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Gathered amongst the vines of our Portscatho vineyard, we welcomed friends of Knightor to The Vine for a night of fine food and frivolity. In a location set away from the bustling crowds, our new Cornish foodie destination has been created to embrace escapism and celebrate rustic dining. Championing the notion of smaller, sharing plates, the event consisted of big flavours, good conversation and competitive garden games all set against the coastal backdrop.  Giant Jenga and the more traditional activities including Smite and Cornhole provided the entertainment and forged new friendships (or rivalries!) as the sun began to set. Once the food was served, groups convened around the warmth of the fire pit and whiled away the evening in good spirits. A condensed version of the menu was on offer, including our signature fried chicken in garlic and herb buttermilk with keta caviar which certainly proved to be a popular choice. Executive head chef Gavin Allan, who played the role of host for the night, explains that, “it was great to get feedback on what we have created here at The Vine. Our Portscatho Vineyard is so peaceful and quiet, and it has long been home to a giant barn that we used to use for one off events. We realised that it was ripe to turn into a laid back dining experience - a space where everyone can enjoy the very best of Cornwall.”  Alongside our local produce, we are passionate about promoting Cornish brands and accompanying our range of signature wines are an array of local drinks. Keeping everyone hydrated at The Vine is a selection from Tarquins, 8Track Rum, Verdant Brewing and Navas tonics. We are delighted to open the doors to The Vine and look forward to showcasing our relaxing experience this summer.       SOME NEWS! Next week is English Wine Week and we are celebrating but running two extra Winery Tours here at the winery. These will run at 12pm and 2pm on Saturday 26th June.  Our Sunday Winery Tours are fully booked until the end of July, with only some spaces remaining on the 18th July.
Our tours start with a guided tour through the display vines, discussing the varieties grown in this country as well as those from other regions around the world, with tips on how to grow your own. This is followed by a peek into the winery for a brief introduction to how wine is made, and finally a tasting. Tickets are £15pp and include a wine tasting of 4 wines. You can book either by giving us a call on 01726 851101 or buying your tickets online below: Without a doubt, 2020 threw us all some curveballs! But being in the business of making wine, we made sure we got stuck in and kept on going! From a 'seemingly as normal' start with promising spring, to a year to navigating what a lockdown meant for us as a business and for our wine production, we had to learn and grow very quickly. We asked David, our winemaker, to share some of his year with you and this is his 2020 story. Growing season and vintage The growing season for 2020 was short and fast. February was wet, but things changed as we got in to March. As I am sure many will remember, Spring was beautiful with what seemed almost endless sunshine and warmth, perfect weather to bring budburst on in the vineyards and for us in Cornwall, little frost risk with relatively mild nights. We could only think that with such good weather early on in the year, what would the rest of the year hold? Surely it wouldn't be as good would it?! The vines put growth on quickly in the favourable conditions and flowering occurred earlier than usual, but the weather the couple of weeks prior to flowering [June] and during flowering for many varieties was a little cooler than average and dull. This resulted in mixed results when flowering did occur, most varieties suffering with poor fruit set. Early Summer was mixed, a little downy mildew was spotted in the vineyard and weather continued slightly changeable. Eventually relatively warm dry weather won out. Harvest was the earliest we have ever witnessed, with most of the grapes being picked in September. The majority of the crop was picked before the heavy rains in October. Crops were very light, but quality across the board was very high. With higher than typical sugar levels whilst still retaining acidity. A year of new ideas and innovation. Summer was excellent and we welcomed many of you to our pop ups, wine shop and tastings, albeit socially distanced with the continued limited numbers in shop, for tastings and tours. The quiet periods during the year have been great for experimenting and playing around with various ideas. After lots of trial, error and caramel making, we finally came up with a Rosso Vermouth that we are really pleased with. The first batch was bottled and released mid 2020 to complete our Vermouth collection. 2020 was different in all regards, with the spring restrictions meaning we bottled the 2019 wines later than usual, with many new varietals not being released until late 2020.
Looking to 2021
From the 2020 harvest there are a number of wines that look like standouts so far. The Pinot noir in general was exceptional, both the Pinot Noir rosé and red Pinot look super. In addition to this, we should have the return of our Merlot Cabernet blend, 2 barrels of highly concentrated, rich red, but a little patience will be required as release is expected late 2021! |
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Knightor Winery, Trethurgy, Cornwall, PL26 8YQ
The Vine by Knightor, Portscatho, Cornwall, TR2 5EH Find Us Call us Email us Our History |
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OPENING TIMES
Wine Shop & Tastings: Wednesday - Saturday 11am - 4pm & Sunday 1pm - 4pm Sunday Lunch served 12pm - 3pm Wine, Vermouth & gift vouchers 24/7 - visit our online store here Wedding viewings please arrange via weddings@knightor.com The Vine by Knightor: Thursday - Sunday 12pm - 9pm
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Please note Knightor is a working winery and old farmstead so there are areas of rough ground, uneven levels and steps and thresholds to be negotiated. Visitors and guests need to wear appropriate footwear and take extra care.
This project is supported by the Rural Development Programme for England, for which Defra is the Managing Authority, part financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas.
Privacy Notice | Refund Policy
This project is supported by the Rural Development Programme for England, for which Defra is the Managing Authority, part financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas.
Privacy Notice | Refund Policy