THE UK’s largest winemaker, Chapel Down, has put itself up for sale to raise £30million for more vineyards. The move comes amid a boom for English vineyards, with record grape harvests helped by increasingly warm and wet weather. 3 The UK’s largest winemaker, Chapel Down, has put itself up for sale to raise £30million for more vineyards 3 Chapel Down’s vineyard in Tenterden, Kent, produced 887,000 bottles from its Chardonnay, Bacchus and Pinot Noir grapes last year Credit: Alamy Chapel Down’s vineyard in Tenterden, Kent, shares the same chalky soil as France’s Champagne region and produced 887,000 bottles from its Chardonnay, Bacchus and Pinot Noir grapes last year.
The firm’s Brut Rosé, made from Pinot Noir grapes, was served for the Prince and Princess of Wales’ wedding in 2011. It also toasted victory against the French last year after a blind taste test of French wine drinkers crowned its sparkling wine better than Moët Champagne. Chapel Down aims to double its production by 2026 by buying more vineyards and opening a winery.
There are also plans to expand its visitor centre to create a English rival to wine tours in California’s Napa Valley. It comes after Chapel Down quit its other interests in gin and cider making and sold its Curious Brew beer business to focus solely on winemaking. It is not clear what any takeover will mean for the 6,000 investors who have bought shares in exchange for 25 per cent discounts on its wine purchases.
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