English wine in Stamford & Rutland
Congratulations to Rutland Vineyard’s Zoe & Tim Beaver on the release of their new Second Nature wine… a great example of why English Wine Week from Saturday 21st to Sunday 29th June deserves to be taken more seriously than ever before
It’s English Wine Week from Saturday 21st to Sunday 29th June, and one couple who will be raising a glass to the event is Zoe and Tim Beaver, founders of The Rutland Vineyard at Ketton in 2021.
Tim is an arable farmer by profession and has diversified into viticulture. He planted around 20,000 vines and took their first harvest in 2023 with a limited yield.
There followed a rather more substantial harvest in 2024 giving the vineyard grapes of sufficient quantity and quality to create their first home-grown wine, First Crush. Last month the couple released their brand new still white wine, Second Nature, with a VIP preview for vine sponsors.
In addition to their own wines, the vineyard has also curated its own blend English sparkling wine, a sparkling rosé and a smooth cherry red wine too, gradually using their own vines to their fullest potential.
English wine was once the subject of scepticism, not least across the English Channel, but today there are 1,030 vineyards in Great Britain (87 established in 2024), as well as 221 wineries (12 established in 2024) and 4,209ha (10,500 acres) of vines in the country today.
8.8m bottles of English wine were sold in 2024 of which 76% were sparkling wines and 23% were still. 66% of the still wines were white, 20% rosé and 13% red. Of the 90 different grape varieties, Chardonnay was the most common at 32% of all varieties followed by Pinot Noir at 27%.
Serving not just as producers but also ambassadors for English wine, Zoe and Tim run their tasting barn assisted by a very lovely team, and offer not just the chance to enjoy a glass or two of wine overlooking the vineyard, looking south towards Collyweston, but also really good cheese platters (supplied by Stamford’s Rennet & Rind), coffee, cakes and other treats.
You can also pre-book to join the team on regular tours of the vineyard to find out how your favourite local wine is produced from grape to glass. The tasting barn is usually open from Wednesday to Saturdays, though a quick look at the website is recommended for times and up-to-date information to ensure you can raise a glass to quality and provenance!
The Rutland Vineyard is based on Barrowden Road, Ketton PE9 3RJ. The Tasting Barn serves wine (of course!) as well as coffee, cheese and homemade cake. You can book vineyard tours, enjoy the vineyard’s wines in the barn, or take a bottle or home to enjoy. Second Nature is available to purchase now, £19/bottle, see www.therutlandvineyard.com.
See our feature in full in Stamford Pride’s July edition at https://issuu.com/pridemagazines/docs/stamford_pride_july_2025