Yearlstone Vineyard - Devon's Oldest Vineyard

Welcome to Devon's Oldest Vineyard!

Latitude 50 Degrees 42 Minutes - the Exe Valley lies on an almost identical latitude with the Moselle Valley yet enjoys milder springs, and milder autumns. Steep and thickly wooded to the north as the River Exe runs off Exmoor, by the time it reaches Bickleigh the Valley opens out into a broad river plain.

Here, on steep slopes as the River turns due south in its run to the regional capital, Exeter, is our vineyard, at around 200 feet above sea level. Red Devon sandstone breaks up into shale, the hills on three sides create a natural amphitheatre where light levels are high.

In summer, early morning mists rise up from the riverbed creating a subtropical effect but burn off by midday. Even in peak summer this part of mid-Devon is sleepy and quiet, apart from the sounds of various birds of prey and corks popping in the café-winebar.

A perfect stopping off point on a long journey turning off the motorway, Bickleigh itself is a noted beauty spot with thatched pubs on the riverfront, although the best food and wine is on offer at the vineyard!

STOP PRESS: NEW! Bumper crop expected. 80 tons due in the winery, starting September 9th. Biggest yet!

STOP PRESS: Gold, two Silvers and 10 other awards for Yearlstone-made wines at the 2010 English & Welsh Wine of the Year Competition.

Yearlstone's 2009 red wins Gold - the 2008 already holds the President's Trophy for best red in the South West & Wales.

STOP PRESS: 2010 vintage looking promising.

Flowering a week earlier than average began on June 30. Heavy Madeleine crop clean at mid-August, heavy Seyval, moderately heavy Pinot Gris and Reichensteiner. Light crop on Dornfelder and Pinot Noir, but clean so far.

STOP PRESS: Second visit by Daily Mail weekly wine columnist Olly Smith in early August.

Olly is especially keen to follow the progress of our 2009 Pinot Noir pink Vintage Brut.. (due for release 2011 sometime....) but a big fan of Yearlstone for many years, having picnicked in the cider orchards here before he even entered the world of wine.

Yearlstone Wine Courses 2010

We're happy to report that one of the graduates of our first wine course - " How to Make a Living from an English Vineyard" is doing just that - close to Ottery St Mary. Another new entrant advised by us has planted 9000 vines in the same area. The 2010 Wine Course was attended by several potential new recruits, including a former City high flier.

Updated: information about Tours

Guided Tours will resume in Spring 2010. The self-guided tour is available all year round, including tasting of wines £3.50 per person.
Group tours - £10 per person, please contact us.

Getting to the Vineyard

Find us on the A396 between Tiverton and Bickleigh - look out for the brown tourist signs.

Leave the M5 at Junction 27 - into Tiverton. Then follow the signs for the A396 Bickleigh/Exeter - or the brown signs for the Devonshire Centre (now defunct but useful as a guide!).

Yearlstone Webmovies

Our friend Markus Kinch of Film 41 has published several Yearlstone web movies on YouTube:
Oz Clarke is a well known fan of English sparkling wine. Here he and BBC reporter Lotte Duncan visit Yearlstone and sample our award-winning Vintage Brut 2006.... Our fizz is later tasted to rave reviews by the whole BBC Countryfile team:

In our second Yearlstone web movie, filmed in spring 2008, you can watch the team screwcapping our 2007 wines through our 2500 bottle an hour bottling line brought back from the Mosel in 2007.
Compiled & edited by Film 41.

Yearlstone's first webmovie, topics: practical pruning of vines in a commercial vineyard, vineyard siting, and update on Yearlstone news - filmed autumn 2007.
Compiled & edited by Film 41.