Vineyard in the City


London doesn’t automatically spring to mind when one thinks of growing vines but the good folks from McGuigan Vineyards in Adelaide Hills, Australia have transplanted some to the heart of the City (check out the site here). The vineyard will be open for 3 days (July 9 -11) and admission is free, although there will be a Cellar Door Shop where you can purchase all the lovely wine you’ve sampled.

I think it’s a cool idea, transplanting a vineyard and giving people a taste of what it’s like to hang out with the grapes. The vineyard is situated  at the Broadgate Arena which is right next to Liverpool St. Station. The winemakers, Brian McGuigan, Neil McGuigan and James Evers have set up a miniature vineyard and will be around to answer questions, talk about the winemaking process and of course, give out samples of their wine. Due to strict quarantine regulations, the vines are not actually from Australia, but the winemakers were able to gather 80 50-year-old Sauvignon blanc vines from across Europe and plant them in London.
It’s a brilliant marketing tool and seeing as the Australians are rapidly losing marketshare here in the UK to other New World competitors, it’s great to see Aussie innovation  coming up with eye-catching ideas like this one.

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