About Us
We are James & Jo, a husband and wife team.
Alongside our day jobs, and with the help of friends and family, we grow small volumes of Pinot grapes in our vineyard, situated in beautiful mid Devon.
Our ethos is to produce the highest quality fruit, without the use of chemicals or herbicides.
The Story So Far...
A family trip to Tuscany in the 90's sparked James's first interest in Vineyards. Thus, he decided to study viticulture in his spare time at Plumpton College; but it was an unfortunate redundancy in 2013, that encouraged him to start a career in wine.
We packed up our home, packed in the jobs and spent a Summer volunteering on organic vineyards in Tuscany. Whilst there, we wrote a business plan and set a search for land in the South West.
We also documented our time in a blog.
On our return to the UK, we stayed with family and found new work. James learnt the ropes in viticulture from Vineyard Assistant to Vineyard Manager.
He is now well-regarded in the UK wine industry; having successfully managed sites for Hattingley Valley and Black Chalk, and at Lympstone Manor where he planted and managed the 10-acre vineyard for Michael Caines MBE.
We found Brindiwell in 2016 after a three year search. It's a magical place with far reaching views over Dartmoor National Park. Our iconic ancient oak tree sits at the top of the site and looks over us wisely.
For a further two years we studied our soil and the geology. Lots and lots of soil sampling followed to enable us to choose the perfect vines for the site.
Our focus was always going to be sustainability, respecting the environment and avoiding chemicals on site. So, in 2018, in preparation for planting, instead of spraying herbicide to kill off the grass, we chose to turn over the soil instead. Over winter the grass would die off thus our beautiful soil stayed healthy and abundant.
To increase biodiversity at Brindiwell, we have planted over 1000 native trees and shrubs, including over 600 oak trees. We've planted so many now, we are actually starting to lose count! Every time we see a tree grant available, Jo plants more trees!
James has a real passion for the Pinot grape variety, thus in 2019 we planted over 10,000 Pinot vines..
then spent the following years keeping the ground weed free, battling persistent thistles with two hand hoes!
In 2022, we were joined by friends and family to help pick our first grape harvest.
This first vintage has been made into traditional method sparkling wine. It is currently ageing on cork and will be an extremely special launch for us.
More information to come very soon!
Today, alongside our day jobs, we continue to do everything ourselves; a truly hands-on approach.
From January through to November, we spend every moment possible in the vineyard.
Launching our first wine has been a pinch-me moment!
We are super proud to have created such a beautiful and elegant wine.
FAQs
Can I visit Brindiwell Vineyard?
We are not open to the public, but we do have volunteers helping us with vineyard jobs from time to time. Drop us a message if you'd like to get involved.
Is Brindiwell Wine Organic?
We do not use chemicals on site and have never used herbicides or pesticides. We are not allowed to call our wine organic, yet respect for nature and the environment is at the heart of everything we do.
Is Brindiwell Wine Vegan?
Yes, our bottles are labelled vegan friendly. Please recommend us to your vegan friends!
Is Brindiwell Wine available in the supermarket?
We produce small volumes of wine to ensure our quality is at the highest level possible. You won't find Brindiwell in the supermarket, but if you know a local independent stockist that should know about us, please share our story!