English Vineyards Camel Valley, Cornwall

16 | Tel: 01926 512402 | chinasearch.co.uk

When you think about vineyards, England is not the first place you d think of.

In 1989 ex-RAF pilot Bob Lindo and his wife Annie planted their first eight thousand vines.

They had bought their farm in the heart of the Cornish countryside several years earlier, seeking a change from service life in the perfect place to bring up their young family.

Each summer they watched the grass turn brown on the sun-drenched slopes of the Camel Valley, and wondered if vines might enjoy such an aspect.

Annie is the first to admit the early years weren t easy: We practically lived in the vineyard, doing all the work by hand, and when it came to harvest time it was just us and a few friends for picking, then Bob would stay up all night crushing the grapes.