Calancombe Estate Vineyard, Winery and Distillery Opens to Visitors
- The South Devon ‘Calancombe Estate Vineyard, Winery and Distillery‘ opened to visitors on 21 June 2021
Situated in the tranquil and picturesque valley of Witchcombe, near Modbury in South Devon, the Calancombe Estate has established 30 acres of vineyards and orchards dedicated to making the best possible wines, fine sparkling cyders and fruit liqueurs. It is also the home of the multiple award winning Dartmouth Distillery Company that produces Dartmouth English Gin, Craft Gin of the Year, 2018.
Owners, Lance and Caroline Whitehead began by planting around 6,000 Pinot Noir vines in 2012, and Bacchus, Madeleine Angevine, Pinot Gris, Ortega and Chardonnay have followed in successive years. Today, all 23,000 vines are productive, along with 1,000 traditional West Country cider apple trees, soft fruit trees and blackcurrants, for Cassis.
The Estate will open to visitors on 21 June 2021 for tours of the vineyards and orchards, with spectacular views from the coast to Dartmoor. Visitors will be welcome to visit the winery and meet Olly Shaw, Head Winemaker, to learn about Calancombe Estate’s wine making process and to taste the range of still and sparkling wines. The licenced visitor centre and café will offer refreshments and light meals, and visitors will be able to buy the full range of produce from the shop.
Caroline will host wine masterclasses, and Lance will run gin cocktail masterclasses, and the gin school. Later in the year, visitors will have the opportunity to attend a range of rural skills courses, including bee keeping and fruit tree grafting and pruning.
