The Gladwin Family Journal
Snapshots, Reels and Observations from March
THE WORST TIME TO PLANT A TREE IS... TOMORROW
"The best time was several years ago, and the second best time is today!”
A Promise of Spring in the Air
A Vigneron's Work is Never Done
Soil Health and Vine Transplants
It’s a big ask for a fully mature vine to be successfully moved to a new location, but we have been making room to expand the wine lodge and the old Pinot Noir plants we've taken out are still good producers. Instead of casting them aside, we're transplanting the whole twisted trunks with cordon arms into gaps in the rows. The key is to dig big enough holes; feeding the roots with “fish blood and bone marrow” (I am not making this up); and the general health of the soil. Gregory’s enthusiasm for the huge numbers of worms he found was like a small child on Christmas morning (or a pig in muck as we farmers would say) - loads of worms means healthy earth!
Nutty Disgorge
The team is hand finishing 500 bottles of Nutty Vintage each week at the moment. Our traditional method sparkling wine is matured in bottle, underground for 4 years on its lees before being “riddled”, then “disgorged” to remove the sediment. It then receives the addition of a little “dosage” (if I told you our secret recipe I would have to…). Finally the finished wine is corked, wired and labelled, ready to serve.
A Winter BBQ
Lamb with Rhubarb Salsa
Never too early to start the season of outdoor cooking, after all this hard work the three Gladwin brothers have been barbecuing lamb cutlets down by the lake. Oliver made a truly delicious salsa from Rhubarb & Fresh Foraged Herbs to go with it.
Oliver's March Champion
The countryside is coming to life; as usual at this time of year Oliver is harvesting baskets full of new season wild garlic, which he uses in multiple ways for the Local & Wild menus at our London restaurants. The young tender leaves give a powerful aroma of springtime but have a gentler less pungent flavour than bulb garlic. Great for salads, risottos, quiches and sauces, it can also be stored in jars as a pesto.
See our seasonal recipe for Wild Garlic Pesto from An English Vineyard Cookbook here →
What else is in season in March?
In the Wild
Young Nettles
Wild Garlic
Chickweed
Wild Spinach
From the Land
Rhubarb
Leeks
Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Spring Onions
From the Coast
Gurnard
Pollock
Oysters
Richard's Wine Adventures
The subject of pairing good wine with good food is infinite. Richard carefully chooses wine specials each month to feature at the front of our restaurant lists. He needs to think about the season, the dishes on the menu and the individual character of each wine. We don’t normally list Nutbourne’s limited edition Pinot Gris on the restaurant wine lists but Richard insists it captures the very spirit of springtime - floral, vibrant, very fresh, and perfect with spring vegetables, seafood and rhubarb! In contrast he has selected a powerful 2017 Paulliac
Bordeaux as the red. This is a wine to compliment steak, venison and other richer foods - big black fruit with fine structure and a wonderful depth of spice and lasting earthiness.
Hard Working Gardeners
It’s called thinking outside the box.
A lot of weeding, fertilizing and tilling of
the soil within the polytunnel is required to prepare for the new growing season. A brood of Lani’s chickens have been called in to do the job and to back them up with the heavy lifting; Freddie the sheep has volunteered to lend a hand.
A new feature at Nutbourne this summer will be a workforce of Light Sussex and Bluebell chickens roaming among the vines doing their bit and producing fresh eggs. We are building them a “mobile home’ which can be towed to any part of the estate - it’s going to be one long chicken camping holiday.
And look at Gregory deep in conversation with Freddie on the drive to pastures new. Lani Gladwin (taking the photo) was demoted to sitting in the back.
Baking Galore
I thought that a summary of the history of Hot Cross Buns would be a good item to round off this Journal but having done a little research it is all just too damn complicated. These spiced buns commemorate Christ’s crucifixion on Good Friday but appear to be pagan as well. Are they English, Bohemian or Jamaican?They were made famous by the one a penny, two a penny nursery rhyme but most importantly, they are an utterly delicious annual treat, well worth the
effort of home baking.
Lastly, some updates on the season ahead...
Vineyard Tours & Picnics
Our Saturday tours of the vineyard and winery with tastings are now available to book, from 3rd May through to mid September. Make a day of it and order a delicious platter or picnic lunch to enjoy afterwards with a glass in the vines.
Mother's Day Specials
Our Local & Wild Restaurants are offering a special feast on Sunday 30th March - celebrate with a 4-course set menu, Sunday roast style. This will include Portland Crab on Oliver's Homemade Crumpet, followed by Sweet Cured Confit, Spring Lamb Shoulder with Wild Garlic Salsa and all the trimmings, finishing with Kentish Forced Rhubarb & Filo Cake. The Shed in Notting Hill will be exceptionally open on that Sunday, as well as Rabbit on the King's Road, Sussex in Soho, The Pig's Ear in Chelsea and The Black Lamb in Wimbledon Village.
Sussex Reserve at Bayley & Sage
We are delighted that these wonderful upmarket food stores are featuring Nutbourne Sussex Reserve (our estate's signature field blend white) as their wine of the month.
Summer Solstice – Local & Wild’s Pop Up in the Vines
Save the weekend of 21st June for our
sensational restaurant Summer Feast on the Farm.
Sign up to our newsletter to be notified when tickets are released →
Photography by: Ed Dallimore, Olivia Thomas and Lani Gladwin
Designed and Edited by Olivia Thomas