UK Vines in Poly Tunnels with Sandy Booth Part 1

This show was published Friday, May 9, 2025

Overview

Sandy Booth is a fruit grower and owner of New Forest Fruit supplying 5000 tonnes of strawberries, asparagus, plus blueberries and raspberries to UK supermarkets.

The farm is located on the Beaulieu Estate in the New Forest, Dorset in the South of England. The estate came with vineyards, which he first planted with Bacchus in a bed in the usual way they grow strawberries. In 2021, Sandy decided to experiment with growing vines in poly tunnels and harvested their first crop in 2023.

Grape varieties include Gewurztraminer, Merlot, Shiraz, Cab Franc, and piwi varieties Cab Jura and Pinotin. This year they have also planted Grenache, Albarino, Viognier and Cortese (Gavi grape).

Chris and Sandy try some of the wines they have produced:

Gewurztraminer oaked and unoaked
Orange Bacchus (16 days on the skins before pressing in stainless steel and wood)
Cabernet Franc
Merlot
Shiraz

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