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Vineyard marks 40th birthday with first US exports

BBC Owners Lisa and Clive Vickers at Halfpenny Green vineyardBBC
Lisa and Clive Vickers are the second generation of the family to run Halfpenny Green vineyard
  • The Halfpenny Green vineyard opened in 1983 on the Staffordshire-Shropshire border
  • The site started with half an acre of vines, before opening to the public six years later
  • It is now 60 times bigger, with a restaurant and shop
  • The vineyard is celebrating its first sales to the United States in its anniversary year

A family-run wine estate is celebrating four decades in the business with its first transatlantic exports.

A pallet of wine from Halfpenny Green will be sent to California this month.

Founder Martin Vickers planted half an acre of vines with his son Clive in 1983, before opening the vineyard to the public in 1989.

The estate on the Staffordshire-Shropshire border now spans almost 30 acres, including a restaurant, farm shop and wine-tasting facility.

When it opened, the vineyard was the only one of its kind in the area, but English wines have become increasingly popular, and industry body Wine GB said the area devoted to growing wine grapes has quadrupled this century.

Halfpenny Green is also releasing two new wines to mark the anniversary, a sparkling wine and an oak-aged Solaris.

"The production of the sparkling wine began in 2013 specifically for its release on its 10th anniversary and the business's 40th anniversary," Mr Vickers said.

Vines in the field surrounding the tasting room
The estate now stretches to 30 acres

This year, the estate has seen its largest crop to date, producing more than 600,000 bottles of wine.

Current owner and head wine maker Clive Vickers credited hot weather in May and June, and warm temperatures until September, for the "high quality and high quantity crop".

He also said the location of the vineyard, with south-facing slopes, good shelter and drainage, had played its part.

Emily Vickers with father Clive
Emily Vickers is among the third generation of the family to be involved in its running

A third generation of the Vickers family is now working at the vineyard, with 18-year-old Emily Vickers working in the lab to test quality alcohol content.

Clive Vickers said: "My dad is delighted that his grandchildren will be involved with the winery in the future.

"We want to keep the family feel to the business."

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