Come see the vines being harvested

The time has come: the grapes here at Kingscote have reached “veraison”, which means they’re plump and ripe and ready to harvest.

It's been a cracking year, and we are excited to see the crops coming in. We’ll be harvesting by hand, collecting the grapes into big tubs in the Tithe Barn car park.

If you’d like to come and see the action, you can visit the estate seven days a week. We’re open for wine and light meals 10am – 3pm.

The grapes aren’t the only fruit ready to pick. The apples are ripening too, which means our thoughts are turning to cider. Or, more accurately, Kingscote Cyder.

Why do we call it that? It’s all to do with the method we use to make it.

Our high-quality cyder is made using the finest apples from our orchard and produced using the ‘Original Method’. This is sometimes called the 'Champagne Method’, although the technique predates the invention of Champagne.

The Original Method was first described by the English physician, Christopher Merrett, whose legacy and technique for creating sparkling wines has been adopted worldwide.

The result is a dry and crisp cyder that is much more refined and elegant, with subtle apple flavours and delicate bubbles. Kingscote Cyder is available to buy online, or in store at the Tithe Barn shop.