The hills are alive...

There are 7,000 vines growing here, planted three years ago by Ian and Becky Sheveling who decided to give up their hectic lifestyle and move back to Yorkshire. As an engineer with the Formula 1 team, Becky used to travel the world while Ian ran a manufacturing business.

But they walked away from the jobs, a grand house and a jet-set lifestyle to renovate a run-down farmhouse with a breathtaking view over the Holme Valley. "We just wanted to move back to Yorkshire and to get back to being part of a family," said Becky whose parents live close by. "The slope in front of the house seemed perfect for a vineyard, although we didn't know much about growing grapes at the time, but we started to investigate. At first we planned this to be a hobby vineyard, with just a few vines producing a small amount of wine, but people heard about it and kept knocking on the door asking us to show them round, so we realised that there was real interest in the project and that it could be a commercial venture."

Now there are 7,000 vines growing on that hillside, each one still in its protective sleeve which creates a warmer environment while the new plant gets established. These sleeves also protect the young shoots from being nibbled by the local wildlife. "We get shelter from the trees and the slope means that frost rolls down the hill in springtime, and we have kept the dry stone walls which act as windbreaks," said Ian. In fact, the dry stone walls which used to divide up the fields when this was a sheep and cattle farm have been rebuilt in places by Becky who went on a course to find out how to do it.

The result is a vineyard which reminds me of Burgundy where walls enclose the best vineyards and have a distinct influence on microclimate. Temperature will be important up here on this blustery site, at 250 metres above sea level.

"We were not fortunate enough to grow up on a vineyard and we didn't know much about growing grapes so one of the first things we did was to go see a local vine supplier near Malton." This was Stuart Smith at Ryedale Vineyards, and while Becky didn't immediately recognise Stuart when she met him, there was something about his voice which rang a bell.

"You're Mr Smith, my old headmaster from primary school," she eventually realised.

With a list of possible vine varieties for their site, they set about trying a range of English wines to find out which ones they thought would be suitable and decided on a mix of Solaris, Ortega, Rondo, Regent and Acolon. Not all have been successful. "The Acolon just hasn't grown properly and so we plan to take it out this year and replant with Seyval Blanc."

This is just one of a series of setbacks which have been cheerfully taken in their stride by Ian and Becky, who have renovated a Grade II listed farmhouse, planted a vineyard by hand and produced a baby, Luca, in a very short period of time.

And they haven't stopped expanding. The latest building on site is the winery, a purpose-built, double-insulated structure which blends into the hillside and houses a few stainless steel tanks and a small press.

"We have another press on order and we will be buying some more tanks and a bottling line," said Ian. Getting planning permission for all their activities has been a challenge at times, but permission has just been granted for a tasting room next to the winery which will have big windows overlooking the valley and will probably rank as one of the best tasting room views in the world.

Permission has also been granted for accommodation to be built at the bottom of the vineyard in an old quarry. A perfect, sunny amphitheatre was dug out generations ago to extract sandstone for local buildings and Ian and Becky now plan to excavate into the hillside to create seven apartments for visitors.

"We are calling it an 'ecolodge' because we plan to make it carbon neutral with ground source heat pumps and good insulation." Ecological concerns have been at the forefront of the whole development with wind turbines, solar panels all in the planning stage while vineyard waste is recycled to local farmers or used for heating.

Visitors are already beating a path to Holmfirth Vineyard with 100 people a day at busy times. They are given a tour of the vineyard and a tasting and some enjoy the whole experience so much that they return to help out in the vineyard. Once the new tasting room is open there are plans for wine course days and weekends. Meanwhile, what of the wine? A small amount was made last year, some from their own crop bolstered by grapes brought in from a vineyard in Warwickshire. Winemaker Martin Fowke of Three Choirs Vineyard in Gloucestershire travelled to Yorkshire to make the wine at Holmfirth and he is retained as consultant to be on hand to give advice. He was recently voted Winemaker of the Year in the English and Welsh wine competition, so Ian and Becky are getting the best kind of advice.

The white Holmfirth Vineyard wine has already sold out, while the ros, a pale, delicate wine, made from Rondo and Seyval Blanc is light, with good fruit and a refreshing style. Just a few bottles are left and are selling out fast through local shops and restaurants. It is available from the vineyard at 9.99.

This autumn brings the next big challenge – to make wine from the limited crop now gently ripening on a Holmfirth hillside, but Ian is upbeat about the project. "This is not about making money, we want to make decent wine and that is why we have invested in the vineyard and the winery. We want to do things properly."

And when will they break even? "Oh, in about 120 years," says Ian with a smile. I have a feeling this dynamic couple will not have to wait that long.

YP MAG 28/8/10