Rothley Wine

In April 2020, Guardian wine writer Fiona Beckett chose Rothley’s Warhorse as her Wine of the Week. She wrote: “I really loved the fresh scrunchy hedgerow fruit of this Warhorse red from Rothley Wine. Their white, King Richard, is really appealing too.”

This is a superb achievement because setting up an award-winning vineyard in Leicestershire is no mean feat. Liz Robson’s Rothley Wine in north Leicestershire started out as a hobby but has evolved – in her retirement – into a business. Liz was inspired to set up her vineyard and winery in 2009 after several visits to Giffords Hall Vineyard in Suffolk. One of her first wines – Learning Curve, a medium dry white – won Highly Commended in the Mercian Vineyards Association annual awards.

When she bagged the Small Producer Trophy in 2013 she decided to take a more commercial approach. Today, behind the family home, Liz tends around 900 vines on a two-acre south-facing slope, producing several grape varieties including Rondo, Regent, Siegerrebe, Solaris, Orion and Madeleine Angevine.

Liz puts every ounce of her passion for wine into nurturing the vines and producing her wines. Volunteers and friends help gather in the harvest. The results are excellent, especially Rothley Wine’s elegant sparkling rosés – Noble Purpose and Spirit of Freedom – and its sophisticated, mineral-dry white, King Richard.

Vineyard tours are available (dog and wheelchair friendly), as are tutored alfresco tastings, private wine-tasting parties and free self-guided tours – all must be organised by prior appointment.

Rothley Wine offers a call-and-contactless-collect service.