Lockdown idea to open vineyard starts to take root

Father and son Andrew and Jonathan Guille hope to produce Guernsey wine

A Guernsey family is set to launch their own vineyard, with the first crop on track to be planted next week.

Jonathan, Andrew and Lilyanne Guille said they were inspired by an idea first conceived during lockdown, which has finally taken root after years of research.

Reservoir View Vineyard is expected to take up about one hectare (2.47 acres) over two sites - one overlooking St Saviour's reservoir and one in St Peter's.

The family said they were looking to focus on "small scale, high-quality grape production".

The site in St Saviours is south facing, which the Guille family say is ideal for grape growing

Jonathan Guille said the grapes would be sent for processing by a British wine maker after maturing for about four years.

"The ambition is to produce a high-quality wine, with grapes grown from Guernsey so we can put our name and our island on the labels," he said.

"The emphasis is also on sustainability and being conscious of the environment."

The family intend to plant three varieties of wine-making grapes sourced from the UK to produce red, white and sparkling varieties.

Jonathan's father Andrew said he was looking forward to carrying on the tradition of growing from his parents, who were part of Guernsey's tomato industry.

"I grew up on greenhouse vinery and I suppose growing is in my blood," he said.

The pair hope to produce their first bottles in four years, using a UK wine maker

Earlier this year another budding wine producer, Jacob Cherry, announced plans to plant vines in on the Pleinmont headland in Torteval and produce wine at his own facility.

While Mr Cherry said the planting would go ahead soon, plans for a winery structure were refused planning permission earlier this month.

The Development and Planning Authority rejected the application, citing a possible impact on the character of the landscape.

Mr Cherry said said he intended to submit revised plans for approval.

Similar to Mr Cherry, the Guille family said they intended to follow a process of "regenerative viticulture", which aims to promote soil health and protect biodiversity.