Food and Drink
Uncorking THE SECRET OF
SUCCESS Who knew that the ancient Meade drink would be the latest tipple of choice for discerning drinkers? SO magazine’s James Viner talks to its creators Mereworth Wines, to find out more about their business
DID YOU KNOW? ‘Honey wine, the base of Will and Scott’s Marourde Spritz, is believed to be the world’s first alcoholic beverage, stumbled upon by the chance discovery that honey could be blended with water and would ferment.’
38 | October 2020 | SO Magazine
T
he Boscawens have been farming the fields around Mereworth – or Marourde, to give it its historic name – near Hadlow for over 250 years. Over the centuries, their hops and apples have gone into many of England’s best beers and ciders. More recently, they’ve turned to grape growing in Kent’s remarkable soil. Hooch, you could say, is in their blood. Mereworth Wine’s CEO William Boscawen spent many years mainly working in marketing and finance in London and Asia but always knew that he would one day return to the Upper Medway Valley. It was whilst working in Hong Kong, juggling an MBA in his spare time, that his love for wine truly started to show. In 2015, the chance came for William to return to Kent to take on some family farming interests. He jumped at it. Within a year, he had planted his first vineyard and become vineyard manager. First, he made a winery in a garage, and a year later, a larger one at Brewers Hall Oast down the road, in Mereworth. Mereworth Wines produced its first commercial vintage of English sparkling wine to great acclaim in 2018; the start of a long and exciting journey crafting tasty wines from their home in the Garden of England. Within a few months of release, their ‘White from Black 2018’ Sparkling Wine had already won its first national award, achieving a Silver Medal in the WineGB Awards 2020. All the while, as Will waited for the vines to grow and for the wines to age and mature, he set himself
another challenge of re-inventing the world’s oldest alcoholic drink, mead. Named ‘Marourde’ it is brewed in-house at Brewers Hall Oast, and takes inspiration from local botanicals and honey from the 70 hives on the estate. Here we discover the rest of the story so far…
William Boscawen
What makes Mereworth Wines and its products so special? Will: At Mereworth Wines we pride ourselves on championing English wine, and moreover the fabulous drinks which can be made right here in Kent. The Garden of England has grown the ingredients which have gone into many of England’s finest drinks. Brewers Hall, the home of our winery, is a fantastic example of this heritage. It used to be a working farm and our oast itself would have been filled with hop pickers bringing in the hops from the fields to be dried, cooled and pressed into hop pockets. We want to continue this legacy of beautiful drinks made in the heart of Kent, inspired by the produce grown from the fields which surround us.
“There is a fantastic
Tell us a little traceability as our about your grapes travel a mere vineyards and mile to our winery where bestow. Our where you make your awardwinery is just a they are then pressed, winning short journey fermented and aged” sparkling wine down the road in and two Marourde Mereworth. There is Spritzes? a fantastic traceability Will: Our vineyards are as our grapes travel a mere perfectly positioned on the southmile to our winery where they are facing slopes of the Kent Downs in then pressed, fermented and aged Wateringbury, benefiting from the with just myself and Scott involved perfect growing conditions which in the full production process. We the climate, soil and elevation make our sparkling wines by the
traditional method, using the same processes as are used in the production of Champagne. Our Marourde Spritz and Rosé Spritz [sparkling mead] are also made at our winery by myself and Scott. What makes the grapes from your vineyard so special? Scott: Our vineyard naturally gives us a fantastic base to start from
