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Sascombe Vineyards is a 12-acre organic site, which produces organic dessert-style wines. It is situated in the beautiful Suffolk countryside just 12 miles east of Cambridge. The vineyard 'carbon-neutral'. It has a wind turbine and solar panels to generate its electricity and uses its own well water.
Wines from this vineyard are only available wholesale.
What is organic wine?
"At its simplest, organically produced wine means using the most natural ingredients possible." - Tony Mason from The Organic Wine Company
Growing the grapes
Organic producers follow practices designed to yield that natural product we all expect wine to be. Vine species are selected for better disease-resistance and character, rather than maximum yield.Mature plant and animal manures, often combined with the vine prunings, are the only fertilizers permitted and combine this with acting as a mulch.
Many growers plant crops between the vines, and quite often, these are turned into the soil to enrich it still further.
These methods encourage the roots to grow deeper. The complexity in the wine comes from this root penetration of several layers of earth. No herbicides or pesticides are permitted.
Making the wine
Making the wine is still an art form. No artificial yeasts are used. Instead, organic wine depends on the wild yeasts which form naturally on the grapes, but which would have been destroyed by chemicals. Most wines rely on Sulphur Dioxide for stability, but organic producers use far less - typically, less than 20% of the maximum amount permitted by the regulations, for example. This has an attractive side effect - the "morning after" feeling is much reduced - so you can drink more!
Traditional methods are employed to clarify the wine, rather than modern factory techniques. The reliance is on the skill of the cellar-master; the art of wine making is knowing when to leave well alone. The results are richer, more complex wines, with more interesting tastes."
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