2023 WRAPPED

As we wrap up the year, we want to take a moment to chat about the awesome things that went down at Hungerhill Vineyard in 2023.

This year was a big deal for us. Picture this: in March, we proudly bottled our first-ever wine, the Merstone Ortega. We were extremely pleased with the flavors and acidity in our initial wine.

However, in April, we were on frost alert with fortunately only one morning everyone was called to action. Andrew and Pawel tirelessly worked in the vineyard from 3 in the morning, for a continuous four hours, to protect the vines from freezing.

Fast forward to May, and we unexpectedly dropped the Merstone Rosé. Originally meant for our sparkling wine, it turned out the blend had a bit too much alcohol for round two of fermentation. After some brainstorming and wine tastings, we decided to turn part of the blend into our Rosé and Col Fondo wines. The remaining blend will be used to add some extra complexity to this year's sparkling wine. Both the Rosé and Col Fondo wines, straight from our vineyard, ended up being total rockstars.The Rosé also won a Bronze medal at the Wine GB East Awards 2023. Who would have imagined that it would become our top-selling product?

Come July, we were bottling up the Merstone Chardonnay, a tasty white wine with hints of oak and a nice, long finish. And you know what? We also had wine tastings throughout the entire summer. It was so much fun meeting local people and other wine lovers who have the same passion for wine as we do.

Now, the weather in 2023 didn't quite match the sunny vibes of the previous year. Rain and not-so-friendly conditions had us a bit on edge about the vines and grapes. But, you know what? Our vines still pulled through, giving us some seriously gorgeous grapes. Harvest time in early October, just a tad later than last year, was made even more awesome by a fantastic crew of volunteers who brought a ton of joy and fun to the whole process.

A month later, we were celebrating the bottling of our very first red wine, the Merstone Pinot Noir. Imagine aromas of strawberries, cherries, and raspberries, with flavors that include a touch of vanilla and subtle oak, all leading to a long and satisfying finish.

As we neared the end of 2023, we were busy preparing Christmas orders and organizing winter wine tastings. We introduced some new wines, met some new faces, and had a blast catching up with familiar ones.

Looking ahead to 2024, We have exciting plans to continue producing excellent wines, organizing more tastings, expanding our community, and achieving amazing grape harvests. We are enthusiastic about the upcoming year and hope you are too! Additionally, we have some incredibly interesting projects that will be launching soon, and we are eager for you to explore them.

And last but definitely not least, A big thank you to everyone for your support. Whether you participated in the grape harvest, attended our tastings, bought our wines, or showed us love on social media, we are extremely grateful. Cheers to a fantastic New Year! See you in the next one!

Hungerhill Vineyard Team