The Albury Organic Vineyard owner on his lifelong dream and receiving the royal stamp of approval

Today on The English Wine Diaries, my guest is Nick Wenman, from Albury Vineyard in Surrey.

Running a vineyard was a very early dream from Nick. When he was 17, he won the school economics prize and chose the World Atlas of Wines and Spirits for the headmaster to present to him as a prize on speech day.

It wasn’t until some time later, following a career in the IT industry, that Nick was able to fulfil his dream by planting his first vines on the southern slopes of the North Downs in the Surrey Hills, in 2009.

Albury is committed to producing organic fruit without the use of chemicals and is also one of only four or five vineyards in England to follow biodynamic principles. The wines have won numerous awards and are enjoyed by royalty. 

“We had a great start because we were lucky enough to have our very fist wine, our Silent Pool rose, served on the royal barge as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.”

We talk about the benefits of holistic winemaking and the growth of organic farming, the challenges of growing grapes in England and running a generational business.

To find out more about Albury’s latest releases and events at the vineyard, follow @alburyvineyard on Instagram and Twitter or visit: alburyvineyard.com.

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