Rothley Wines
A small but lovingly maintained two-acre vineyard is planted behind the family home of Liz Robson and husband Matthew.
Liz’s father planted the first vines on the property which is now home to some 1,200 vines. What started out as a bit of a hobby has turned into a small but thriving local wine making business. Situated on a south-facing bank of Rothley Brook, the site is of historical significance and is a likely crossing point for King Richard III on his fateful journey to the Battle of Bosworth. In honour of this heritage, many of the wines have a royal theme, including the aptly named ‘King Richard’ white wine.
The two acre vineyard (0.48 hectare under vine) is located in the village of Rothley, just between the Rothley Court Hotel and the Great Central Railway.
The beautiful Kingfishers’ Pool Vineyard lies on a gentle south facing slope on the bank of Rothley Brook, a tributary of the River Soar. Vines were planted gradually over a few years on a part-time basis, and there are currently about 1100 vines of differing varieties and ages. When the vineyard is fully planted there should be 1400 vines. It takes five years for a vine to reach full maturity, so harvests will gradually increase in volume over the years.
As a Loughborough University graduate who gained my MSc in 1994, I'm thrilled to be able to supply Imago Venues with a range of our wines. In addition to our award-winning wines, we welcome visitors and small groups for tours and tutored tasting sessions.
Liz Robson, Rothley Wine Estate
We first heard about Liz's good work when she picked up several awards for her wine and made the local press. On reading the paper we made contact to see if she would be happy to sell to us. She said she would love to show us her vines and chickens. At first we thought we had misheard her, but no - she meant actual chickens! Liz likes to employ as many bio dynamic practices as possible. This involves chickens as pest control and providers of natural fining agents in the form of eggs- all certified for use of course. She also believes in companion planting which helps to attract bees for pollenating the vines and deterring wasps and other unwanted insects that can damage the vines. Her vines grow well in the ancient grounds that form some of the oldest rocks on the planet, a site that was once the centre of ancient supercontinent, Pangea, that existed hundreds of millions of years ago.
Liz’s wines display great minerality and crystalline structure, so we can well believe the roots of the vines are tapping into mineral deposits from that long ago era.
Liz is, in the greatest and most British of ways, a tad on the eccentric side (self-confessed). Not many people would have the imagination or conviction to turn their garden into a thriving vineyard. Her still wines are great in terms of both flavour and value but the sparkling wines are where you will be blown away. Structure, minerality, acidity and toasty brioche notes from the yeast set 'Sparkling Orion' and 'Noble Purpose' on a par with the greats of Reims.
For more information or to request an appointment for one of her wine tasting tours, click the link below:
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