image: Jake Ludlam

Could you tell us about your background and how you became the Head Gardener at Tillingham Winery? What inspired your career in horticulture?

My background combines farming, vineyards, plants, zoology studies, and painting and photography on the creative side. To learn, I worked on several organic farms, livestock, and vegetables around the UK, NZ, and Canada.  Viticulture was an off-piste curiosity, but I love exploring and decided to learn that too – over in Hungary’s Tokaj region. A flower garden was installed at the winery there as well. In Covid, I came home but wanted to be amongst some vines, and the search led to Tillingham: new vineyards, the beginnings of a veg garden and hairy Hungarian pigs. Dream. My first week was spent planting new vines, and as soon as my veg growing credentials came forth, I was given keys to the Land Rover and creative freedom to bring production back to the old walled garden. Many flowers there too. 

What does a typical day look like for you here?

I take care of the livestock at Tillingham, including laying hens, Golden Guernsey goats, and Mangalica pigs. The day starts with feeding those, then coffee, followed by harvests and foraging, and then the repeat of watering, weeding, sowing, and planting. 

Tillingham Winery emphasises a ‘field to fork’ and sustainability ethos. How do you incorporate these principles into your gardening practices?

The kitchen garden is now in season three. This has given us time to improve the soil and refine our crops and communication! I want us to source as much from Tillingham land as possible: our lamb, charcuterie, foraged berries, elderflower, and soon honey, as well as a diverse succession of greens, roots, herbs, and edible flowers from the garden. We have space to play with, and ideas are constant. At the same time, we’re implementing different composting methods to ensure we return as much goodness from the kitchen to earth as possible. 

Can you share any specific sustainable gardening techniques or initiatives you’ve implemented at Tillingham?

The garden at Tillingham is organic and no-dig, which minimises damaging the soil structure. We make compost from kitchen waste, garden residue, and animal bedding. Wood chip compost and sheep’s wool mulch are our favourite tools. We’ve used methods such as additions from a Johnson Su bioreactor, biodynamic preparation BD500, Korean Natural Farming methods, and fermented plant teas. I also use a mixed cover crop for both soil and pollinators. The next feature is worm composting. 

The walled garden is a significant part of Tillingham’s charm. Can you tell us about its history and what makes it unique?

Tillingham’s kitchen is in a beautiful historic walled garden with an orchard, fig tree, glasshouses, three polytunnels, and approximately ¼ acres of beds. It’s approximately 15 minutes’ walk from the farm and wonderfully peaceful. I’ve tried to make sure the planting is not too formal and interspersed with as many flowers as I can grow. 

What types of produce do you grow in the walled garden, and how do you decide what to plant each season?

In winter, a plan is made for the following season: things we need more of or introducing new plants or varieties desired by the chefs.  A lot is going on as we approach the most abundant period. Today, we’re harvesting salad, kale, beets, fennel, courgettes, onions, beans, peas, basil, radish and blackcurrants.

What advice would you give someone seeking a career in horticulture or sustainable farming?

Most importantly, grow things at home and see what happens. I’ve worked with many farmers, interned on market gardens, vineyards, and gardens and on nature conservation projects. Everything connects. Events such as Groundswell and Oxford Real Farming conference are great for info and networking. Listening to speakers such as Nicole Masters and Mimi Casteel. And books: Dirt to Soil, One Straw Revolution, Third Plate, Entangled Life, and For the Love of Soil. 

How can visitors make the most of their trip to Tillingham Winery, especially in experiencing the gardens and outdoor spaces?

The estate is relatively compact and beautiful in every corner. My favourite spot is a glass of wine down at the viewing platform before sunset (there’s also a bluebell wood and wild garlic carpet in that direction in Spring). Misty early mornings in the walled garden are also stunning, and that could combine with a very scenic walk to Rye.

What makes Tillingham, Tillingham?

For these three years, I’ve been surrounded by wonderfully skilful people—farmers, chefs, winemakers, hosts, gardeners, florists… This diversity and commitment function together in a stunning spot tucked at the end of a narrow Sussex country lane: Tillingham.

Discover Tillingham 

NAME: Pinot Gris
ESTATE: Tillingham Wines Ltd.
VINTAGE: 2023
ABV: 10.4%
GRAPES: 100% Pinot Gris
TECHSHEET

For a deeper dive on the new 2023 Vintage Launch, Read the Interview with Head of Wine Tierney Beames

image: Susan Bell

We’re excited about the launch of our 2023 vintage this month. Can you tell us what makes this vintage special? 

A new winemaker is always an exciting moment. It’s a chance to reset, while respecting the foundations of what came before. 2023 also marked the tipping point of our vineyards maturing. A vine produces a little more fruit each year, up until it matures at around 8 years old. We’ve always supplemented the estate fruit with fruit bought in from other English growers. We did buy some in 2023, but it was the first time we had a majority of our own – 50 tonnes from Tillingham and 20 bought in. It’s at the mercy of the seasons, but I hope in 2024 it will all be estate fruit.

What were some of the unique challenges and highlights you experienced during the production of the 2023 vintage? 

2023 was an unusual year weather wise. Perfect conditions through May and June meant pollination was very successful and then rain through July and August meant heavy fruit set. This backwards summer led to 2023 being the biggest grape harvest ever on record in the UK. We had 35% more fruit to pick than we had forecast so it felt like a very long harvest! It was a relief once we’d made it through.

Tillingham is known for its diverse range of natural wines. How do you decide which varieties to produce each year? 

There are 21 varieties planted across the site, which is a much broader palate to work from than most vineyards in the UK. Probably the world really! Mas de Daumas Gassac are probably level pegging… Whilst a bit of a puzzle, it does give us a lot of options. Aromatic varieties for our white blend, classic varieties that can adapt with the vintage to go into still or sparkling, white, rosé or red. We go into harvest with a plan, but it’s really about letting the fruit lead the way based on taste and ripeness. 

Are there any new or experimental wines you are particularly excited about?

We have one Qvevri wine from the 2023 vintage that is lovely. It’s an Ortega with no skin contact, so you really get a sense of the effect of the clay on the wine. Some of the same juice went into steel, and through fermentation we were regularly tasting the vessels. They ended up as two vastly different wines, the only difference being the fermentation vessel, which was really cool to see. 2023 was also the first year we took a sizable harvest of Gamay and Pineau d’Aunis from our vineyards, some of which went into a wine called R which I’m a big fan of. I’m excited to see how those varieties perform this year.

What should visitors expect when they come for a wine tasting at Tillingham? Are there any particular wines or experiences you recommend?

Try something you haven’t had before and ask questions about why it is the way it is. We’ll have some interesting skin contact (orange/amber) wines coming out in the coming months which are great to try if you aren’t familiar. Our wine tours are fairly relaxed, but the most informative way to learn about the farm and get stuck into the wines.

Can you share some tips for those new to natural wines on how to best appreciate their unique characteristics? Natural wine should be a method and not a style so they come in many different guises. You might be used to wine being sparkly clear – what’s in your glass might be cloudy, but is it delicious? It’s about being open minded, but led by your senses. Taste as much as possible. If you find something you like (or don’t!) ask your friendly local wine nerd to recommend something different and you’ll quite quickly start to build your palate. Learn about faults – brett, mouse, VA – so you can pick out a well made natural wine.

Where do you draw your inspiration from in your wine making? Are there any winemakers, regions, or practices that particularly influence your work? 

I love wines that are understated, yet have complexity. I’m not generally a fan of bombastic flavours in wine. It may be a bit of a wine cliché, but the Loire Valley was a good jumping off point – Catherine & Pierre Breton come to mind… Stoic in producing solid natural wines. I love alpine wines – the Savoie. Wines with a story, and importance in cultural history. The lengths people go to keep making it. Whilst perhaps not particularly trendy, a bottle of 2003 Chateau Musar from Lebanon captured my imagination early on.

What has been the most rewarding part of your role as Head of Wine at Tillingham Winery?

Seeing the wines labelled and heading out into the wild. So so much goes on behind the scenes to get to that point that it’s great to see people enjoying the wines when they’re finally released.

In your opinion, what makes Tillingham Winery’s wines unique and special? 

There is experimentation in our DNA. Our focus has been on still wines, not sparkling, which makes us an outlier in the UK wine industry. When you’re in a sometimes challenging climate (for growing grapes) such as in England, that forces innovation when choosing your styles outside of traditional method sparkling. Having an open mind is surprisingly rare in the world of wine.

Is there anything else you’d like to share about the winery, the wines, or your role that our readers would find interesting? We get asked a lot about our labels! They are designed by Kellenberger-White and I think really nicely frame the aesthetic of Tillingham and our approach to the wines. 

What makes Tillingham, Tillingham?

Whilst the wine is the starting point for everything we do, when you visit Tillingham it’s about more than that. Having access to nature and being in a beautiful setting.

To find out more about the Tillingham wine making process, why not book a Tour & Tasting with us? Bookings here

JUNE 2024

To celebrate English Wine Week this month and the launch of our 2023 Vintage, we have introduced two wine flights on the bar this month for our guests to enjoy:

Tillingham Still Wine Flight

Endgrain 2023
Elderflower, lime and fresh gooseberry fruit aromatics on the nose, reflected on the palate with a mouth watering
linear acidity. Crisp & dry. 45% Bacchus, 26% Auxerrois, 12% Ortega, 12% Siegerebbe, 5% Schönburger. All varieties
were whole bunch pressed, with the Bacchus being pressed over the Siegerebbe and Schönburger skins, before all
fermenting separately in stainless steel.

Rosé 2023
A bright and refreshing rosé. English hedgerow flowers and summer fruit fromage frais. A long and elegant finish,
this wine is calling out for those sunnier days. When we get them… 97% Pinot Noir, 3% Bacchus. Pinot Noir from our
Saw Pit and Phipps vineyards. 40% press juice to enhance the aromatics and 60% cuvée for freshness. The Bacchus
was whole bunch pressed. All were spontaneous fermentations in stainless steel.

R 2023
Vivid juicy berry fruit aromatics and a herbaceous edge, typical of a whole bunch fermentation. Light peppery
tannins that encourage another sip, this wine lends itself well to being served with a slight chill. 71% Regent, 16%
Gamay/Pineau d’Aunis, 13% Dornfelder. Carbonic maceration Regent in concrete. The Dornfelder was part whole
bunch, part crushed and destemmed. The Gamay and Pineau d’Aunis were crushed and destemmed and co-fermented
on skins for a week before being pressed to concrete. Blended and bottled after 5 months.

Tillingham Sparkling Wine-Flight

Traditional Method 2018 – from Magnum
Pale gold in appearance. Brioche and melon on the nose. Gentle perlage leads into a generous, round palate, with a
saline, fresh citrus character. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were whole bunch pressed, 20% of which was fermented
and aged in old oak barrels and the rest fermented and aged in stainless steel. Blended and bottled in July 2019
with an addition of 20g/l of sugar and champagne yeast. Disgorged on 9 February 2020 with zero dosage.

Col’22
Col is short for Col Fondo, the Italian term which describes the ancestral method of re-fermentation in the bottle
without disgorgement. This wine is a blend of 48% Auxerrois and 52% Serval Blanc that were whole bunch pressed
and fermented in stainless steel tank. Fermented to dryness then aged on gross lees for eight months before
bottling with a small amount of sugar to re-ferment in bottle. Hazy, pale green gold in appearance. Salty lemon and
floral green apple aromas lead to a zippy palate. Bright and slightly creamy with good length and grip.

One Hundred 2022
Rose gold in appearance, with aromas of magnolia and baked quince. Gentle bubbles and balanced acidity elevate the
palate, which has hints of apple and citrus zest. Pinot Noir rosé from stainless steel tank was blended with fresh
organic apple juice and re-fermented in bottle.

Vintage Report 2022

The year got off to an early start with buds swelling in late March, with Chardonnay bursting bud by 3rd of April. Frosts were mercifully light in number and severity. Flowering went smoothly, a stuttering start but finished well: very early flowering varieties suffered a little with uneven pollination due to some showers and colder days, but on the whole flowering weather was favourable. The vintage was defined however by unprecedented drought, through June, July and August there was very little rain and looking at the bunches when we came to harvest, in areas where there was less topsoil, we saw some bunches aborting or not filling out at all. Based on comparative bunch weights from good blocks our bunch weights were 30% down. Areas where there was drought stress also coincided with some disease incidence, with some small, isolated outbreaks of powdery mildew. Heartbreakingly just before harvest, there were some significant losses of Ortega to birds, wasps and badgers, one theory I have heard is that this could be a symptom perhaps of vines in stress producing more simple (and moreish) sugars.

Overall I have been really excited to see the quality of the varieties across the 6 blocks of vineyards we have here. An exciting window into what lies ahead here at Tillingham. Bear in mind that in our previous two vintages we have only had enough fruit to make field blends, never enough of one variety to vinify it on its own. Our production this year was 20 tonnes, and plenty of volume of our major varieties such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, so plenty of red and white and rosé from those three. Also the first time we have seen meaningful amounts of more experimental grapes such as Gamay and Pineau d’Aunis. Initial indications are very positive.

We bought in another 35 tonnes, largely from our main growers in Essex and Suffolk. Quality here was very high, some of the Essex fruit was significantly lighter than anticipated, again due to drought stress. While in Suffolk the yields were only slightly below what was expected.

As with 2020, the lower acidity across the board has meant that traditional method sparkling will represent only 7% of production. Interestingly, a lot more red wine than we’ve ever made before, with around seven wines in total. Skin contact whites have been less of a feature this year due to, a lack of availability of suitable grapes and my own personal taste changing, meaning we will be making more delicate and pristine whites. Looking at what we have in tank, barrel and qvevri etc, its  looking like there’s a good 20 individual wines to come, among them nine originating from our own soils.

I’ll sign off with a thank you to all of those here amongst our ranks that have helped throughout the year and to all those who support us and continue to make it all possible. You know who you are.

BW 02.11.2022