Producer · England, United Kingdom

Thorrington Mill

Thorrington Mill is an Essex vineyard about three miles from the North Sea. Mark and Polly Baines planted it in 2018 after taking on the family farm, and named it after the local tide mill, one of only three still working in the country.

Here a freshwater brook meets the salty water of Alresford Creek. That keeps the temperature steady and cuts the risk of frost, which is great for cool-climate grapes. They have 12 acres of vines, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Bacchus, growing on sandy clay and gravel on sunny south-facing slopes, so the fruit ripens slowly.

All the work is by hand. Shropshire sheep keep the grass down between the rows.

Pinot Noir and Bacchus · £27.99 a bottle