 We will add press info as it happens;
January 20th 2007 Matthew Jukes writing in the Daily Mail weekend section recommends our Estate Blend as one of "Ten of the Best" of English Wine! Wine Plus On Trade Exhibition Kensington Olympia 17th and 18th January We are to exhibit our wines at this key event and whilst at the show Paul has ben asked to do two radio interviews for the BBC. November 2006 The Green Dragon Market Lavington hosts "Ready Steady Cook" with the show screened in the pub at 4.30pm on the 29th and serving the recipes from the show. An excellent evening should be had by all October 2006 Ready Steady Cook - Celebrating British Food Fortnight see Lynn and Paul Langham battle it out on Ready Steady Cook 4pm 29th November 2006.  September 2006
We have been advised that Waitrose wish to stock our wines in 7 stores, Bristol, Bath, Cirencester, Marlborough, Andover, Salisbury and Gillingham. We are delighted and look forward to getting things going. Our 2005 Seyval and Estate Blend will be featured in each store. August 2006 We have been told that our 2005 white wines have been mentioned in the Sunday Times by Jane MacQuitty, we are seeking confirmation of this. 28th August BBC Swindon and BBC Wiltshire Wine Tasting live on air July 2006 Decanter Magazine featured our 2005 wines in their Summer Wines feature follow this link for more details http://www.decanter.com/recommendations/subrecommendation.php?rid=416&sid=1257 Devizes Gazette and Herald features us after winning 3 highly commened awards at the Enlish and Welsh Wine of the Year Competition and also mentions our Escape to the Country TV piece. June 2006 The BBC come to film us as part of the Escape to the Country series, see the results in October (I can't wait!) Also in June our wines are recommended in Decanter Magazine follow this link; http://www.decanter.com/search/results.php?search=a%27beckett%27s&boolean=1&category=wine&range=All&fromday=&frommonth=&fromyear=&today=&tomonth=&toyear=&sort=posted September 2005 BBC Wiltshire come to do an outside broadcast whilst we are picking, presenter Ronnie Barbour presented his show from between the vine rows for 3 hours. July 2005 a'Beckett's Estate Blend 2004 wins a Highly Commended" at the English and Welsh Wine of the year competition. The competition which is judged to international standards featured over 200 wines that were tasted by a panel of 6 masters of wine. March 2005 Vineyard features in the West Country Life magazine of the Western Daily Press February 2005 Vineyard features in business pages of The Western Daily Press November 2004 Vineyard features in Devizes Gazette and Herald after selling out of its 2003 vintage Vineyard features in The Western Daily Press 19/11/04 pity about the hideous picture of Paul. September 2004 Vineyard featured on HTV News West evening and weekend bulletins Vineyard featured on BBC Wiltshire feature on climate change August 2004 Vineyard featured on BBC Radio Wiltshire Vineyard featured in the Devizes Gazette and Herald http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/wiltshire/archive/2004/08/20/business_news20ZM.html 16th July 2004 Vintage 2003 Released a'Beckett's first Vintage has been released for sale, please contact us at abeckettswine@aol.com for more details or see the Home page for ordering details. 17th may 2004 Raise your Glass to Wessex Wines "They're the new, New World English wine has come of age and the proof is in the many prestigious awards being given to wine growers from the Wessex region. To celebrate the success of this new growth industry, members of the Wessex Vineyard Association from Dorset, Hampshire, The Isle of Wight and Wiltshire, are opening their doors during English Wine Week (29th May to 6th June), to promote and encourage the wine drinking public to sample some of the excellent vintage wines now entering the market place. Although a relatively new concept, English Wine Week is viewed with much enthusiasm by both customers and trade buyers. Paul Langham from a'Beckett's Vineyard in Wiltshire and a member of the 30-strong Wessex Vineyard Association, said, "In this region we can really hold our heads up now. English wine production has come of age and English producers are now competing very successfully against some of the traditional overseas markets and winning some very prestigious awards." Although the English climate is traditionally considered most suited to producing white wines, the past few years have witnessed a growth in the production of some very good full-bodied red wines. A major development has also been the emergence of world-class sparkling wines that are competing seriously with Champagne. Indeed in two recent international wine tastings, English Sparkling wine won the top award for best sparkling wine, beating all the Champagnes that were entered! It is even rumoured that four French Champagne houses are negotiating to buy land between Kent and Hampshire where the soil is identical to Champagne and the climate very similar. John Youles of Bishops Waltham Vineyard and Chairman of the Wessex Vineyard Association explains, "Our 2003 harvest was exceptional and during English Wine Week we will have some fabulous 2003 vintage wines available to taste." "It is a very encouraging sign that so many new wine growers are setting up in the region, it reflects well on all of us. We certainly have the right climate, and growing conditions are very similar to northern Germany. Wine growing also offers an interesting opportunity for beleaguered farmers looking to diversify." But what about the price? This could be an area where English wine might find it difficult to compete. But as Angela Channon of Wickham Vineyard in Hampshire says, "English wine is considered expensive, but actually at £5 to £10 a bottle, our prices compare very favourably to those of other quality wines." Established in 1984, Wickham Vineyard is an outstanding example of the professionalism now emerging amongst English wine growers. The business has won many national and international awards and it produces an impressive 30-50,000 bottles of wine a year depending on the harvest. Another considerable achievement of this well-established business, which produces five different wines, including dry and medium white, a full-bodied red and a sparkling white, is that it provides valuable employment opportunities for those living in the surrounding rural area. The business has grown to such an extent that its wines can now be purchased in a number of leading supermarkets and 'own label' wines are supplied to well-known venues such as the House of Commons and HMS Ark Royal. The thirty members of the Wessex Vineyard Association are justifiably proud of the recent achievements of all English wine growers, who between them have planted approximately two thousand acres of vines. With around 350 vineyards and fifty wineries producing two to three million bottles of wine annually, this has indeed become a growth sector, which demands to be taken seriously. During English Wine Week, many members of the Wessex Vineyard Association are open for visits or tours. It is advisable to ring in advance to check opening times and availability. Specific Activities organised during the week include: Purbeck Vineyard - www.purbeckvineyard.co.uk Valley Road, Harmans Cross, Corfe Castle, Dorset BH20 5HU. Telephone : 01929 481525 Open throughout English Wine Week, but phone for opening times. a'Beckett's Vineyard - www.abecketts.co.uk a'Beckett's Farm House, High Street, Littleton Panell, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 4EN. Telephone 01380 818153 Vineyard open day on Saturday 5th June. Open 10.30am to 4 pm Wickham Vineyard - www.wickhamvineyard.co.uk Botley Road, Shedfield, Southampton, Hampshire, SO32 2HL. Telephone: 3rd June at 6.30pm. Guided Tour & Tutored Tasting at Wickham Vineyard. £4.00 pp. 31st May to 4th June - Two for the price of one audio tours at Wickham Vineyard during English Wine Week. Open every day for audio tours and tastings throughout the year END For further information on the Wessex Vineyard Association, please contact: John Youles, Bishops Waltham Vineyard, TELEPHONE : 01489 896803 or, Morag Walker, PRO, Wessex Vineyard Association. Telephone: 07736 124097 15th February 2004 Warmer Weather Fueling Expansion A leading English Winemaking Company has signalled its confidence in the future of English wine by looking for 500 acres of new vine plantings, that's over 550,000 vines. This represents a real opportunity for farmers seeking to diversify. I am happy to put farmers interested in this oppotunity in touch with the company if required. 11th January 2004 Britain Warms to a Wine Opportunity - Sunday Times Great article outlining how global warming could present Britain as a far more ideal location for growing wine than Southern Europe. Available to read on www.thetimes.co.uk to subscribers. 25th April 2002 Growing Success 12 Months of Progress Since planting their vineyard in April 2001 Paul and Lynn Langham have overseen considerable progress at a'Beckett's Vineyard. After a vineyard blessing ceremony performed by 2 local ministers in April 2001 over 5,000 vines were planted taking some 2 weeks to complete. The vines quickly took root and some of them grew over 8 feet in their first season. Paul Langham commented "the weather during 2001 was ideal for our young vines, with plenty of sun and rain and a long autumn to help the new growth ripen" 2002 looks to be an exciting year, we have already completed the installation of the vine trellising comprising over 1300 posts and 11km of wire so we are ready for the growing season. To cope with the workload we have recruited 2 part time workers to help with pruning and vineyard maintenance, their involvement is essential to ensuring we have the vines in top condition for grape production. We have also been supported by our local MP and Business Link as we seek to grow our business and their assistance has been much appreciated. During 2002 we will be finalising our plans for our winery and hope that this year will see a small crop allowing the production of the first vintage at "Beckett's English Wine Week 1st June to 9th June a'Beckett's Vineyard will be open on Saturday the 8th June between 10am and 3pm for visitors to come and view the development of the vineyard and walk around the 21 acre site. Many vineyards across the country will be holding events to focus attention on English Wine giving you an insight into the industry and the chance to sample fine English and Welsh wine please look out for details. Ends Recent Press Coverage August 2001 Kennet District Council Business News Again featured in their August edietion of the newsletter, would have been nice if they had asked us for a comment or two! July 2001 Business Link News It's front page news for a'Beckett's with prime location given to the vineyard blessing ceremony, this was sent to all businesses in the Wiltshire and Berkshire area. 2nd June 2001 The Times by Fran Littlewood Paul Langham, an IT specialist, and his wife Lynn hope that they will be able to cash in on similar rural funding, after their decision to set up a 20- acre vineyard, "Beckett's, on the site of a disused fruit farm in Wiltshire. The up-front investment is significant, and the payback will be slow. The couple turned to their local Business Link for information about available grants and could raise up to 40 per cent of the costs of planting and continuing support. Mr Langham estimates that the final bill will reach £140,000, and the first grapes will not be harvested until September 2003. He says: "It's a long-term project; tenacity is required." 23rd April 2001 Two Vicars Bless the Success of 5,100 New Vines In a symbolic ceremony reminiscent of ancient traditions set down in France and Germany, two local vicars will be blessing the planting of 5,100 northern European grape vines, on a former fruit farm at Littleton Pannell near Devizes on 23rd April - St George's Day. This new enterprise, a dream come true for Paul Langham, is the forerunner of a scheme that promises to breathe new life into this rural area through increased employment opportunities, once the vineyard goes into full production. Paul Langham, an IT specialist and his wife Lynn, have long held the ambition to grow their own vines and establish a winery. When the 20-acre ‘a Beckett's Fruit Farm' came onto the market, their dreams suddenly turned into reality and a promising new career change beckoned. Although very much a dream, Paul and Lynn's feet are firmly planted on the ground. They have employed the services of a specialist German wine Consultant to advise on all the technical aspects of successfully harvesting and growing grape vines. They have also been acting on the advice of Brian Steel, Rural Business Adviser with Business Link Berkshire and Wiltshire, who has been able to provide guidance and assistance on managing diversification schemes. Brian Steel said, "The current crisis in farming is making rural communities think more about diversification schemes and long term projects. Through a recently announced new initiative, which aims to improve the prosperity of declining rural communities in Wiltshire, Business Link can offer a wide range of advice and assistance to help new rural projects succeed, and I foresee that " Beckett's Vineyard has a very promising future ahead." With the rise in global temperatures, Britain is experiencing a new growth industry in wine production. Over 400 vineyards are now well established in the UK with over ½ million bottles of wine being produced on English soil. The blessing of "a'Beckett's Vineyard, by two local vicars is just the start of an enterprising project, which has a prosperous and exciting future. Local people have greeted this new initiative with huge enthusiasm and have many have even offered to help with the planting of the 5,100 vines - A job, which Paul anticipates, will take them about a week. Paul Said; "Having the vines blessed by our local Ministers is symbolic of fruitfulness, growth and productivity. The vines will suit our climate conditions very well as they come from Northern France and Germany, where conditions are very similar to our own. With the varieties of grape that we are using, we intend to produce red, white and sparkling wine. In the meantime, we will be watching and tending our vines and look forward to being blessed with success when our first bottle is popped in 2003." |