Saturday 20th April 2024 was a fine morning with bright sun and a gentle breeze for the community vineyard group to gather for another work party, this time to raise the fruiting wires of the vines. The day was made all the better as the first wine from ‘An Fos’ (meaning The Wall in Cornish) Community Vineyard in Metherell was being distributed to members with great anticipation!
The wine is made from the Bacchus variety of grapes from vines planted back in 2016 by Alan Hunt who was part of Tamar Grow Local’s FarmStart scheme. Unfortunately in 2022 Alan needed to take a step back from the vineyard and Tamar Grow Local then supported a community group to take over management of the vineyard.
Following an open community meeting in summer 2022, a membership group was set up as a Community Supported Agriculture model group where households pay £50 per year membership to receive a share of the wine. With support of Marcus and his family from Tamar Valley Vineyard near Bere Alston, members have been learning the art of viticulture on community work days and getting the vineyard, vines and soils back into shape and into production.
The vineyard sits at the peak of the Cleave and Cotehele valleys in Metherell and is edged on the north side by a beautiful stone wall that would have acted as a windbreak historically to protect more delicate crops, most probably fruit trees.
In this photo of a similar windbreak wall at Bohetherick near Cotehele, the wall structure and design is nearly identical as the wall in the vineyard and note the espaliered fruit trees growing up against it. Unfortunately the vineyard wall is currently not in good shape, but more to come later on that!
In 2022, a meagre harvest of 96kg was picked by the group from the 37 rows of established vines, but in 2023 after the vineyard had had a good prune and more management of downy mildew, summer stripping of the leaves and keeping the grass mowed, a total harvest of 730kg was brought in and then made into wine at Marcus’s winery near Bere Alston. 270kg of the 2023 harvest were pinot noir grapes which are still in the winery being made into a sparkling rose which will be ready for first tastings in 2025.
Vineyard member Linda James has designed an initial label for the wine showing the vineyard’s namesake ‘An Fos’ with an abstract sketch of the wall with Kit Hill in the background reflecting the stunning view across the valley towards the local landmark.
Now that each member household has received their share of the harvest, there will be a very limited release of An Fos Bacchus for sale through Tamar Valley Food Hubs.
With fresh elderflower and citrus notes, it is a wine best enjoyed young and is delicious served chilled on a sunny Tamar Valley day!
As the vines are just coming into bud for the year, plans are afoot to rebuild the vineyard wall to its former glory, especially as it is the namesake of the wine! Thanks to a grant from the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme, the wall will be rebuilt as part of a stone-walling course taking place in June. There are still a handful of places available so if you’re interested in learning a new skill and heritage craft, do get involved! Once the wall has been restored, fruit trees will be grown along the wall with wild flowers and daffodils underplanted as well.
The vineyard group are always welcoming new members and gift memberships are also available! To try a bottle of this very special first release of ‘An Fos’ wine, have a look on the hub from this week - and it is available until it sells out!
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