Knightor Winery

When I visited Cornwall a few years ago to see some friends, they offered to take me to a little winery on the coast, insisting it was the best roast dinner around. As you can imagine, I was sceptical at the claim, in my experience nothing can compare to a homemade roast dinner, especially one made with love by your mum. Well, after a few hours drinking and eating at this lovely spot a stones throw from the Eden Project, I had to admit, this was the best roast dinner I had ever had, sorry mum!

Craft, artisan and micro all apply to this winery and when it comes to premium English winemakers, Knightor is right there at the top of the list. In wine making weather and climate are king and each year varies, so they make multiple blends and single varietal wines often in short runs of less than 2000 bottles. By combining the best grapes grown in the surrounding areas with the vines cultivated in their own vineyards at Portscatho and Seaton on the south Cornish coast, Knightor perfectly captures the essence of the English soils.

“Although inspiration is taken from both old and new world, there is no desire to mimic. With English wine, the difference is generally the lightness and elegance of style – this is our hallmark and what we do best.”

The marginal climate gives low grape yields that maximise taste but increase cost, which encouraged the estate to only make still and sparkling rosé and white wines that are true to the fruit and retain an elegance that is part of the inherent character of English wine.

Minimal intervention means all their wines are vegan friendly, low in sulphates and the sweetness comes from fruit, not sugar. Through years of innovation and research using their base wines and local herbs they have also created a family of English Vermouths. Rich and intense aromas and flavours make them great in cocktails and perfect as a spritz or aperitif.