Wine and Food Tasting Experience

For a Christmas treat I was given a Wine and Food Tasting Experience at Denbies Wine Estate in the Surrey hills.  An old agricultural farm nestled in a valley of 250 acres in the Surrey hills and a short distance from the famous Box Hill.  It's a beautiful setting and the tour was very good, informative and enjoyable with a knowledgeable and friendly guide.

The tour started in the cinema where we learnt about the geology and history of the estate.  We then walked through the working winery where we could see the equipment used in today's wine production.  They were disgorging the sparkling wine whilst we were there.

The journey ended in the Denbie wine cellar where we were guided through a tasting of Denbies wine, paired with carefully selected local produce designed to enhance both the food and wine experience.

The tasting was three of their standard wines:-

Flint Valley - very dry and served with salmon.

Rose Hill - very pleasant and served with chicken

Surrey Gold - a little sweet and served with lemon tart or cheese and gooseberry chutney.

All very enjoyable and the nibbles with the wine were "nibbles" but they had paired them well with each of the wines.  It was interesting to see what the UK can produce in terms of wine.  Unfortunately, for Phil the UK is too cold for Merlot!!

It's great to see the wine trade thriving in the Surrey Hills and I would love to return and sample the sparkling wines with perhaps a walk around the vines when they have the grapes on.

A great place for lunch afterwards is The King William IV pub in Mickleham RH5 6EL.  This quirky old pub is tucked away up a narrow hill off the Leatherhead to Dorking road and it's quite easy to miss the turning, but it is certainly worth finding.  Park outside the Frascatis restaurant and walk 25 yards up Byttom Hill.  This old alehouse was built for Lord Beaverbrook's estate staff.  Phil enjoyed the beer from the Hogs Back Brewery and the food was delicious too.

"Surrey's best kept secret".