It is now over three years since Winbirri vineyard in Norfolk stunned the wine world when its 2015 Bacchus was declared the best single varietal wine in the world from 17,200 entries in the Decanter awards, the first time that an English still white wine has received such an accolade. That sort of thing if it ever happens is supposed to occur in the south of the country. But we all know that wine tasting competitions are a bit of a lottery so what has been happening since?
Last week I was in Norwich accompanying my wife at a Delia Smith food event and decided to grab a cab and go the six miles to Winbirri. I was just planning to buy a couple of bottles as it is the close season but was lucky enough to find Lee Dyer, the owner and winemaker ensconced in his office. I congratulated him on his 2019 Bacchus being voted that very week the second best white varietal under £20 in the Vivino ratings. It was beaten only by a 2019 Tabordet Pouilly-Fumé but he pointed out that if you look at the actual ratings – which I did – the Norfolk Bacchus had scored more points than the Pouilly-Fumé so should have been top. The algorithm must have had a headache.
This is but the latest top award Winbirri has won since its 2017 success. Hopefully this will continue. Lee says that this year’s crop will only be about 60% of normal because of bad weather earlier in the year but the quality is expected to be good thanks to an unexpectedly warm September and October not shared in the south. This is not surprising as the dryness of East Anglia has turned out to be ideal for Bacchus, now Britain’s best selling domestic white wine. It was introduced to England by Piers Greenwood of New Hall Vineyards in Essex after he had spent several years in Alscace learning the craft.
Something else really surprised me about my visit. Winbirri is rated #1 out of 136 things to do in Norwich by Tripadvisor with a five star rating. Nearly everyone reported that their visit was excellent. Yet – wait for it – hardly anyone I spoke to from an admittedly small sample in Norwich including high-ups in the Delia Smith organisation had even heard of it. Clearly most of the rave reviews had been coming from visitors from elsewhere. I have had similar experiences in other parts of the country. People often don’t know of vineyards close to them though usually not near main roads. UK vineyards still have a lot to play for.
Victor Keegan 