Sharpham Vineyard, Totnes, Devon
Sharpham vineyard has one of the most beautiful settings on the banks of the river Dart where the sun reflects off the water on to the grapes. As a working dairy, the Sharpham Estate near Totnes is an ideal place to do a vineyard tour followed by a cheese and wine tasting.
Wander the vines at Sharpham Vineyard near Totnes in Devon
There’s something about the peaceful setting of Sharpham Vineyard that draws you in.
What better way to while away a few hours than wandering through the vines followed by a tasting of their delicious wines and the cheese produced using the Estate’s very own Jersey milk.
I came home with a bottle of the fruity Sharpham Estate.
If you’re visiting for the Dartmouth Food Festival in October, do make the time to walk the vineyard trail. If you’re starting your Christmas shopping early, the miniature bottles of Dappa make great gifts for ski buddies.
Sharpham Estate
The 550-acre Sharpham Estate made its first bottle of wine in 1985.
In a good year, it now produces up to 100,000 bottles, the majority of which are snapped up by local hotels, restaurants and pubs.
You can taste both sparkling and still wines here including a white, a red and a rosé. Some of their wines like Bacchus, with its tropical lychee taste, are made using grapes from the nearby Sandridge vineyard.
Tour Sharpham Vineyard
Come in the summer months to experience a guided tour of the vineyard. At other times of the year, you can do a self-guided walk.
Each grape variety is labelled and there’s a handy leaflet that tells you more about each one.
Madeleine Angevine, a white grape, is the main variety here. Originally from the Loire Valley, it was chosen because it’s relatively easy to grow in the UK.
The walk takes approximately 30-45 minutes and will lead you past the house and down to the river.
Sharpham vineyard overlooks the River Dart
Take a self guided vineyard Tour
Do a Tutored Wine Tasting
You can choose from a number of tasting packages depending upon how many wines you want to taste and whether you’d like to sample the cheese.
For an all-singing, all-dancing tour, choose The Sharpham Experience which includes a tour of the house, vineyard and winery followed by a light lunch with a complimentary glass of wine.
Make sure you taste Sharpham Estate, a dry citrusy white with hints of elderflower and the delicious rosé made with the Rondo grape which tastes like strawberries and cream.
Taste Delicious Sharpham Cheese
Next to the winery, you’ll find the dairy where they produce cheese using the rich milk from their Jersey cattle. They also produce a goats’ cheese.
They’ve been making cheese at Sharpham since 1981 and have won a number of prestigious cheese awards.
Visitors can peek through the windows of the creamery to see the various stages of the cheese-making process. It’s very good so don’t go home without tasting or buying some from the shop.
Sharpham Estate Cheese Tasting Experience
Sharpham Cheese is produced from Jersey Cows
Go For a Browse in the Vineyard Shop
The small shop stocks a range of chutneys to go with the cheese. Try the honey and marmalade chutney from Hillside Pickles.
Other local products of interest include ‘Dappa’, a Devon-take on grappa, the Italian marc spirit and Bell & Loxton rapseed oil.
Eat Lunch in Sharpham Vineyard Cafe
Wine ramblers can lunch al fresco at The Cellar Door (seasonal opening only). On the menu, chef-caught mackerel or whole Brixham plaice with cockles, seaweed and samphire.
Tips
- Visit the Dartmouth Food Festival in October and take a detour to visit Sharpham. The grapes may have already been harvested but the vine leaves will be turning a deep autumnal red
- Walk, cycle or arrive at the vineyard by boat
- Foodie Travellers seeking rest and relaxation should check out the programme of courses and retreats offered by the Sharpham Trust and held at the house. Courses include ‘Mindfulness with Cookery’
- You can buy Sharpham cheese at the Windsor Farm Shop and at the Chatsworth Estate Farm Shop
- Looking for a gift? Check out our guide to the Best Gifts For Cheese Lovers
Shop For Sharpham Cheese and Wine
Staying at Sharpham Vineyard
The Bathing House at Sharpham is a really special place to stay. If you’re looking for peace and quiet among the vines, the Grade II listed Georgian Bathing House is available to rent from Sykes Holiday Cottages. The cottage sleeps three people and comes with a cosy woodburner. Nestled between the vines and the River Dart, it’s the ultimate romantic escape for wine lovers.
To check prices and availabilty, visiting sykescottages.co.uk.
Ready to Start Planning a Devon Break? See All: Best Places To Stay in Devon
Dogs
Great for me. Just make sure I’m on my lead and if I have a mishap, you clean up after me.
How To Find Sharpham Vineyard
Sharpham Vineyard & Dairy, Sharpham Estate, Ashprington, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 7UT
Website: www.sharpham.com
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The Foodie Travel Guide
Sally is the founder and editor of The Foodie Travel Guide. She travels around the UK and beyond in search of the best foodie days out, tasting experiences and delicious places to stay. She loves a glass of English sparkling wine, afternoon tea with friends and escaping London for gastronomic adventures.