Rolling hills and soft valleys where rows of vines cascade down the lush terrain sound like an idyllic Tuscan scene. Yet, this landscape can be found in Chilham, Kent, and makes a perfect location for Domaine Evermond, the UK’s first subterranean winery.
Tour subterranean winery Domaine Evremond
The property itself takes its name from Charles de Saint-Evremond, an exiled French poet at the court of Charles II, and the first ambassador of Champagne in England. The wine estate was founded by two friends – Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger of Taittinger Champagne, and Patrick McGrath, a Master of Wine and founder of Hatch Mansfield – and is the realisation of their shared dream of creating a stunning English sparkling wine.
Domaine Evremond is a one-hour-ish train journey from London, but the drastic change in scenery from concrete buildings to soft greenery feels like arriving at a secret garden. The building itself is a venture in minimalism that allows its context to do the talking. Designed by French architect Giovanni Pace, the building is one elongated volume with a latticed façade, which opens into a bar area, a gift shop, and an elongated table at which to taste and discuss Domaine Evremond’s signature cuvée.
The cellar extends 23m into the ground, and stays at a cool 12°C year-round, the temperature maintained due to the chalk hillside. With consideration for resources in mind, all excavated material was repurposed, some used to line the winery’s wildflower-meadow roof which, come spring, will be the finishing touch to its integration into the landscape.
‘This is the first time Taittinger Champagne house has planted vines in the UK, which is a huge stamp in the quality of the land here and the opportunity to expand UK wines,’ says India McGrath director of sales, marketing, and communications.
The winery currently makes one signature sparkling wine, the Classic Cuvée. It is a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, which the team believes ‘expresses the heart and soul of Domaine Evremond’. The Kentish terrain of chalky soils and oceanic influence is translated through the wines’ mineral profile.
In future, the company will create a sparkling rosé, and will offer food-pairing experiences. For now, other than this being a stunning place to enjoy a glass of wine and take in the views, there are also two tasting tours.
The ‘Classic Cuvée tasting’ takes place at 11.30am, and includes a look at Domaine Evremond’s history as well as a dive into the profile of the wine, how it is made, and the impact it is having. The tour can be curated, depending on the guests, and the environment is intimate.
‘It is a really concentrated look at the wine. Guests can come away understanding and knowing our wine,’ says Jeremy Wilson, cellar door manager. ‘In the afternoon, we run a longer viticulture tour. We explore the vineyard and the varieties we have on site, and have a glass in the vineyard. We want to make it fun, sparkling wine should be fun. And if you don’t fancy a tour, enjoy a drink on the terrace with a glass or bottle and the view.’
To book a tour, visit domaineevremond.com
Domaine Evremond is located at :
Chalk Hill, Chilham, Canterbury CT4 8DT
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