A sparkling lunch at Langham Wine Estate

If you’re a wine enthusiast or just enjoy a good glass of fizz, a visit to the Langham Wine Estate is for you.

This award-winning winery produces its sparkling wines using only grapes grown at the vineyard at Crawthorne in Dorset, between Blandford and Dorchester (take the marked turning off the A354).

You can join a guided tour of the vineyard and winery, followed by a tutored tasting. Or wander through the vineyard on a self-guided tour; information points located around the vineyard tell the story of the site and the techniques employed to grow the premium quality grapes.

Alternatively, simply enjoy a glass or two with a bite to eat in the Hare and Bramble vineyard café, housed in the old milking parlour dating from the 19th century and full of charm.

Langham sparkling wines

The Langham ethos is to take a low-intervention approach to both grape growing and wine production, always seeking to minimise environmental impact and produce wines that reflect the unique character of the terroir.

The chalk soils and south facing aspect of the vineyard provide ideal ground for ripening the classic Champagne varieties – Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot meunier.

All the grapes are handpicked, and then carefully selected so that only the highest quality grapes are used in the winery, in a characterful old barn just metres from the vineyard.

The wine is produced using only the traditional method, with a second, in-bottle fermentation, to create the sparkle. “Each bottle is then aged on yeast lees for a minimum of 18 months before being disgorged and aged further under cork.”

Langham have created a range of fine English sparkling wines, including Blanc de Blancs, a rosé, and their Classic Cuvée 2014 – our favourite. This traditional brut, a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot meunier, is refreshingly dry and full of flavour. Cheers!

Visiting

Generally the Langham Wine Estate is open Tuesday – Saturday 10am-4pm; and also on Sundays in July to September. There are also special events – see their website for full details and to check opening times: https://langhamwine.co.uk