LATEST PRESS RELEASES

6 NOVEMBER 2017

Denbies achieves Green Tourism Gold

Denbies Wine Estate is delighted to have achieved a Gold level status from Green Tourism.  The gold status was confirmed following the vineyard’s most recent assessment from a Green tourism representative. Members are visited every two years to assess them against a range of criteria relevant to their business type, sustainable tourism indicators include protecting the environment, respecting local cultures, supporting communities , conserving  natural resources and minimising pollution.

‘Receiving the gold level is a real testament to the whole team, sustainability has been and will continue to be a major focus at Denbies.  We strive to lead the way to become market leaders in every aspect of our business in regards to sustainability and environmental wellbeing’ commented Chris White, Denbies CEO.

In 2016 Denbies received the Gatwick Diamond Green Business of the Year, sponsored by Crawley Borough Council.  Denbies are members of the Green Tourism Association and are the first UK vineyard members of the Bat Conservation Trust.

Denbies Wine Estate has also just received approval for planning for their Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast Accommodation.   The application has been a long process, Denbies is located in the heart of the Surrey Hills AONB, therefore it was essential that the submission fulfilled not only all of the planning requirements but was demonstrated to be unobtrusive and sympathetic to the surroundings.

Denbies Farmhouse currently has seven en-suite double bedrooms and operating at an average of 95% occupancy, is well above the national UK average.  Denbies plan to add an additional 10 en-suite bedrooms and with a total of 17 bedrooms the Farmhouse will become the Uk’s first Vineyard Hotel.

‘The location of the hotel, in the heart of the vineyard, overlooking acres and acres of vines, lends itself to perfect peace and tranquillity,’ commented Denbies CEO, Christopher White, ‘ we are very excited to transform the accommodation into a unique hotel which will be in keeping with and sensitive to the ethos of the business.  The demand for vineyard accommodation has exceeded all expectations from when the Farmhouse opened in 1994.’

The building work following sustainable best practice will commence in the spring of 2018 and will be introduced in two phases to ensure minimum impact on the surrounding area.

Particular features of the hotel will include bespoke wine tastings on the lawn hosted by Denbies Wine Expert, behind the scenes tours of the vineyard and winery and al fresco vineyard dining throughout the summer months.

Note – Green Tourism is considered one of the most rigorous certification programmes of its kind. It is the only one independently validated by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) on behalf of VisitEngland, VisitWales and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, and is endorsed by VisitScotland and Failte Ireland.  Green Tourism is a not-for-profit organisation established in 1997. Our mission is to encourage and enable people to make sustainable choices that reduce their impact on the planet.

12 OCTOBER 2017

Denbies launches new book club

Denbies Wine Estate in conjunction with Barton’s Bookshop, Leatherhead, are delighted to announce the launch of their ‘Novel Harvest’ book club taking place in the Denbies winery on Thursday 12 October, 6.30pm. Denbies are delighted to welcome Rowan Coleman, who will lead the discussion on her novel “The Summer of Impossible Things”. Rowan is the New York Times bestselling author of eleven novels. She lives with her husband and children in England.

‘Denbies is the perfect location for a Book group and we are delighted to welcome Rowan to launch the inaugural event during the Mole Valley Arts Alive Festival, ‘commented Kelly Walsh, Denbies Events Manager,’ we look forward to many future lively debates with a view to combining the passion for both reading and enjoying wine.’

‘The Summer of Impossible Things’ is available to purchase direct from Barton’s Bookshop in Leatherhead ‘The Muddy Stilettos Surrey Best Bookshop 2017’ .  Novel Harvest participants will receive a 20% discount, cover price £12.99 /selling at £10.00. (please present your event ticket to qualify)

Tickets are £5 per person including a glass of wine, tea, coffee or soft drink (additional refreshments will be available to purchase on the evening).  Visit www.denbies.co.uk to purchase tickets on-line and additional information.

6 SEPTEMBER 2017

Earliest harvest on record for Denbies Estate

The earliest harvest in Denbies Wine Estate 31 years commenced yesterday (Wednesday 6 September), historically, an early harvest commences during the third week of September.   On a mild sunny autumnal morning the Denbies vineyard team picked approximately 3 tons of the early ripening Solaris.  This was an unexpected outcome from a vintage that started with the widely talked about late frost followed by the exceptionally fine June.

‘We have never started harvest this early, and even for an early ripener such as this grape, the volume, sugar content and quality is quite outstanding,’ commented Christopher White, Denbies CEO, who has been anxiously monitoring the vineyard throughout the summer.  Early concerns at the beginning of the season have proven to be unfounded.  Although volumes will be slightly lower than the last few years, early indications suggest that the quality looks to be very good.

Following the late frost however, Chris White did make the decision to plant 30,000 vines, a combination of pinot noir and chardonnay, on the Denbies hillside.  This particular area of the vineyard benefits from optimum conditions, south facing slopes with a temperate micro climate throughout the year.  This area of the vineyard is very unlikely to be affected by frost.

The 2017 harvest will continue on Monday with the picking of the rondo, another early ripening varietal which in 2010 produced the exceptional gold award winning Chalk Ridge Rose, labelled the ‘best rose in the world’.

Denbies Wine Estate has a range of 16 wines and produces over 450,000 bottles of wine per annum.  Denbies is located in Dorking, Surrey with direct rail access from London Waterloo and Victoria mainline stations. For further details on Denbies Wine Estate, visit www.denbies.co.uk

12 MARCH 2017

Denbies Greenfields named ‘Best Sparkling Wine from the UK’ at international sparkling wine competition

Denbies Greenfields was crowned ‘Best Sparkling Wine from the United Kingdom’ at the Challenge Euposia awards ceremony held at trade wine show Prowein in Düsseldorf on 19 March.

Founded by leading Italian wine magazine Euposia in 2008, the Challenge Euposia competition is the world’s first international blind tasting challenge of traditional method sparkling wines. Now in its ninth year, the competition attracted some 300 wines from five continents and was judged by international experts from the USA, Argentina, France, UK, Germany and Italy.

This accolade is yet another success for Denbies Greenfields, which also won a coveted Gold medal in the 2016 International Wine Challenge.

Christopher White, Denbies CEO, comments:  ‘It is fantastic to see Greenfields scoop up another prestigious award. Greenfields embodies Denbies’ commitment to quality across our whole range. It is a great achievement for our winemaking team to receive such international recognition for our signature sparkling. We are delighted with the result and the acknowledgment that Denbies produces English sparkling wines worthy of a place alongside the very best on the international stage.’

END –

For press enquiries or to request images, please contact [email protected]  Tel: 07946 528 918

Note to editors:

Greenfields tasting note

Greenfields 2011                                                                                                                         

Winemakers – Matthieu Elzinga & John Worontschak
Waitrose (75cl) £23.99
Varietal: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier
Alc: 12%, RS: 10g/l

Only the very best hand-picked grapes of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier from the estate are used in this blend. This wine spent three years on lees for added complexity and richness.

7 OCTOBER 2015

WAITROSE IS FIRST BRITISH SUPERMARKET TO STOCK ENGLISH DESSERT WINE

Denbies 2014 Noble Harvest and Pinot-blend Redlands now available at Waitrose

Two brand new releases from English wine producer Denbies will be launched in Waitrose this week.   The Denbies Noble Harvest Ortega 2014 (37.5cl) and Denbies Redlands 2014 (75cl) will now be available from selected Waitrose stores and online at www.waitrosecellar.com.

Denbies Noble Harvest is the first English dessert wine to be listed by a British supermarket.  Lusciously sweet, elegant, with attractive notes of citrus and honey, it is a great home-grown alternative to Sauternes and other classic sweet wines.

Denbies Redlands is a blend of 50% Pinot Noir with Rondo and Dunkelfelder.  It is a smooth and velvety red, bursting with strawberry and red berry fruits, and hints of vanilla and spice.

Denbies’ General Manager Chris White comments: ‘We are very excited to see both our Noble Harvest and red Pinot Noir blend listed with Waitrose. We are passionate about England’s ability to produce first class still wines and have worked hard in the vineyards and winery over the past ten years to push the boundaries. English wine has a great future and it is wonderful to see Waitrose introduce new styles to their customers and encourage them to be more adventurous within a growing category.’

Denbies Noble Harvest 2014
Waitrose, £19.99 (37.5cl)
Varietal: 100% Ortega
Maturation: 20% in new French oak.
Alc: 10%, RS: 107.9g/l

Botrytised grapes from Denbies Vineyard’s The Brokes and Park blocks were hand-picked in early October. After gentle de-stem and crush, fruit was macerated for 12 hours before careful transfer to the press for a 12 hour gentle press cycle.

Half the juice was guided to barrel and half was fermented slowly in stainless steel tanks.

Redlands 2014
Waitrose, £12.99 (75cl)
Varietal: 50% Pinot Noir, Rondo and Dunkelfelder
Maturation: 30% in new French oak
Alc: 12%

Canopy management and green harvesting was carried out in the vineyards to optimise fruit quality. All three varietals were picked and harvested separately. Tannin management included délestage to preserve the fruit characteristics of the Pinot Noir. 30% of the wine was aged in oak and 70% in stainless steel tank to maintain freshness.

For samples and bottle shots please contact Céline Bouteiller PR & Events and e-mail: [email protected], mob. 07946 528 918.

Note to editors:

Denbies Noble Harvest Ortega 2014 will be available to taste at the Waitrose Autumn Press tasting on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th October.

February 2014

Its official! Mole Valley is the best place in the country for organised running events

Its official! Mole Valley is the best place in the country for organised running events, according to the readers of Runner’s World magazine.  The magazine in their February 2014 issue, has awarded eight local events in their ‘Races of the Year’ for 2013.

Event organisers Events to Live and Trionium, both based in Ashtead, organise several events in the area.  Featuring local beauty spots such as Polesden Lacey, Box Hill and Denbies Vineyard as their headquarters.

Events to Live owned by Alan Burrows and Nicky Donbavand, organise three of the events commended.  Their largest, the Bacchus Half Marathon, scooped second in the best half marathon in the country category.

The Bacchus Half Marathon, held in September, attracted runners and walkers from all over the globe in 2013. People from Canada, Oman, Australia and the USA travelled to the county to take part.  Over 1000 participants enjoyed the beautiful Mole Valley scenery as they passed along Ranmore common and the North Downs Way.  All runners had the opportunity to sample award winning Denbies Wines at the seven feed stations around the 13 mile loop.  This event is unique in the country.

Alan Burrows race director of Events to Live said, ‘We’re thrilled to have scooped this accolade.  We have worked really hard over the last few years to establish Bacchus as one of the best events in the race calendar.  The fact this is voted for by the race participants makes it really special’.

Jeanette Simpson, Assistant General Manager at Denbies said, ‘Last year was the 4th year of Bacchus and it has developed into a fantastic day event.  The organisation by Events to Live is faultless and the energy and enthusiasm by all participants’ is tremendous.  This is a great event that showcases the Surrey Hills perfectly and at the same time, the volume of new visitors the race attracts to the area cannot be underestimated.’

Events to Live also collected third most scenic event for the Surrey Badger Half Marathon, also based from Denbies Vineyard in July and eighth best 10k for the Polesden Lacey 10k in June.  Events to live have

helped raise over £100,000 for various local charities.   The Events to

Live website is www.eventstolive.co.uk.

Trionium Events, organise events that are challenging and scenic.  So, it was no surprise their events scored three of the top ten positions in the scenic category.  First overall was the Knacker Cracker 10k.  Held on New Years’ Day this race features fabulous scenery, runners in fancy dress and a massive four ascents of Box Hill.

Box Hill is also the feature in the second placed scenic event, the Midsummer Munro.  Also organised by Trionium, the climb and loss of 3000 feet on this savage course adds up to the equivalent of a Munro, the name given to a Scottish mountain that peak at this height.

Trionium organiser, Dr Rob McCaffrey said ‘we are delighted to be featured in the Runner’s World awards.  Trionium events have raised

£35,726.78 for charity since the first Trionium race, the Knacker Cracker on 1 January 2004’.

Trionium also had the Ashtead 10k, eighth in the scenic category; the Greensand marathon in October, fourth in the Marathon category and the Leith Hill Half Marathon in March, third in the half-marathon category.

Both are based from the Priory School in Dorking.  For more information see www.trionium.com

ENDS

Notes to editor

Events to Live was set up by Alan Burrows and Nicky Donbavand in 2011 after running their events initially through the specialist running shop Run to Live.  They have been organising events for seven years.  Events to Live was set up primarily to raise money and the profile for various local charities.  This year, they are supporting Princess Alice Hospice; First Touch Neonatal Unit at St Georges Hospital; National Trust; Surrey Wildlife Trust; Down’s Syndrome; Children’s Trust; Girl-Guiding Surrey East and British Red Cross.  For more information contact Nicky Donbavand, [email protected]

Trionium was established by Dr Rob McCaffrey in 2004.  The first running of the Knacker Cracker in 2004 attracted 18 brave runners. The race was ‘organised’ in less than a month. One gentleman arrived at the start 20 minutes late, reeking of booze, and asked if there was a race on.  They pointed him in the right direction, and he eventually came sixth.  Today Trionium organise eight events, at least a year in advance, including the world famous UK Wife Carrying race.  Last year the race was featured on ‘Good Morning’ with Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby http://www.trionium.com/wife/.

For more information contact Dr Rob McCaffrey, [email protected]

February 2014

Denbies Bacchus Marathon celebrates 5th year

If you are looking for an organised event that raises money for a fabulous charity and is full of fun, then this one is definitely for you.

Events to Live in association with Dorking Council and Denbies Vineyard (the largest vineyard in England) are delighted to announce the 5th Bacchus Festival.  Including a marathon, half-marathon and 2.5k fun run taking place on Sunday 14th September 2014.  This year’s charity benefactor is Princess Alice Hospice.

The Bacchus half marathon was voted the 2nd best half marathon in the UK last year by Runner’s World.

The Bacchus festival is unique in the UK.  Held just before the grape harvest in September, entrants are invited to sample Denbies award winning wine as they run or walk the event.  The course follows paths and bridleways through the spectacular North Downs. The emphasis of this race is fun and so participants are strongly encouraged to wear fancy dress.  The best outfit wins a prize!  Family fun runs and a space hopper time trial also add to the fun.

Race director, Alan Burrows, said ‘Participants get a chance to sample the best wines on offer from the Denbies Estate.  Water stations are provided every two miles and will host the wine tasting and nibbles.

Although the course is undulating, the last mile is all downhill, with glorious views overlooking Denbies Wine Estate and the beautiful Mole Valley’.

Participants are greeted at the finish with a bespoke medal, technical tee shirt, hot drinks, water or juice, fresh fruit, cake and a hog roast BBQ, all washed down by a glass of Denbies fine wine.  Event sponsor, Powerbar UK www.powerbar.co.uk also provide energy products at the water stations.  Race prizes are donated by local running specialist store, Run to Live based in nearby Ashtead Village www.runtolive.co.uk, Mizuno Running, Yurbuds and Gore Running Wear.

There is also a team of sports masseurs from locally based Fine Fettle Multi-Health Care to ease those aching muscles before and after the event.

Nicky Donbavand, Managing Director of Events to Live said ‘We are really excited to be able to organise this event once again.  As well as raising money for Princess Alice Hospice we are also hoping the event will generate a lot of interest and boost visitors to the area’.  This event has sold out every year since the race’s inception, so this year entries have been increased to 2000.

Jeanette Simpson, Denbies Marketing Manager commented: “Denbies is England’s largest vineyard producing a range of 12 award winning wines, all of which can be sampled en-route.  This is designed to be a really fun event – fancy dress is to be encouraged and there will be a post-race BBQ to add to the party atmosphere”.

In the past, Denbies Vineyard has been awarded the ‘Best wine in the world’ accolade for their Chalk Ridge Rose in the International Wine Challenge Competition and featured on BBC1’s ‘The Apprentice’ as a market leader in the production of English Sparking Wine.

There is a generous eight hour cut off for the marathon and seven hours for the half-marathon.  The event is suitable for walkers as well as runners and so walkers are most welcome.

All Events to Live events have strong links with charities in the local area.  They assist with fund raising as well as helping to raise the profile of the fabulous work the charities do.  The nominated charity for the Bacchus is Princess Alice Hospice.  A charity dedicated to helping the terminally and seriously ill.

A portion of the entry fee will go to Princess Alice Hospice and (although not compulsory), participants are encouraged to raise money either for this or their own nominated charity.

Groups of ten or more attract a 10% discount on application.  Contact Alan at [email protected].

Further details of the Bacchus festival can be found at www.eventstolive.co.uk

January 2014

A Day of Horticulture in the heart of the Surrey Hills’ NEW FOR 2014

Following the success of Denbies Wine Estate, England’s largest vineyard and Mayfield Lavender’s ‘A Day in Provence’ group joint tour. Denbies Wine Estate are very pleased to announce another unique day out in the Surrey Hills commencing in June 2014.

Denbies and Village Greens Farm Shop (located on the estate adjacent to the main building) have introduced ‘A Day of Horticulture’. Visitors are invited to explore the wildlife and outdoor beauty of Denbies Estate which traverses 600 acres, 265 under vine. Village Greens Farm Shop, also located on the estate is currently cultivating the original walled Kitchen Garden.

This day combines outdoor vistas followed by choice of talks from Village Greens Head Horticulturist.

As spring spreads rapidly through the vineyard, Denbies Outdoor Train is the perfect way to enjoy the beauty of the estate. Available from the first bud burst of Spring to the blazing colours of the autumn harvest, this 45-minute vineyard tour takes visitors at a leisurely pace to some of the most beautiful viewing points in the vineyard. A recorded commentary enhances the trip making it an informative and comfortable way to experience the magnificent panoramic views of the Denbies Estate and the North Downs. Throughout the seasons the changing scenery captures the imagination, from the first bud burst of spring to the opulent vines of the autumn.

Followed by a visit to Denbies Village Greens Farm Shop with a choice of:

Talk 1 – Gardening for Wildlife

A one hour talk that will guide you through simple and effective ways to encourage wildlife to visit your garden, even if you only have a window box. Includes wildlife friendly gift to take home.

Talk 2 – Growing your own Cut Flowers

A one hour talk that will guide you through the simple steps needed to get started in growing beautiful, natural, environmentally friendly blooms for your home, as gifts and for special occasions. You will also receive a gift to take home.

‘We are delighted to be offering this new tour,’ comments Kelly Walsh, Denbies Wine Estate Events Manager, ‘the dynamic between the two businesses is perfect and really does offer visitors an informative day out.’

The duration of the tours is approximately 2 hrs. Minimum group x 10/ £15 per person

Contact:
Jeannette Simpson – Marketing
Denbies Wine Estate – DL: 01306 734651
Email: [email protected].

Denbies Wine Estate
▪ Restaurants – A la Carte & Servery Style/Denbies of Dorking Wine & Gift Shop/Kitchen Garden Farm Shop/Winery & Vineyard Tours/Free Admission & car/coach parking on-site

Located off M25, J 9/10