The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Quality of local fruit is key for corking success of Scots wine
Ron Gillies gives an insight into the organic growth of his Cairn o’ Mohr operation
Where there is good fruit there is even better wine, and that’s why Scotland has seen the growth of its own wine industry.
To the fore is Ron Gillies of Cairn o’ Mohr near Errol in Perthshire.
Founding the company with his partner Judith, the duo first started making wine in 1987 and, thanks to the improving soft-fruit industry, Ron says the wine has never been better.
“Making fruit wine in Scotland is a little unusual isn’t it? But that’s what we do.
“The business has really grown organically. We started off doing it as a hobby picking wild berries and making wine ourselves. We’re right in the middle of Scottish fruit country and I’ve seen a lot of changes with growing fruit in polytunnels.
“With the fruit improving and more commercial types like blueberries, cherries and brambles on the go, we have access to much more than ever before. The fruit is good and the wine is even better.
“We still use wild elderberries and elderflower and we’ve got our own plantation on site, too.
“There’s a great interest in wild plants just now. People aren’t looking for exotic ingredients; they’re looking for wild herbs and fruits grown locally.”
He said: “We produce several hundred thousand bottles every year. We’ve been really busy with online orders and we still supply some of the shops but a lot of them are shut. We supply some supermarkets like Asda, Sainsbury’s, some of the Morrisons stores and occasionally Aldi, so we’re getting business through that.
“I’ve been doing local delivery up to around 30 miles away. We have a range of fruit wines, Pictish cider, sparkling wines and a range of non-alcoholic drinks, too,” he said.
“Our most popular flavours would be strawberry, blueberry, cherry, bramble, elderberry and raspberry to name a few.
“Online, people are really looking for a mix. They want a wee taste of everything. We offer free delivery on orders over £40 so a lot of people will mix it up. We do bag and box some of our ciders as well, so they’re great for sticking in the fridge.
“The online sales are compensating for the loss of markets, shows and event business,” he said of the coronavirus lockdown.
Furloughing some of his staff, Ron is looking forward to welcoming them – and tourists and visitors – back to the premises in the coming months.
“We’re not making wine just now, this time of year we’re usually bottling and processing last year’s wine which has been sitting for a year,” said Ron.
“There’s various filtrations that go on, then we bottle it for a few months and only then it is ready for sale. It’s a year-round thing. It’s good as our staff are constantly producing. We normally don’t start making wine until the elderflowers come out which is around the beginning of June. Everything is made in season.
“A few of our staff are on furlough just now and we’ll get them back in when we get into production. We’re looking to try and expand and get around an additional 20 acres to plant elderberries and things you can’t really buy and you get from the wild.
“I’ve got a few acres of elderberries already, but we’ve got young trees to plant from our nursery so we’ll probably be doing that in October.”
With a potential expansion on the horizon, a busy season hopefully drawing closer and what Ron says is “the best fruit in the world” right on his doorstep, Cairn o’ Mohr’s location couldn’t be better.
But will the uncertainty around the soft fruit industry affect his business next year?
Although Ron is slightly concerned about what fruit will be available, he is certain with his positive attitude the business can overcome any hurdle.
“I’m standing outside the winery which would normally be very busy at the moment, but there’s not a soul around. We’ve got a café and a decking area which is empty just now. There’s no one here. We’ve been taking this opportunity to get everything looking really smart for when the season finally opens.
“My main concern is the fruit situation. I’m worried about the strawberries and raspberries, but we’ll just have to look at what else is available if needed. With fruit wine you’re not restricted.”