Chilford Hall Vineyard produces first 'Granta Valley' red wine 35 years after first vintage in 1974

East Anglia's longest established vineyard, Chilford Hall Vineyard in Linton, Cambridgeshire, is opening in April for the new visitors season and is celebrating 35 years since its first vintage was bottled in 1974.

The late entrepreneur Sam Alper, inventor of the famous Sprite Caravan and the first Little Chef restaurant, was the founder of the 37-year-old vineyard and planted the first vines in 1972 as a hobby.

The vineyard has grown to 20 acres, growing a wider variety of different vines each year. It offers a selection of new vintages and styles including dry, medium dry, medium, rosé, sparkling rosé, sparkling white and for the first time a Chilford Red Wine, called the Granta Valley, made from Rondo and Regent grape varieties, retailing at £8.95.

The favourable climate in the East of England lends itself very well to growing vines, proven in recent years with a surge of trophies awarded to Chilford by the East Anglian Wine Growers Association.

Mark Barnes, Chilford Hall Winemaker says, "Since the October harvest we have been extremely busy creating new wines for the 2008 vintage, and later this year we will be harvesting our first pinot noir vines that we planted back in 2007."

The vineyard tours are held on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday at 11am and 2.30pm, with the Vineleaf Wine Shop and Café open 7 days a week from 10am-5.30pm for wine purchases, refreshments, cakes, teas and coffees.

New wine events are being added to the calendar this year including special winemaker tours throughout July and August every Wednesday at 2.30pm.

For further information about Chilford Wines, wine dinners, tours or the vineyard please visit www.chilfordhall.co.uk or call 01223 895600.