Serving wine with finesse

Whether you’re a seasoned wine enthusiast or just beginning your journey into the world of wine, understanding the finer points of wine etiquette can elevate your experience. From how to hold a glass to the ideal serving temperature, here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about enjoying wine with style and sophistication. How should you hold a wine glass? The way you hold a wine glass says a lot about your appreciation for the drink. Always grip the stem delicately between your thumb, index and middle fingers. This not only prevents your hand from warming the wine but also adds a touch of elegance to your presentation. Holding the bowl of the glass is a common mistake that can affect the wine’s temperature and your overall experience. What’s the proper way to aerate red wine? Aerating red wine is essential for unlocking its full flavour profile. The best method is to use a wide-bottomed decanter. Pour the wine slowly into the decanter, allowing it to mix with air and release its aromas. This process softens tannins and enhances the wine’s complexity. While red wines benefit most from aeration, some white wines can also improve with a bit of breathing time. Does glassware really matter? Absolutely! The shape and size of your wine glass can significantly impact the taste and aroma. For example, red wine glasses typically have a larger bowl to allow for better aeration, while white wine glasses are narrower to preserve delicate aromas. Using the correct glassware ensures you get the most out of every sip. What is the ideal serving temperature for wine? Temperature plays a crucial role in how wine tastes. Red wines are best served slightly below room temperature, around 60–65°F (15–18°C). White wines, on the other hand, should be chilled to about 45–50°F (7–10°C). Proper storage and serving techniques help maintain these temperatures and preserve the wine’s intended flavor. Should you swirl your wine before drinking? Yes! Swirling your wine is more than just a stylish gesture – it helps release the wine’s bouquet, enhancing your sensory experience. This technique is especially useful for wines that have been decanted, as it allows them to breathe and reach their full potential.  Mastering these basics will not only improve your wine tasting skills but also add a layer of sophistication to your gatherings. Cheers to enjoying wine the refined way!

We’ve joined five other independent vineyards in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire to pool our experience, expertise and reputation for growing great grapes and making excellent wines (September 2025) . The Malvern Hills Vineyards Collectively, we will be known as The Malvern Hills Vineyards and together we grow 14 grape varieties across more than 68 acres. We’re delighted to be collaborating with these wonderful vineyards on this joint venture. Excellent wines Making excellent wines is going from strength to strength in our area and together we want to capitalise on this and ensure we make our joint name better known national and internationally. We’re working together to raise awareness and interest in our sector and have a wonderful new website where people can find out more here . Tremendous growth The wine industry in the UK is experiencing tremendous growth and we’re delighted to be part of this. The Malvern Hills Vineyards group includes us and Three Choirs, Chase End, Bromesberrow Place, Marlbank and Two Beacons. Deep roots The character and story of each vineyard is unique, but what we all have in common is people with a passion for the art and craft of viticulture, and a respect for the soils that nurtures their vines. Winemaking has very deep roots in the Malvern Hills – grapevines were grown in the area back in Roman times. Production 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. 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 year we’ve had so far. Wine tourism 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. Good terroir Martin Fowke, Managing Director at Three Choirs says: “We’ve been growing grapes at Three Choirs since 1973, when this was a very innovative thing to do. The terroir has always been good for vines, and the effects of climate change now mean that we regularly have excellent growing conditions. Changing climate “In that time, we have seen huge changes in the shape of the market, with food and accommodation complementing the tours and tastings. Today, we are seeing more and more interest and desire to understand how we grow grapes, how we manage sustainably the vineyard and the winemaking, and how the changing climate is affecting quality, choices and practices.” Marl soils The youngest vineyard in our Malvern Hills Vineyards collaboration is Marlbank, where Manager Jeremy Macklin has experience working closely with vineyards in France.  He says: “When I moved here in 2020, I discovered the marl soils were very similar to those in Burgundy, which produces excellent pinot noir grapes, so it was a bit of a ‘no-brainer’ to plant 1,500 pinot noir vines in a field where apples and pears used to grow.”

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As harvest approaches, we shift gears into full preparation mode. We pick by hand and every detail matters to ensure a smooth and successful harvest. Canopy management We start by tidying the canopy so the ripe, pickable fruit is clearly visible. Ground maintenance Our team clears the under-vine strip of weeds, so we can place crates directly beneath the vines without risking damage from tractors. Alleyways are mown to make movement easier for our pickers. Planning & coordination We meet to review yield estimates and lock in harvest dates. We book picking teams, winery slots, and transport early. Coordinating pickers, machines, winery, and logistics is a balancing act – constant communication and flexibility are key. We may even have to delay picking based on ripeness and weather. Hand-harvesting essentials We estimate around 50 kg of fruit per picker per hour. Crates are laid out the day before, and we ensure we have enough secateurs, buckets, gloves, and plasters, for everyone. Ground crew & palletising Each collection team includes a tractor driver and crate collectors. Everything is labelled, weighed and logged. Smooth logistics  Harvest is complex, but with careful planning and teamwork, it’s one of the most rewarding times of the year. We arrange everything ahead of time to ensure a smooth process from vineyard to winery.

We often get asked what dishes go well with our wines and have blogged about this subject. However, BBQs would never be the top of ours or your list of options, or so we thought… Grilled meats & veggies It’s commonly thought that grilled meats and vegetables, do not go well with wine white. But white wine should be there on your garden table, mixing with those smoky flavours. Why? It’s the smokiness itself, which comes from the charcoal used in the cooking, combined with the paprika and garlic in the marinades and rubs you may be using, that make white wine perfect for BBQs. Cutting through White wines can cut through the sweetness of BBQ sauces and provide a perfect contrast and balance to the palate. With vegetables an essential part of the BBQ offering, white wines also go brilliantly with any grilled vegetables – sweetcorn, courgettes and peppers. Light & versatile  In fact, white wines provide lightness making them a versatile option that won’t overpower the meal, while red wines might actually be too overwhelming for your BBQ food.

When you take your wine glass, it’s vital to hold it by the stem. This doesn’t just look sophisticated, it also stops you from warming up the wine too quickly with your hand. It’s also important for wine glass etiquette, to understand how to pair your glass with your wine – selecting the correct glass is key. Shape, aroma, flavour The shape can influence the aroma and flavour of your wine. Glasses for red wine are generally larger than white ones and are often wider too. This gives the wine the chance to breathe and enhances the flavour. But for white wines, such as ours, your glass should be smaller and narrower. This helps maintain the wine’s subtle aromas. Pour correctly To also boost your wine drinking experience, there are other things to consider. To start with, it’s essential to pour your wine properly – fill the glass about one-third full to allow the aromas to develop. Gentle swirl Gently swirling the wine can also release the aromas further.  By following our guide and giving wine glass etiquette the attention it needs, you can raise your wine drinking experience to a whole new level of pleasure and class.

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.

Visitors to Hellens Garden Festival this weekend (June 7 and 8, 2025) will be able to meet our team and taste our award-winning products while also helping fundraise for charity. We will be at Hellens Manor in Much Marcle on June 7 and 8 to offer visitors samples of our English wines made from the grapes grown on vines here in Bromsberrow. Sponsor & support Heather, who co-founded our vineyard with her partner Richard and is also Hereford-based Wyevale Nurseries’ Chairman, says: “It’s wonderful to be attending Hellens Garden Festival once again this year. Both Foxbury Fields and Wyevale Nurseries sponsor and support the event. Charities “The event fundraises for two very important charities in the area: St Michael’s Hospice based in Hereford and Back to the Wild (B2W), based at Hellen’s Manor, supporting young people and helping them to reconnect with themselves, others and the natural environment. Try wines “We’ll be offering anyone who comes along the opportunity to try our award-winning English wines and to chat to us about our vineyard, which is not far from Much Marcle. Tickets are on sale now and are only available in advance this year. About the festival “The theme for 2025’s Hellens Garden Festival is ‘MIGRATION – Growing Connections.’ From animals following ancient routes, to plants dispersing seeds and people seeking new opportunities, migration is a story of resilience, adaptation and connection. The weekend will be full of talks, demos and workshops that explore this theme and much, much more!” How to book tickets Book your tickets in advance here .