Situated on the edge of Topsham, just outside of Exeter, sits the beautiful Darts Farm Pebblebed Vineyard. The team at the vineyard is proud to be one of very few single estate producers in the country; with the vineyard and winery in one place and wines made from their own grapes. Their tours and tastings, which start in May, are led by Head Winemaker, Alex, who has been part of the Pebblebed team for over 10 years. The tours are a fantastic opportunity to discover more about the secrets behind crafting amazing English sparkling and still wine in the beautiful East Devon countryside. 

The 18-acre vineyard and traditional winery are situated on the farm, in the little village of Clyst St George, and sit on top of a unique geological formation known as the Budleigh Salterton pebble beds. This part of East Devon enjoys some of the highest hours of sunshine in the county, and the lowest rainfall, being in the rain shadow of Dartmoor and the Haldon Hills. This unique terroir, combined with Darts Farm's sustainable agriculture practices and traditional growing and harvesting techniques, helps them to craft award-winning sparkling and still Devon wines.

The first of the grapes to ripen, usually around the end of September, are the Rondo. These are used in Pebblebed's Red and Rosé still wines. By mid-October their Seyval Blanc grapes should be ready. They are the grapes used in Pebblebed's award-winning English sparkling and still white wines.

To craft their sparkling wines, Pebblebed uses the traditional champagne method, which involves bottle conditioning on the lees (fermenting) for several years to develop complex characteristics. Unlike mass-produced wines that strive to achieve an identical taste year on year, their batches of sparkling wines are crafted to reflect each growing season, to showcase the unique flavours of that particular year, making each batch extra special. They are currently on their 2018 vintage Sparkling Rosé and 2020 vintage Sparkling White. 2018 was a growing season regarded by some winemakers as a once in a century event, so be sure to try a bottle of this vintage whilst you can. The warm weather in 2020 saw the harvest start a few days earlier than usual, with the grapes coming in at slightly higher sugar levels and harvested in perfect weather conditions and the resulting sparkling is excellent. 

Tours of the picturesque Pebblebed Vineyards and award-winning winery are available on Thursdays and Saturdays between May and September. Enjoy a glass of Sparkling Rosé on arrival, before setting off with Head Winemaker, Alex, who will take you around the vineyard as he shares his knowledge on the vine varieties and growing grapes, and how these are affected by Devon's unique terroir. Visitors also tour the winery, learn about the processes involved in making different wines and enjoy a guided tasting of all five of Pebblebed's wines. This is followed by a delicious selection of British farmhouse cheese and artisan charcuterie from the Darts Farm deli counter, whilst looking out over the beautiful views of the vineyard.

Both the farm shop and vineyard are located just off of the Exe Estuary Cycle trail, making for a fun filled day out. For those looking to make their day extra special, head to Darts Farm's new restaurant, The Farm Table, after your tour, where you can enjoy seasonal produce sourced from their farm, local producers, farmers and fisherman and cooked over fire.

For further information on Pebblebed Vineyard and Darts Farm please visit www.dartsfarm.co.uk and follow Darts Farm on Facebook and Instagram.  Images available here.

Notes to editors (Pebblebed Vineyard):

· Vineyard tours are £30 per person for 2 hours (includes a glass of fizz on arrival, a wine tasting and a local cheese & charcuterie plate)

· Each year, the team welcome the local community to the vineyard for their iconic Community Harvest https://youtu.be/yUU6pAhmOZI  

Notes to editors (Darts Farm):

· In 1971, Ronald Dart set up a pioneering 'pick your own' business in Topsham, overlooking the beautiful Clyst Valley, just outside Exeter. Long before it became fashionable, he believed in selling his produce direct to the consumer and that we should eat what is in season and produced as locally as possible. 

· From humble beginnings, Darts Farm has grown & evolved into a unique, multi-award-winning destination over the past 25 years to become one of the most exciting shopping experiences in the country. Whilst remaining very much a family business, led by Ronald's 3 sons; with the retail having been created by Michael and James and brother Paul overseeing the farming operation. With the home-grown produce still sold directly to the consumer through the farm shop.

· The most award-winning farm shop in the UK; Darts Farm has been named 'Large Farm Shop of the Year' at the Farm Retail Association Awards a record-breaking 3 times (most recently in 2022), 'Local Hero' at the national Food & Travel Awards in 2023, 'Best South West Farm Shop' in the Taste of the West Awards 2018 and was crowned the Winner of the 'Best Farm Shop' at the Food Reader Awards in 2020.

· With over 17,000 visitors a week, Darts Farm prides itself on its exceptional customer experience and the warm, friendly atmosphere around the store, enhanced by the Dart brothers' hands-on management, family involvement and their passionate members of staff.

· With Ruby Red Devon cattle grazing in the fields, Paul Dart and his team harvest a wonderful selection of fresh fruit and vegetables daily, which are sold in the food hall and used by the restaurant in their delicious seasonal dishes.

· Darts Farm can be found overlooking the beautiful Clyst Valley in the picturesque town of Topsham, near Clyst St George, on the outskirts of Exeter in Devon (EX3 0QH)

For further information, photography or for an interview with Michael or James Dart, please contact: 

Kath Hope at RAW Food and Drink PR 

Email: kath@rawfoodanddrinkpr.co.uk  

Telephone: 07515 632089