Meet us & sample our wines at Hellens Garden Festival

When setting the table for a meal, it’s important for the overall ambience to get the placement of your wine glasses just right and it also helps guests navigate your table too. To the right of the water Wine etiquette says the wine glass should be positioned to the right of the water glass. This ensures each diner has their own glass, but it also allows the person pouring the wine during the meal, or any waiting staff, to have access to the glass more easily. Select your glassware Not sure what glasses to use? It’s vital to pick an appropriate glass for the wine you’re planning on serving. Glasses for red wine are generally bigger than white wine ones and are wider too. This gives the wine the chance to breathe and it also enhances flavour. But for white wines like ours, your glasses should be more petite and essentially narrower. This helps maintain the wine’s subtle aromas. Flutes for bubbles? Sparkling wines do their best in flutes. Their taller and slender shape is designed to preserve the bubbles. However, there is a trend for champagne coupes too. While these look great and have a 1920s nostalgia about them, coupes expose the champagne to more air because they are flatter and wider, and this allows the bubbles to disappear quickly. However, there is a school of thought that says the ideal glass for champagne may in fact be one that is V shaped, because this concentrates and shows off aromas as well as bubbles. Read more here .

We can picture the scene…the sun is out, the garden is looking very inviting, you’ve poured yourself a glass of our wine and you’re thinking about getting the BBQ out. Before you do, we’ve put together some top tips for safe barbecuing this summer: Keep those hands clean! The number one rule when it comes to touching food and raw meat, in particular, is always wash your hands before and after Ensure all meat is completely defrosted if you’re using frozen meat Keep raw and cooked meats separate from each other to avoid cross contamination Use a thermometer. It’s always a good idea to use a meat thermometer to ensure your burgers, sausages or chicken are cooked properly. Sometimes when BBQ-ing it’s misleading and items looked cooked, when in fact they’re not quite cooked through Part cook in the kitchen – there’s no shame in part cooking your food in the kitchen oven and finishing it off on the BBQ to ensure it’s properly done Make sure that all knives and cooking utensils are securely stored when not in use and regularly wipe down surfaces between use with a disinfected cloth Select the right wine. Yes, white wine can go well with BBQ food. In fact, there’s a special culinary harmony when our wines are blended with a BBQ experience. Give it a try! For outdoor quaffing on a summer’s day, or evening, our white wines should be served chilled, ideally between 7°C and 10°C. This gives the best flavour. This helps to emphasise the refreshing herbal and fruitiness, making them the perfect companions to the smokiness of BBQ dishes  Chill your wine with an ice bucket and pop the bottle into the bucket about 20 minutes before serving or keep it in the fridge and pour just before the food is served.

We’re throwing open our gates to visitors for a series of ‘Taste of Herefordshire’ tours and tastings as part of English Wine Week next month (Saturday, June 21 to Sunday, June 29, 2025). We’re hosting events on June 21, 22, 25, 27 and 28 to help raise awareness of the county’s wine producers and wine tourism opportunities. BOOK NOW here . Behind-the-scenes tours We’re delighted to be hosting these behind-the-scenes tours during English Wine Week 2025, which is organised by our industry body WineGB, and to give visitors the opportunity to try some of the wonderful wines we make here in Herefordshire. English wine is going from strength-to-strength. We’ve had some great production years recently including 2023, which was pretty near perfect in terms of the weather, the harvest and the number of bottles produced. Wine tourism 2024 proved a bit challenging with all the wet weather at the start of the year so it’s going to be interesting to see how we all fare in 2025, especially with the drier start to the year we’ve had so far.” WineGB’s ‘UK Wine Tourism in 2024 Report’ shows that visits to vineyards and wineries have risen by 55% and that vineyards and wineries are now actively involved in wine tourism. We’re very proud of the cultivation, land management and environmental practices we’ve implemented at our vineyard, as well as the award-winning wines we make and we’re looking forward to showing it to anyone who is interested in finding out more. Our awards We’ve been winning regional and national awards for our wines for many years and have a range of accolades from silver and bronze to highly commended from WineGB West going back to 2017. We were awarded with bronze medals in 2023 for both our 2021 Bacchus and Ortega wines from WineGB and a silver for our 2022 Ortega and our 2022 Bacchus at 2023’s WineGB West awards event, which was judged by industry experts including top wine journalist, Susy Atkins.” To enhance the celebrations, English Wine Week also coincides with the Summer Solstice, which falls on June 21. About our tours Every event takes place at our vineyard, nestled at the foot of the Malvern Hills. After walking through the vines and touring our site, guests can sit back and try our award-winning classic vintage English Bacchus and our wonderfully perfumed Ortega wines. The vineyard is a five-to-10-minute walk from our farm, so if anyone has any walking difficulties, but would like to come along, please get in touch with us direct before booking and we can discuss accommodating your needs. Dates & Times Our ‘Taste of Herefordshire’ tours and tastings are on: Saturday, June 21 from 3pm Sunday, June 22 from 3pm Wednesday, June 25 from 6pm Friday, June 27 from 6pm Saturday, June 28 from 3pm. How to book Each tour, which is priced at £5 per person, lasts approximately 90 minutes to two hours and includes the wine tasting. Tickets should be booked in advance via the store section here . Advance booking is required to guarantee a place

Planning an Easter weekend lunch or a sumptuous spring dinner? If you want to be sure your table looks the part, then here are a few handy hints:  Cover your table with a crisp plain linen tablecloth and contrasting napkins. If you go for a plain cloth, then you can change your table décor by using different coloured napkins and other accessories. It is easier on the purse to do this, and it also means you achieve a classic, stylish look effortlessly. Lay your placemats and put the main course knife and fork either side of each mat, then lay the starter cutlery outside this. Pop the dessert spoon above the fork with its handle to the right. Water glasses should be place above the knives with wine glasses above to the right. White wine glasses be placed to the right of the water goblets. Arrange fresh spring flowers as a centrepiece and add handwritten place cards for a personal touch. Make sure your floral arrangement isn’t too high so people can’t see or speak over it. Place napkins on the side of the fork.

If you’re looking for something different to try for a dinner party, how about giving ceviche of scallops a go and use our Bacchus white wine as an ingredient in the dish, as well as to serve with it. Scallops are still in season in the UK in April, so this might be a great addition to your Easter feasting plans too. Remember to take care when eating seafood and to buy your ingredients from a reputable shop. Always seek specialist advice from an experience fishmonger. Serves four people Ingredients 8 fresh scallops cleaned 200ml olive oil 25ml of our Bacchus white wine, also serve the dish with a glass 50ml vermouth Juice and zest of 1 lime Juice and zest of ½ lemon 1 shallot peeled and sliced 1 clove of garlic peeled sliced. Micro herbs Coriander, pea shoots or similar, parsley Herb oil 1 bunch of coriander 300ml olive oil Method Herb oil Wash thoroughly the coriander and dry on a cloth. Bring to the boil a pan of salted water and blanch the coriander for one minute and place into ice cold water until cold. Drain the coriander and squeeze out excess water pat dry. Place the blanched coriander into a food processor with the oil and blend for three-four minutes until the oil is bright green. Leave the oil to infuse for five minutes. Have a piece of cheese cloth and double it over. Place the cheese cloth under cold water until soaked, wring out the cloth. Place cloth into a fine sieve, make sure the cloth is double thickness. This will stop any sediment from the herbs straining through. Pour the oil into the cloth and leave to strain naturally. Once strained pour into a jar and chill. For the marinade Place the olive oil, wine, vermouth, lemon and lime juice into a mixing bowl and whisk together, add the garlic and shallot, season with salt and pepper. Leave at room temperature for at least one hour. For the scallops  Slice the scallops into four-six rounds depending on the size of the scallops. Season the scallops and place into the marinade for 10 minutes. The scallops will start to turn white once ready. Gently strain the scallops from the marinade and place onto a plate to drain. Check the seasoning and plate up the scallops. Spoon over a little of the ceviche marinade. Mix a selection of the herbs; season and place on top of the scallops, drizzle over the salad and scallops some of the coriander oil and serve.

Not only do we have an abundance of different British produce in this country for us all to enjoy, but by purchasing it there’s a bigger positive impact to be had too. Nutrition Eating seasonally is one of best ways of eating healthily. In season, fruit and vegetables contain the most nutrients and, luckily, English wine is perfect in all seasons! Backing the economy When you buy British, you are supporting to the economy around you. Many small producers, like us, would be unable to survive without the backing of those in the neighbourhood around them. Carbon footprint Buying closer to home reduces your mileage and, as a result, your impact on the environment. Traceability Buying our wine guarantees you’ll know exactly where your grapes were grown and who has picked and made it.

Ortega, pronounced or-TEG-a, is a variety of white grape that does well in cooler weather conditions, making it ideal to grow here in Herefordshire. How to serve Ortega To really appreciate the profile of an aromatic English Ortega like ours, it’s best to serve it cool and chilled. However, if it’s too cold though that’s not ideal, so make sure you don’t leave it in the fridge for too long. The perfect temperature is between 8-10°C (46-50°F). This assists with unlocking the fruity and floral aromas from the wine. If you’ve been keeping our Ortega at room temperature, then a brief 30-minutes in the fridge will be perfect. That’s just enough time to refresh it and not enough to suppress its lovely aromas. Remember not to use ice too! Choose your glass A decent-sized angular white wine glass is ideal. It will permit the floral notes to shine. Just desserts…and more Our Ortega is a versatile wine that is an excellent companion to many dishes both sweet and savoury. Its floral notes make it a perfect partner for desserts, particularly fruity ones. Go for something like an apple crumble or an apricot tart. The almost sweet nature of Ortega makes for a great pairing with Asian spices too. Try a glass when you next have Indian, Thai or Vietnamese cuisine. Its brightness means it goes very well with seafood and another perfect match is with milder cheeses as its fruitiness cuts through the creamy nature of the dairy product.

If you’re planning on hosting a special event this year and are wondering how to serve the wines you’ve chosen or are planning on selecting, please use our simple and easy guide below. How much wine will you need? Working out the quantity of wine you’ll for your event depends on several factors. They are: The type of event you are hosting How many people will be attending How long the event will last. Make sure you know how many guests you’re expecting and the type of wine you’ll need. Allow at least half a bottle of red and white wine per person for a corporate dinner. For a wedding reception or celebration where there’s a toast planned with sparkling wine, make sure you have allowed for more than one glass per guest to prevent disappointment. What glasses to use Glassware sets the tone and is essential when it comes to the enjoyment of the wine you’re serving. For sparkling wines, go for Champagne flutes, coupes or even a white wine glass so the bubbles are preserved and the aromas are allowed to breathe. Depending on the type of white or red wine you’ve chosen, will dictate your choice of glasses. For lighter and more delicate choices, a Burgundy glass is perfect. For medium to full-bodied wines, the classic Bordeaux glass is ideal. Get your serving temperature just right For a crisp and fresh drinking experience, serve non-vintage sparkling wine at around 6-8°C. To better showcase its complexity, a vintage sparkling wine or Champagne should be served slightly warmer than an ‘ordinary’ sparkling wine. Lighter-bodied white wines, like our wines, prefer to be served at a cooler temperature and fuller-bodied whites at a slightly warmer one – aim for somewhere between 7-13°C. It’s very similar for red wines, with the range running from 12-18°C. Fuller bodied red wines benefiting from being served a little bit warmer than others at around 16-18°C.

Bacchus, pronounced ‘back-us’ and named after the Roman god of wine and partying, is the perfect white grape variety Valen-wine drink. Why? Because it can elevate any meal you create at home into a celebration and it also goes well with lots of dishes. What’s it like? Our Bacchus is known for its aromatic and refreshing qualities and like other English versions of this wine, it’s similar to the well-loved Sauvignon Blanc. Why buy it? Bacchus is a credible English wine on the world stage and is well-respected globally, so it has plenty to recommend it. Plus, by buying it in the UK where it’s been produced, you’re actually helping to reduce your wine consuming carbon footprint, boosting the country’s economy and are backing British businesses. What dishes go well with our Bacchus Bacchus wines are pretty versatility when it comes to pairing them with food. Here are some suggestions for dishes to try: Go greens Bacchus pairs beautifully with fresh vegetables. If you’re after a vegetarian option or something light for your Valentine’s lunch, or evening meal, put together a fresh green salad, a light asparagus-based dish or go for something with extra herbs. Spice it up If you like your food hot, then a Bacchus wine will complement it. Its fruity profile works well with Mexican and Thai meals, harmonising bursts of fruitiness with the spice. Try this Thai fish cake recipe . Pop to the cheesemongers We’ve said it before, but we can’t over emphasise this – Bacchus and goat’s cheese are a match made in heaven. The tanginess of the cheese paired with the crispness of our wine is a delight and sure to wow your Valentine. How about giving a lovely goat’s cheese salad a go? Seafood success Another perfect pairing that we’ve often touted is seafood and Bacchus. It’s a love match! The wine is great with grilled fish, seared scallops or traditional fish and chips. Why do they work so well together? The richness of the seafood is cut through by the wine’s acidity and it’s divine. What’s not to love? We’re fans of Rick Stein’s seafood risotto recipe .