wine on the Royal Barge during the Jubilee celebrations and an honour that our wine was served"

Nick Herbert said: "I had a fascinating visit to Stopham Vineyard and learned a lot about the long processes involved in wine making and the different challenges faced by English producers.

"I was delighted to see two of our local vineyards produce chosen to be served on the royal barge as part of the Jubilee celebrations, and would like to congratulate both Stopham Vineyard and Nyetimber on this honour".

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Notes for Editors

1.      For more information on English Wine Week, please visit: http://www.englishwineweek.co.uk/

2.      For more information on Stopham Vineyeard please visit: http://www.stophamvineyard.co.uk/

3.    For more information on Nyetimber please visit: http://www.nyetimber.com/