CORSTON VINEYARD ESTATE
(MINERVA WINE)
A truly unique discovery, Corston Vineyard Estate, producers of Minerva Wine, uphold the legacy left by Romans who initially cultivated vines in their very fields following their invasion of Britain in AD 43. The company has leveraged the distinctive geology of the region, resulting in stand out wines. The secret to their success lies in the geothermal heating that occurs when rainwater falls on the Carboniferous Limestone outcrop in the Mendip Hills – this water then descends to great depths in the Radstock Basin before rising beneath Bath, breaking through the aquiclude formed by the Mesozoic rocks. This rare geology gives the wines their unparalleled flavour profile, as we found. Encouraged by Eddie, we tried the Minerva Sparkling Wine (2019 vintage) – absolutely excellent.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
KINGSMEAD STREET BOTTLE
We visited the stand of the Kingsmead Street Bottle and sampled the lovely cheeses on display. The Westcombe Cheddar was delicious, a perfect complement to their range of beers (all available in 3 and 6 beer gift packs).
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
EXETER GIN
We were also delighted to discover Exeter Gin – the creation of a city gin by a family who value Exeter’s heritage. Born from listening to customers at the family run pop up gin bar, and realising there was a demand for an Exeter gin but no source of supply, Karen and her team stepped up to the mark. From this beginning the company has grown into a multi-product, multi award winning business which now includes rum as well as gin ranges.
We sampled the Exeter Gin, a juniper rich London Dry much admired by Great British Food Awards Judge, Olly Smith. A big kick with an amazing flavour combination.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
