You wait all year for a vineyard to come up for sale, and a pair of them appear in the space of a couple of weeks. On the heels of Bantham Vineyard in Devon coming on to the market earlier this month, at a very tempting £650,000, another opportunity to make your own wine emerges: Astley Vineyard, in Worcestershire.
It's rather more expensive at £2.1 million — but unlike the Devon contender, this vineyard comes with its own very lovely country house, complete with gloriously wacky name: The Crundles.
The Crundles (we'll never get tired of saying that) is a five-bedroom house set amid eight and a half acres of rolling countryside in one of the prettiest parts of England. It's built with traditional materials and blends in to the landscape, yet is a decidedly modern house with bespoke cabinets, parquet flooring and huge picture windows that bathe the living areas in light.
The winery is very much a going concern. The first vines were planted here half a century ago, and produce around 7,000 bottles a year, making mostly white wines, but also red (a Pinot Noir), some sparkling and vermouth. The production facilities are on site and included in the sale.
Yield does vary given the Worcestershire weather — at the time it was planted in 1971, it was reckoned to be among the most northerly vineyards in Europe, if not the world — but the wines have a good reputation, and have won many awards.
The house itself is lovely, with a partially upside-down layout that gives you a living space with huge balcony and wonderful views over the secluded, wooded area.
There is also a separate Stables house, with three bedrooms and a similar modern look.
And the size of the place — with its eight bedrooms — has a very important other aspect. At harvest time there's plenty of accommodation for friends and family, so you can call in all-hands to help bring in the grapes and create the newest vintage.
Astley Vineyard, in Worcestershire is for sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details.
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