Wine growing and making inside the M25 in London
Hugh Thorn and Caroline, East London based wine makers.
Stomping the freshly picked Chardonnay grapes from Forty Hall Vineyard.
Forty Hall Vineyard is a social enterprise established on 10 acres of land in Enfield, north London.
The vineyard is run by Emma Lundie, head of operations and vineyard manager Chus Bartolome and a small team with the help of volunteers. The vineyard is established in 2011 and is the first commercial scale vineyard in London since the middle ages, producing English still and sparkling wines. Volunteers come in twice / week all year, but most come at harvest time when there is picking to be done. The year 2023 was a bumper year with almost 30 tons of grapes picked, the last ones were picked on the 11th of October. With that many grapes the vineyard was able to sell off some of the grapes to other wine makers, raising a much needed extra income. Situated on Capel Manor College's Forty Hall Farm, the vineyard is certified organic and dedicated to demonstrating environmentally sustainable farming and vine-growing practices.