Following huge anticipation, Oz Clarke OBE officially launched Sandridge Barton, the home of Sharpham Wine, on Friday 17th June.  The new visitor centre, winery and restaurant are nestled in the South Devon countryside on the east bank of the River Dart.  The impressive destination is a must-visit this English Wine Week (18th - 26th June 2022) and throughout the summer and autumn months.  

Commenting on the official opening, Oz says: “I am thrilled to be a part of such a momentous moment on the English wine scene.  Devon is booming in terms of its winemaking and Sharpham's new home at Sandridge Barton is another really big step forward in the region gaining national and international recognition.  I am looking forward to tasting the new vintages produced at this fabulous new winery and visiting again in the near future.”

Duncan Schwab, CEO and head winemaker, adds: “It was a huge privilege to have Oz officially launch Sandridge Barton.  We have waited a long time for this moment and all the team here have worked incredibly hard.  The results have far exceeded everyone's expectations and we are excited about sharing this incredible new site with visitors from around the world.  We are also looking forward to launching our new vintages of existing favourites as well as introducing additional styles from the Sandridge Barton site.”

The visitor centre has been created within the traditional buildings of the historic Lower Well Farm, with the central courtyard providing an exceptional seating area overlooking the surrounding countryside, including a spring-fed tributary leading to the River Dart nearby. 

Exeter-based Circa was named as its catering partner and brings an exciting menu that will change with the seasons. During June, the restaurant is open for lunches from Thursday to Monday with a reduced bar snack menu available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, before fully opening every day from July onwards. The on-site restaurant will offer a relaxed atmosphere, both inside and on its south facing sun terraces, using only the best local and seasonal produce. Booking for the restaurant can be made at sandridgebarton.com. 

Sandridge Barton hosts a range of experiences including guided and self-guided tastings, allowing visitors to learn about the different grape varieties grown on site and the techniques used in the winery to craft each style of wine. A self-guided wine tasting flight is served in handmade baskets and is available 7 days a week. There are walking trails through the estate and vineyards to explore as well as the opportunity to enjoy wines by the glass in the gallery bar or lunch in the courtyard. Booking for tours and tastings can be made at sandridgebarton.com. The on-site shop stocks their full range of wines as well as Sharpham Dairy cheeses and a selection of local produce to take home. Shop online at sandridgebarton.com.

Vines were first planted at Sandridge Barton in 2008.  Pinot Noir, Bacchus, Chardonnay, Madeleine Angevine and Pinot Gris are now grown in the vineyards which spread across 32 acres of the 400-acre estate.  The Sandridge Barton estate is positioned just south of the village of Stoke Gabriel, which is a few miles upriver from the ever-popular town of Dartmouth and a few miles downriver from Totnes.  Rich in history, most of the land falls into the South Hams AONB.

A vineyard called Stony Field, which is on a limestone ridge, was recently planted.  Some of the premier wine districts in the world are planted on limestone and this, coupled with the increase in popularity of English Wines, sets an exciting future for the wines produced at Sandridge Barton.

To celebrate the opening, Sandridge Barton has released its new Sharpham Summer Sparkling wine - a fun, fresh pink sparkling wine best enjoyed chilled with friends on a hot summer's day which pairs delightfully with goats cheese salad, grilled prawns, scallops and white fish.

The renovation is a collection of craftsmanship by Rob Christie of Devon Building and Renovation, wood printing and etching specialists Inspirwood, wood specialists Bespoke Oak Timber, plasterwork by StuccoLux and lighting by Amos Lighting and Pooky Lighting. The concept was designed and styled by Elaine Woodcroft from The Woody Fox who says “it's been a dream to work with the friendly team at Sandridge Barton, helping them bring to life what was originally a dairy farm. The design reflects the earthy surroundings upon where the grapes, used to create their exquisite wine, are grown.”

The Sandridge Barton estate also offers self-catering accommodation.  In the Main House, which is located close to the vineyard and overlooks the River Dart, there are six bedrooms and an indoor swimming pool.  The newly-renovated Farmhouse at Lower Well Farm has four bedrooms located by the winery and visitor centre.  The Boathouse has two bedrooms and is located in total seclusion on the bank of the River Dart.  All guests will have the opportunity to experience the offerings of the visitor centre. Bookings for accommodation can be made at sandridgebarton.com. 

To keep up to date 'like' Sandridge Barton Wines on Facebook, 'follow' Sandridge Barton Wines on Instagram or Sandridge Barton (the home of Sharpham Wines) on Twitter or visit sandridgebarton.com.

To keep up to date with all Circa's news 'follow' @circa.sandridge_barton on Instagram or visit sandridgebarton.com/restaurant.

ENDS

A wide selection of images can be found here. 

For further information, photography or an interview with Duncan Schwab please contact:

Hanna China, RAW Food and Drink PR, Mobile: 07702 031 956

Email: Hanna@rawfoodanddrinkpr.co.uk 

Notes to editors

• The new website (sandridgebarton.com) and online shop are live. Bookings for vineyard tours, wine tastings, lunches and self-catering accommodation can now be made through this site.
• Sharpham Wine maintained one of Britain's oldest vineyards, planted in 1981 on the Sharpham Estate on the west bank of the River Dart close to Sandridge Barton.  Once the nearby Sandridge Barton vineyard was established grapes from there were supplied to Sharpham Wine.  Sharpham Wine has now moved downriver to its new home at Sandridge Barton. 
• The Sandridge Barton estate operates as a small mixed farm with arable, pasture (for a prize herd of South Devon cattle), orchards and vineyards.  It has a diverse landscape with extensive woodland, streams, ponds and abandoned quarries.  Lower Well Farm forms part of the estate and was until recently a run-down dairy farm before its rejuvenation by the construction of the winery and the conversion of traditional barns into the winery visitor centre. 
• Sharpham cheeses will continue to be made on the Sharpham Estate and will be sold through the shop at Lower Well Farm, which will continue the Sharpham brand.  The dairy produces a range of cow and goat milk cheese to national and international acclaim.  With milk from their herd of Jersey cows, plus goat and sheep milk from their neighbours, they produce handmade cheeses full of character and flavour which reflect this part of Devon. 
• ​​Iron age and Roman remains have been found on the Sandridge Barton estate.  Sandridge Barton was the birthplace in c1543 of the Elizabethan navigator and explorer John Davis, mapper of the Davis Straits between Greenland and Labrador, and discoverer of the Falkland Islands.  An image of his ship, the Desire, is on the Falkland's coat of arms.  He grew up at Sandridge Barton and owned it until he was killed in 1605 by Japanese pirates on the coast of Malacca in the East Indies.  His childhood neighbours and lifelong friends were the explorers Humphrey Gilbert (who founded the colony of Newfoundland) and Adrian Gilbert, and their half-brother, Walter Raleigh.  He was the foremost navigator of his time, and apart from the maps and records that he left including his three attempts to find the Northwest Passage, his voyage to the South Atlantic and four voyages to the East Indies, he wrote two scientific books on navigation, invented the Davis backstaff that was used in navigation for two hundred years, and developed the model for ships' log books. 
• In more modern times, US forces were stationed at Sandridge Barton during WWII pending their departure for Normandy and there are signs of their presence, particularly from carvings on beech trees in the woods along the River Dart.  The woods also contain the remains of an Auxiliary Unit Operations Base from WWII, a secret auxiliary army unit mostly made up of local gamekeepers and farmers who knew the land and who were to engage in irregular warfare in the event of an invasion by Nazi Germany, with a projected life expectancy of twelve days from invasion.