Category: Top

Posted on by

MV Winery 10th Anniversary and 2023 Harvest on ‘This is Alfred’ Radio

Sarah English from This Is Alfred radio interviews Clare on the double anniversary of M V Winery and this years potential bumper crop and harvesting!
Email us if you want to join in as a volunteer for this years harvest which is starting any day now in September!

Listen to interview here at c.16.34 mins into the programme.

The Alfred Daily – 9th September 2023

 

About Us

 

Melbury Vale

 

Melbury Vale farm was purchased in December 2003, by sister and brother, Clare and Glynn as 28 acres of derelict farmland and buildings, formerly part of Barfoot Farm, near to Melbury Mill and Cann Mill. They have lovingly converted the older farm buildings and restored the land into agricultural use with  much determination, hard work, help and support from friends and family, to make it a thriving business.


 

 

The vineyard was manually planted in 2006 with family and friends who volunteered to help. Clare’s vision to build the winery followed later, after the first wine produced won a silver medal.  The winery was nominated for a design award for its clever use of the rolling hillside terrain and won government rural development funding for it’s sustainable features.

 

The Location

Clare, winemaker and distiller, now runs the winery and vineyard business, that has evolved over 18 years. This also includes a small cider orchard and 2 cedar lodges each sleeping up to 6 people; keeping the experience exclusive. Perfect for those small groups of friends and family that want to get together for a relaxed and peaceful break.
The views over the rolling, green Melbury hillside, along the Stirkel Valley and up to the Melbury Vale vineyard are stunning, as are the sunrises, sunsets and the wide range of wildlfe that regularly visit us.
Situated on the edge of the Dorset ‘Dark Skies’, star gazing on a clear night is a must, whilst listening to the river running in the valley below and sipping an Aromatised wine or a glass of something chilled from the Melbury Vale range.

Winery building

The on-site winery was completed and in production for 2013. It is built into the hillside with a number of sustainable design features; including wild flower meadow roof and rain water harvesting.
Whilst constructed by a local building firm, part of its fit out was undertaken through a Prisoner Rehabilitation scheme that Clare helped to set up,  originally to help with managing the vineyard. For those with skills in various trades that helped, employment references and work portfolios were provided for when they returned to work.
Enquiries for new vineyards planted in the area have been numerous, with 1,000s of new vines already planted locally in response to the winery appearing and more still being planted nearby today.
Melbury Vale now also distils its own wine and makes liqueurs, brandy and aromatised wines – our unique blends, ready to drink, for any occasion!

 

Melbury Vale Vineyard

Vineyard Tours - Picture

Melbury Vale Vineyard, planted in 2006, is located just off the A350, on Foots Hill, about  1.5 miles south of Shaftesbury at Cann Bridge. We are a small, family owned, rural business, situated on a south-facing, rolling hillside in the beautiful Stirkel Valley, renowned for its milling history.

Our sustainable winery, built in 2013, is adjacent to the Melbury Vale vineyard, where wine, liqueur, brandy and cider production now takes place from our on site and associated sister vineyards in Dorset.

You can visit us by prior appointment, or arrange a private group event at the winery to taste our products, or simply order from our online shop directly for collection from the winery.

Please browse our website; keep up to date with our latest news and please do feel free to contact us for any further information that you may require, we would be delighted to help.

Our Wines – About Us