The Crouch Valley with Chris Buckley of VineWorks

This show was published Friday, April 4, 2025

Overview

The Crouch Valley is located in Essex in the South East of the county. It is a hot bed for production of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as well as varieties like Pinot Gris and Bacchus and rapidly gaining a reputation for high quality still wines.

The region has a unique natural microclimate with dry warm summers and low rainfall, located beside the River Crouch, with hundreds of acres of plantings. Notable wineries include New Hall winery and Danbury Ridge but there are also lots of contract growers. The soils are clay which hold onto nutrients and water, helping hydrate the vines in the drier spells.

Other regions with potential in the UK are the North Kent Downs for premium Chardonnay production for still and sparkling. Moving further up from The Crouch Valley, to North Essex and South Suffolk, Chris sees bags of potential with their warm summers and lower frost risk.

Subscribe

Using XML subscription or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you normally listen to podcasts.

Sponsorship

The UK Wine Show is sponsored by ThirtyFifty. Our team of wine tasters are busy entertaining and educating UK consumers to help them get the most out of wine.

Support us on Patreon

If you are a regular listener, do consider supporting the UK Wine Show on Patreon. You can pledge a monthly payment, equivalent to a cup of coffee or very small glass of wine!

Become a Patron!

Music

The music used for the UK Wine Show is Griffes de Jingle 1 by Marcel de la Jartèle and Silence by Etoile Noire.