English Wine Week – The Mount Vineyard

This article is for over 18’s

The Mount Vineyard

The beautiful vineyard, tucked away in the quaint and beautiful village of Shoreham, in the Darent Valley is often described as a ‘hidden gem’ and I can see why. Walking past the grapevines I quickly escaped reality and felt transported to a different country, not that I was just one hour outside of London!  There are ten acres of vines and eight varieties of grape grown here.

Since 2008, The Mount Vineyard has been producing a variety of still and sparkling English wines- some of which have won awards. There is currently a selection of five English wines to choose from – sparkling white, sparkling rose, white wine, red wine and rose- as well as international wines, gin, beer, cider and cocktails. The food menu boasts a range of stone baked pizzas and salads, cheese and charcuterie sharing boards and a selection of small plate dishes.

When I went for lunch with my husband, we had the Mount Etna pizza – which was large and certainly fiery with nduja and chilli flakes – and we sat outside on the terrace. During my evening visit with friends, we sat inside the restaurant and chose the small plates options split between three of us. We opted for two flatbreads (one flavoured with garlic and thyme, the other tomato-based) which were crisp, moreish and generous in size, and a range of dishes including arancini, tiger prawns, nduja rigatoni, chicken wings, pate and houmous.

I was impressed with all of them – and I don’t even like houmous usually! The tiger prawns came with sweet chilli and spinach and were plump and juicy, the chicken wings with garlic, paprika and gochujang were spicy and melt-in-your mouth and the pate was rich and creamy (again, not usually a huge fan of pate but I really liked this one).

But the best of the lot was the arancini which were cooked to perfection and oozing with cheese and truffle.

We rounded the meal off by sharing a dark and milk chocolate brownie which was served with a Biscoff crumb and vanilla ice cream. This was rich, indulgent and decadent. Even though we were already full from our meal it was so good that it disappeared in seconds.

Flatbreads start from £5.95 and small plates range from £7.95 each.

I wasn’t able to drink on this occasion but my friend had a glass of The Mount Vineyard Rose Key 2023 (£7) and loved it. She said she could smell the berry aroma and that it was ‘crisp, fresh and perfect for a summer’s evening.’

The Mount Vineyard Sparkling White and sparkling rose are £12.25 per glass which is pricey – but then again how often can you drink English sparkling wine at the vineyard where it is made?

Depending on the time/day of your visit you can either eat al-fresco on the pond terrace during the summer months or inside the restaurant which at night is beautifully decorated with strings of fairy lights and gives off lovely wedding-esque vibes. If you are dining during the day you can enjoy the beautiful garden which includes rambling roses and a pond complete with lily pod flowers, as well as views of the grape vines. Sitting at the pond terrace is a lovely way to kick back, relax and soak up the rays on a sunny afternoon.

The Courtyard Bar and Restaurant is open Wednesday to Saturday, 12.00pm – 11.00pm and Sunday 12.00pm – 6.00pm for drinks and dining.

The Mount Vineyard offers wine tasting experiences which take place all year round at the vineyard.  Tastings take place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 12:30 and 14:30, lasting approximately an hour and a half and costing £35 per person. From the end of May to the end of September, there is also a 16:30 tasting which includes a tour of the vineyard and costs £40 per person.

Still and sparkling wine flights are available between May and September. From £10.95 per person, Available between 10am and 5pm Wednesday to Sunday. No booking required.

Visit themountvineyard.co.uk for more information

by Kate Skelton

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