Hard work of volunteers pays off as Sheffield wine wins top award

Hugh Facey, the man behind the vineyard, raises his glass to the
award-winning wine. — Hugh Facey, the man behind the vineyard, raises his glass to the award-winning wine.

A rose wine which is the only one in the country produced by a charity has won a leading award.

Steel City Wine is made from grapes grown at Whirlow Hall Farm Trust, a Sheffield farm that helps children and young people understand food and the countryside. It has been awarded a bronze medal at the English and Welsh Wine of the Year awards held at Vintners’ Hall, London.

The tipple is just the second vintage to be produced at the 86-row vineyard, which is run entirely by volunteers, and is the first wine in the country produced by a charity.

Volunteers harvesting the Whirlow grapes in torrential rain
last October. — Volunteers harvesting the Whirlow grapes in torrential rain last October.

Vineyard founder Hugh Facey said: “It’s a tremendous achievement to receive this honour in only our second year of producing wine. Many people doubted we could produce any wine at the farm, which is 262-metres above sea level. We’ve done it, proving that the north can produce a wine that’s among the best this country has to offer.”

The award winning wine is made predominantly from rondo and solaris grape varieties, both of which have their origins in Germany.

The judges described it as tasting of “wild strawberries and lively red fruits that produced a wine of good length”.

One of the charity’s lead volunteers, Derek Henry said: “Most people see a vineyard as an idyllic scene of grape picking on a balmy day. The reality is a little different - looking after a vineyard is an on-going job from pruning in January/February to picking grapes in late September or early October.”