Local Wine Producer Wins Five Awards in Four Days

Swindon's closest vineyard, Poulton Hill, has won five awards in four days for its white, red, and sparkling wines.

Three of the award-winning wines are 2018 vintage when a hot, sunny summer led to the earliest grape harvest since 1982 and a bumper crop.

At the WineGB West Awards 2019, held at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester on September 10, Poulton Hill picked up three silver medals and one bronze.

There was a silver for the vineyard's first-ever medium white wine, the Arlington White 2018 – named after the famous row of cottages in Bibury – a silver for the Arlington Red NV 2018, another new wine, and a bronze for the Special Reserve White 2018, a Seyval Blanc / Phoenix blend.

The Bulari Sparkling White 2016 also won a silver at the WineGB West Awards and went on to pick up a silver medal in the Zesty & Zingy category at The World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly Awards 2019. The vineyard's sparkling wine is named after the Latin word Bullarum, meaning bubbles, celebrating Cirencester's Roman heritage. 

Vineyard managing director Tiléri Charles-Jones said: "Five awards in four days is an incredible achievement! We're absolutely delighted.

"In contrast to last year, we're still waiting to harvest the 2019 crop following a summer of inconsistent weather with one of the wettest Augusts on record. 

"We're thinning the canopy and fruit to help us reach the optimum ripeness, and have a team of harvesters on standby."

The 2018 wines – produced from last year's bumper harvest, which was the earliest and most bountiful in the UK since 1982 following a warm and sunny weather – went on sale in July. The 2016 Bulari was also released in time for summer drinking.

The three-hectare vineyard was established at Poulton, on the Wiltshire / Gloucestershire border, in 2010, and quickly established a reputation for producing award-winning wines.

The wines are available to buy from the vineyard direct at the Cellar Door at Poulton Hill Vineyard, Cirencester GL7 5JA, or via the website HERE!