Fairmile Vineyard Henley-on-Thames is proud to continue the long heritage of English viticulture which dates back to the Romans some 2000 years ago. In 2011, local couple Jan and Anthea Mirkowski recognised that the foothills of the Chilterns on the outskirts of Henley would provide the ideal terrain and microclimate for viticulture. The steep south-facing slope helps vines capture the most sunlight – in fact 30% more sunlight during October, when the grapes are in berry, and the sun low on the horizon, than if the vines were planted on level ground. The slope also causes Spring frosts (being denser than warm air) to fall downhill away from the delicate buds, whilst sufficient air movements along the valley carry away excess humidity, reducing the chance of fungal attack by mildew. Vines prefer well-drained soil, and Fairmile Vineyard lies on the same flinty chalky marl that stretches across South-East England to the white cliffs of Dover, then under the Channel into Northern France.

Henley-on-Thames even has a similar climate to Northern France, whose capital of the Champagne Region, Epernay, lies just 150miles south in latitude....

Fairmile Vineyard Henley-on-Thames is proud to continue the long heritage of English viticulture which dates back to the Romans some 2000 years ago. In 2011, local couple Jan and Anthea Mirkowski recognised that the foothills of the Chilterns on the outskirts of Henley would provide the ideal terrain and microclimate...