Our New Forest Vineyard
Situated in the heart of the New Forest National Park, Hampshire, just 3 miles from the coast, Marlings Vineyard offers a rich mix of the elements required to craft exciting and fresh English Wines. With approximately 1750 hours of sunshine per year, it is one of the sunniest locations in England. This means the grapes get the maximum warmth and sunshine during the growing season of March to October.
The Vines & the Grapes
Dornfelder 8%, Triomphé 12%, Seyval Blanc 6%, Reichensteiner 34%, Schönberger 8% and Bacchus 32%. The varied selection has been chosen specifically to suit the local climate and site. We have recently replaced some underperforming vines with more Bacchus, a fruity and aromatic grape which blends well with the drier varieties.
The Soils & Climate
The soils of the New Forest are predominantly sand and clay mixes. With the south facing slope this produces a near ideal growing environment for the vines. The long warm growing season combined with the cool nights is perfect for producing wines which are light, fresh, fruity and aromatic.
For a wine growing region, England is classed as a cool climate. This allows the grapes to ripen slowly and to develop clean delicate fruit flavours and aromas. The final few days ripening in October are normally warm giving us flexibility in deciding the harvest date, when the grapes are hand picked in readiness for the crush and winemaking.
