Plates and Pours

Anyone who knows me knows that I love nothing more than a vineyard tour and tasting, with my obsession for them only growing after a 2 week road trip through France. So, here’s one of my favourite UK wineries.

Sandridge Barton, formerly known as Sharpham Wine and housed on the Sharpham Estate, is one vineyard in the UK that holds a special place in my heart. This vineyard and winery sits next to the River Dart and is nearby to the town of Totnes where my grandparents live and where I’ve spent large amounts of my childhood and adulthood.

I visited Sandridge Barton in August this year, but also visited the Sharpham Estate site in 2020 when it was possible to walk to the vineyard. That visit resulted in a rather tipsy self guided tour which resulted in the consumption of 3 bottles of wine between 3 adults (accompanied by some of their cheeses), a glorious summer walk along the River Dart and a sunny picnic overlooking the estate.

But I digress, let’s look at my 2023 visit…

Circa Restaurant

As it was my first time visiting the site over on the Stoke Gabriel side of the river I decided to treat myself to lunch and a glass of wine at Circa, the on site restaurant at Sandridge Barton.

I was absolutely blown away by the menu and the standard of cooking. It was what my working class roots would class as fancy food, but my word was it done well.

I tried the beef shin & pinot noir croquettes, the spindle wood chicken and the wild bass ceviche as my three small plates and finished off with what was their version of chocolate mousse for dessert.

The croquettes and the pud were by far my favourite choices and were both absolutely delicious, but the freshness of the ceviche was also the perfect match for my glass of sparkling wine.

One thing I would say is that if you are more of a pub food or hearty meals person, then Circa probably won’t be up your street. But if you are a bit of a foodie like me, and love trying seasonal plates with lots of perfectly paired elements then it is definitely for you.

Sandridge Barton winery

I will admit that whilst I love the Sandridge Barton site and the offering they have on the land here, I did really miss seeing vines and being able to take a stroll through the vineyards and along the river like you could do over on the Sharpham Estate.

The new site is definitely more commercially focused, with plenty of space for people to dine, drink and shop, which is a fantastic use of the new space and a real show of how far the business has come.

But when I first arrived I was a teeny tiny bit disappointed.

This disappointment was soon vanquished by a walk around the site, which boasts several refurbished buildings which house a bar/cafe area, a shop, the Circa restaurant, a new meeting/events space and a beautiful outdoor courtyard. Behind this main hub you can find the winery, accessed only when with one of the guides.

You cannot deny the beauty of the winery. On a warm sunny day it made me feel like I was somewhere in Europe, which was made even more relaxing by the addition of a ‘Sunday Sessions’ DJ set from Sunset Social Club. Before my tour started I sat soaking in the atmosphere of slightly tipsy chatter and chilled music, whilst admiring the brickwork of the old stone buildings and how they had been converted into the perfect hosting space.

(A small confession. I did drive up the road to see if I could spot some vines, which I did, and jumped the gate to stand in awe for a few minutes 🤫)

The winery tour and wine tasting

The tour at Sandridge Barton was one which I really enjoyed. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about Sandridge Barton and Sharpham but also about the winemaking process as a whole, and I suspect her passion may come from her French heritage and not just her formal wine qualifications.

Our group was shown each step of the winemaking process in the winery itself, which made for great viewing, before being shown up to the Vine Room to have a taste of several of the wines.

One thing I obviously found lacking was the fact that on the regular tour you cannot go and see the vines, although they do occasionally offer a vine safari, and instead there is a small plot of land which Sandridge Barton are using to grow vines on which can act as a sort of demo field.

English wine does often get a bad rep, which is understandable as we do not have the weather commonly associated with good wine making after all. However, there are many wineries in the UK who have made great waves in the wine industry over the years and I personally really enjoy many of the wines that Sandridge Barton make. I particularly like their Pinot Noir and their Dart Valley Reserve, but I must confess I am yet to make my way through their new  ‘Don’t Feed The Ponies’ range and so I may yet find a new favourite!

If you are in South Devon and love good vibes, good food and good wine then you should definitely give Sandridge Barton – The Home of Sharpham Wine a try!

Have you been? Let me know what you think in the comments. Or, let me know where your favourite vineyard is so that I can add it to my list!