COMBE HAY VINEYARD

	Combe Hay Vineyard The Mill Foxcote Shoscombe Vale BATH, Somerset BA2 8NG Email: combehayvineyard@gmail.com Website

Today, the valley of the Wellow Brook is a tranquil location 8 miles south of Bath. A 100 years ago, it was the route of the old 'Slow and Dirty' railway and the site of collieries at Foxcote, Writhlington and Radstock. Now, they are all gone, as is the old corn mill and weir that is now near the site of Combe Hay vineyard The vineyard is situated not far from Frome, in a picturesque village and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is run on Organic, Biodynamic and Regenerative principles, valuing the natural environment. They have foraging courses and events with wild cooking chefs to highlight the wider environment of the vineyard and wine. Always family run, Combe Hay were recently inspired i 2001 by a Natural Wine Maker and Agronomist to reinvigorate the vineyard for the next generation, replanting some of it with the same varieties and bringing in the community including valued volunteers and work experience workers from charities and a Special School. Inspired by the Ross' daughter and the pandemic, they also run a free natural respite course for carers, those with long term conditions and key workers on the site each year. Previously they produced a quality still dry white wine. In the future they will be more driven by the terroir and grapes each year and by natural wine making methods to hopefully produce a range of wines. The vineyard are currently making use of Wiltshire Horn sheep to graze the winter grass and to provide fertiliser. They are part of our work to enhance the ecosystems and biodiversity on the site, together with spreading mushroom spawn, our bee hives and a nature pond we are in the process of creating. The vineyard makes use of varieties that have been grown in Britain for over 50 years and which are tried and tested in our climate- Huxelrebe, Schonburger and Muller Thurgau.

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