Shillingham Vineyard

Opening hours vary - check the vineyard's website before visiting, as they can close for private events or change seasonally.

What's the vibe?

Shillingham is a working farm that has swapped sheep for vines. The Ramsden siblings, Alex, Harry and Flora, planted 70,000 vines here in 2021, on south-facing slopes above the River Lynher. A visit is a guided walk through the vines and along the foreshore, with the wines tasted next to the vines they came from.

The Vineyard Safari The tour is a guided walk through the vines and farm, taking in the Lynher foreshore and Brunel's railway. It finishes with a tasting of at least three Shillingham wines next to the slopes the grapes grew on. It costs £25 per person and lasts around 1 to 1.5 hours. When It Runs Tours run on Friday and Saturday afternoons, fitted around farm life. Places are limited, so book ahead on the vineyard's website. Opening months are not confirmed, so check with the vineyard before you travel. Wine Discount Wine bought when you book, or straight after the tour, comes with 10% off.

Five grape varieties grow at Shillingham: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The soil is shillet and loam, free-draining, and the Sauvignon Blanc sits in the warmest part of the site, closest to the river.

The first releases are still wines. Shillingham's own notes for the Sauvignon Blanc (£18.50, 10.5%) mention asparagus, mint and citrus, with a dry, grassy finish. The Chardonnay (£17.50, 9.5%) is described as spiced apple and brown butter, with poached pear, toasted hazelnut and limey acidity. The Rosé (£17.50, 10%) leans on strawberry and rhubarb, with a slight tannic bite. A sparkling Classic Cuvée, a Pinot Noir and a Pinot Gris are planned.

The vineyard carries out bird surveys with the British Trust for Ornithology and sows flower, legume and cereal cover crops between the rows. Every grape comes from the family's own land.

By Car: Shillingham Vineyard is at Antony Passage, Cornwall, PL12 4QU, on the Cornish side of the Lynher estuary. It is about 2.5 miles and 7 minutes by road from Saltash.

By Public Transport: Saltash is the nearest station, on the Cornish Main Line between Plymouth and Penzance. Great Western Railway runs roughly one train an hour in each direction, with some services to and from London Paddington. The vineyard is about 2.5 miles by road from the station.

Book train tickets in advance via Trainline.

Here are some notable places to visit close to Shillingham Vineyard:

Attractions:
Royal Albert Bridge, Saltash – Brunel's railway bridge over the Tamar, opened by Prince Albert in 1859 and visible from Saltash Quay, 2.5 miles away.

Cotehele, near Saltash – A National Trust Tudor house above the River Tamar, with a quay, a mill and about 1,300 acres of estate to walk. The estate is open from dawn to dusk, while the house opens seasonally. It is around 20 minutes by car.