Sharpham have been at the forefront of vine growing and English wine making for almost 30 years. Sharpham wines are widely recognised as some of the finest English wines. Each of their wines are stylish and offer intense fruit flavours and aromas, which are made from carefully selected grape varieties grown on sheltered slopes overlooking the River Dart in South Devon.
The vineyards at Sandridge Barton are mostly south facing and the salt water in the Dart estuary keeps the temperature 1 to 2 degrees higher than further inland (keeping frost to a minimum). Click to read more
Traditional and new world techniques are employed resulting in a range of distinctive and carefully balanced wines. Their spectacular awards tally includes Regional, National and International medals.
Sharpham wines have recently been bought by Sandridge Barton, who have been providing premium grapes to Sharpham for 25 years. The investment has seen the winery move to the opposite bank of the River Dart close to Stoke Gabriel and a new visitor centre is due to open in 2022.
As part of this change Ducan Schwab, previously Head Wine Maker, has taken on the mantel of CEO. “It is a very exciting time for Sharpham Winery. I feel Devon is fast becoming the new Burgundy of the UK. We are planting more Burgundy clones, our season offers the ideal cool climate, slow ripening long seasonal conditions and we are gaining a reputation of producing top quality red wines.”
Sharpham was in the first wave of modern English vineyards to get going after the demise of all commercial vineyards during World War II. It has been at the heart of the quality English wine industry for nearly 40 years.
Their first vineyard was planted in 1981 on the west bank of the River Dart on the Sharpham estate in South Devon.
A further vineyard was planted in 2008 on the east bank of the River Dart on the Sandridge Barton estate on a site carefully selected for having the best attributes for a vineyard. This vineyard has grown over the years and supplies the majority of grapes that go into Sharpham's premium English wines.
A new state of the art winery was been built for the production of Sharpham wine on the Sandridge Barton estate in 2021.
The cool climate of South Devon, England is enhanced by a consistent air flow from the River Dart and the proximity to the sea. This provides the vines with a long growing season which gently ripens the grapes, preserving wonderful fresh aromas and flavours.
