A Wine Tasting Event, 9th May 2025

We go to the supermarket and peruse wines from our favourite regions - France, Chile, South Africa and beyond. But who knew there was a vineyard producing lovely English wine in the next village!

Peter Rowe from ‘Potash Vineyard’ at Layer de la Haye came to talk to a full Community Hub about a hobby undertaken as he retired that has kept him busy ever since! He explained he undertook a year long course, ploughed up a meadow, improved the soil and planted 400 vines. He then had to wait three years before he could harvest any grapes.

Peter then gave us a month-by-month account of the work involved to produce the wine. Suffice to say – he is a very busy man! While the vines are not subject to the usual garden pests, Peter must take steps to keep out deer and badgers. A badger who gets a taste for a bunch of grapes, can decimate the crop overnight.

Peter told us that he has seen climate change during the last twenty years. When he first started growing vines, harvest would be mid-October. Now harvest takes place in mid-September.

We were treated to the taste of five different wines produced by Potash Vineyard. First, we tasted three white wines: Baccus, Baccus & Rechsteiner, and Oak Aged Chardonnay. This was followed by two red wines: Pinot Noir and Dornfelder – a German grape.

As you would expect from a room full of people, there were a variety of responses to each wine, depending on preferred tastes but everyone had their favourite. Baccus seemed to be the most popular.

Peter explained that at its heyday he was producing up to 900 bottles of wine a year but these days he only produces enough wine for friends and family. Any surplus is sold in the village shop at Layer with the proceeds being donated to Layer church.

Following Peter’s talk and explanation of his wines, guests enjoyed a social evening, talking to friends and neighbours accompanied by a glass of wine with cheese and biscuits. There was a very convivial atmosphere at St Stephen’s throughout the evening; no one was in a hurry to leave!