London's vineyard - Forty Hall Vineyard

No, you’re not seeing things and you’re not going mad. There really is a vineyard in London. A 10 acre organic vineyard. Run and managed by local volunteering folk and is the very first commercial sale vineyard in London since around 1500AD. That’s HAMAZING.

Forty Hall Vineyard is the brainchild of Hackney resident Sarah Vaughan-Roberts and it produces and sells still and sparkling wines, which are knocking people’s socks off all over this fair land.

The vineyard is located on Forty Hall Farm in Enfield – a 170-acre organic, mixed farm and fast-growing local food hub. The farm has a variety of animals, including rare breeds, and also holds a thriving community orchard, a forest garden and a new market garden. The farm’s meat, vegetables and fruit are sold locally and seasonally.

The vineyard contributes to the farms’ aims of bringing together people from Enfield and across London to get involved in the growing, cooking and eating of all the amazing local food.

This wine is London wine. The grapes are grown here, the volunteers work the land here and even the manure used is made from garden waste collected from Londoner’s gardens and doorsteps.

And for the first time ever, following an excellent and high yielding harvest in 2015, they are excited to be able to sell their still white wines directly to the public this year!

I’m so proud. I propose a toast.

Chin chin.