Somerset

Overview

Best known for cider, Somerset now hosts around 20 commercial vineyards, including pioneering estates such as Oatley and Avalon. Many growers favor organic practices and disease-resistant hybrids, turning the county's damp but mild conditions into an advantage for low-intervention winemaking.

The county's Atlantic climate is temperate and rarely extreme, though high rainfall and humidity create real fungal pressure. Soils include red west-country earth, sandy loam, clay, and fertile valley soils, often sheltered from the strongest westerly winds by hills and ridges.

Key Varietals

• ChardonnayGives crisp, mineral whites and sparkling base wines on Somerset's better-drained slopes.
• Pinot NoirProduces light, fruity reds and rosés in the county's milder summers.
• BacchusAn aromatic white that handles Somerset's humidity better than many pure vinifera varieties.
• Seyval BlancA robust hybrid widely used for fresh still whites and sparkling blends.