Cotes du Newent? I’ll drink to that
THE giant old trees and flowery hedgerows of the Gloucestershire countryside are at their greenest, their branches stretching skywards. And in the county’s best-known vineyard, plump clumps of juicy grapes are on their way.
Summer is here at last. What better time to enjoy a British mini-break, and Newent – seven miles from Gloucester on the edge of the beautiful Forest of Dean – is a jolly nice place in which to do it.
Here you’ll find Three Choirs, one of England’s largest vineyards, spread over 75 acres, and also one of the oldest; its first vintage was produced back in 1976.
The vineyard’s name comes from the location – roughly equidistant between Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester, all venues for annual music festivals.
A major bonus at Three Choirs is that you can stay here. There is accommodation in 11 rooms in a block and in three lodges among the vines. You can book a variety of packages that include a tour, tasting, dinner, or all three.
Among non-resident options, there’s an hour-long Winery Tour & Wine Tasting, costing £12.50 per person.
The estate has a Natural Trail where you might spot rabbits, buzzards, green woodpeckers and squirrels, and of course there’s a shop where you can buy whites, reds, rosés and the vineyard’s fizz. Its Classic Cuvee Non Vintage Brut is delicious.
You can also book just for a lunch or dinner. The restaurant has a good reputation, with a menu that includes scrumptious Herefordshire 28-day aged fillet steak, duck-fat chips and wild garlic butter and red wine jus (£27), which vanished from my plate in record time.
Alternatively, there’s local wild boar burger or succulent Herefordshire lamb.
For pud, how about treacle tart with May Hill rhubarb ripple ice cream – named after a local beauty spot?
Once you’ve drunk in all the vineyard has to offer, there are many other sightseeing opportunities on the doorstep.
The brilliant International Bird of Prey Centre is just outside Newent. Time your visit to coincide with flying displays or book a half- or full-day falconry experience.
Gloucester has an architecturally splendid cathedral – and was the backdrop for scenes in the Harry Potter films and Doctor Who.
Trioscape Garden Centre at Highleadon has a great restaurant with home-made meals and cakes, and lots of treasures for the green-fingered.
Newent itself is a charming market town, with a pretty lake to walk around, and home to some unusual festivals. One of them is the Joe Meek Celebration, which takes place in October. The songwriter and producer, best known for the hit single Telstar, lived in the town, and there’s even a Blue Plaque to commemorate him.
Another event is the town’s celebrated Onion Fayre every September, which offers prizes for men and women who eat a raw onion the fastest.
If only there was an award for Herefordshire beef washed down with a Three Choirs red…