Reports about re-wilding, regenerative farming and environmental sustainability make it sound as if this is something newly invented. However, civilization has been caring for the land in order to produce food for over 12,000 years. It is only in the last 200 years that a disregard for the long-term welfare of the countryside has become an issue.

We had a marvelous conversation the other day with an agricultural insurance broker that really highlighted how differently we think about land use now. We explained that we rear livestock; we grow things including grapes and making wine; and we encourage visitors to come and experience what we do. This apparently spanned three different departments within their insurance business and would therefore be challenging to give us a quote!

Needless to say we went elsewhere but it does illustrate what has gone wrong in farming. Small scale farming must use land in multiple ways balancing grazing with crops, horticulture with poultry; set-aside with cultivation - all working in harmony with nature.

The "slow food" movement started in the mid 1980’s and continues to thrive across the globe. Their mission is to promote fairness for both consumers and producers; embracing local traditions; encouraging biodiversity and celebrating the simple pleasure of eating.

This has now been extended to wine - allowing time to nurture new vines before even taking a crop, fermenting with gentle care, maturing and treating wine with the love and appreciation it deserves.

There writes a winemaker!