Derbyshire vineyard to age sparkling wine in underground cavern

Amber Valley Vineyard announced the partnership with Heights of Abraham, allowing them to store and age bottles of sparkling wine in the nearby Rutland Cavern.

200 bottles of the vineyards 2022 vintage of pink sparkling wine will be placed in the cavern as it matures.

Barry Lewis, owner of Amber Valley Vineyard, said: "Our ambition to produce a limited-release prestige sparkling wine found its perfect setting within the storied depths of Rutland Cavern. Derbyshire's mining history, combined with our innovative spirit, will craft a wine echoing both tradition and modernity.”

Known as ‘long lees’ ageing, the wine is left to mature on its ‘lees’ which is said to offer richness and depth of flavour.

Barry said: “We are aiming to long-lees age the wine in Rutland Cavern for at least two and a half years an,d post disgorging, the wine will be allowed some quiet bottle time before being released – but it should be worth the wait. And, when we do, we should hopefully have something quite extraordinary.”

Underground locations, like Rutland Cavern, provide consistently cool temperatures, stable humidity levels, and protection from light; essential for producing exceptional sparkling wines.

Barry said: “We’ve long wanted to work in a partnership of this nature in our home county of Derbyshire, we have a unique county with a unique history and story to tell and this collaboration with the Heights of Abraham really is a perfect example of that.”

The vintage is a blend of 70% Seyval Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. All of which is estate-grown at Amber Valley's Doehole vineyard, situated near Wessington and Ashover.

Heights of Abraham’s development director, Rupert Pugh, said: "Over the centuries, the Rutland Cavern has been used for many things, from candlelit concerts to spectacular weddings, one where the bride was lowered down the cavern shaft on a rope to meet her new husband.

“Soldiers used to store their artillery and dynamite in the caverns, and now a new historic partnership has begun with Amber Valley Vineyard. We look forward to serving this unique sparkling wine in our Vista restaurant in the future.”