Who is Hungerhill Vineyard winemaker ?

Meet Andrew Barnes, the owner and winemaker of Hungerhill Vineyard.

Andrew interest in wine started at the age of 18. Student at the Royal Agricultural College of Cirencester. He participate in the English Wine Run competition in 1985, which involved transporting English wine from London to Paris as quickly as possible. Later, Andrew went to France with a friend and became immersed in French culture, particularly the wine industry. He enjoyed celebrating events with a good selection of sparkling and still wines.

In 2012, during a work trip to the Champagne region, Andrew took this opportunity to buy a few bottle of champagne to bring back home with him. He looked up three vineyards in the French telephone directory and tried to call them. The first two didn't answer, but the last one picked up. This was his first contact with Mr. Lecurieux.

Andrew's visit to the vineyard was unplanned but he and Mr. Lecurieux got along very well. Lecurieux showed him the winery and offered him a taste of Champagne. Andrew loved the taste and bought three cases of Champagne, but Mr. Lecurieux didn't have a card machine. So he allowed Andrew to take the cases and trusted him to do a bank transfer later. Since then, they have had a loyal and trusting relationship. Andrew has visited multiple times and even introduced his family to the unique experience. Mr. Lecurieux's Champagne has been served at three weddings in the family, and some bottles have even traveled to Greece.
In 2018, during a discussion, Andrew and Mr. Lecurieux talked about soil and compared his soil in Champagne to the one in Marston Moreteyne. Mr. Lecurieux believed that the soil, alitude and south facing slope in Marston Moreteyne was well-suited for growing vines for making sparkling wine, or something similar in quality to Champagne. In 2019, Andrew had the soil tested by a company and Mr. Lecurieux was proven correct.

After this, Andrew received training in viticulture, winemaking, and specialization in sparkling wine at Plumpton College. There he learned about artisanal and traditional methods of winemaking. He became more curious and interested in the English production of still and sparkling wine. Amazed by the quality and taste, he quickly became an adept. Later, he passed his WSET 1 and 2 in Cambridge, which are recognized qualifications in wines.

During lockdown in 2020, he planted a 3 hectare vineyard with Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay grapes. Two years later, Hungerhill Vineyard is having its first grape picking. Finally, this year, his first still wine will be ready to drink.