The Wine Garden of England group announces a new member vineyard today. Yotes Court will be the ninth vineyard to join the tourism focused collaboration that promotes Kent as the sunniest wine region in the UK.

Based on the outskirts of Mereworth village in west Kent, Yotes Court Vineyard boasts one of the most stunning views in the county. It is considered by experts as the best site in the UK for growing grapes, and was one of the first vineyards to be accredited by Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (SWGB). Planted in 2016 by New Zealand born Tony Purdie, the vast majority of fruit is grown for the UK’s largest wine producer, Chapel Down. However, in 2018, owner Susannah Ricci decided to expand the area under vine to allow for wine produced under the Yotes Court label.

Susannah’s involvement with national hunt horse racing has inspired the brand, reflecting her jockey’s silks, and with wines named after her winning horses such as LiveLoveLaugh and Benie Des Deux. She has now won 22 races at the Cheltenham Festival, and the wines are starting to follow suit by picking up awards at Decanter and Wine GB Awards.

On joining the Wine Garden of England, Susannah commented, “the growth of English wine depends on wine tourism, and I have watched with interest as this group of like minded vineyards has worked together to gain some momentum in the promotion of Kent as a place to visit. I’m excited to see what we can achieve together.”

Jo Ginn, brand manager of the Wine Garden of England said, “we are a diverse group of wine producers, all with different experiences on offer, but with one mind when it comes to our love of Kent. The addition of Yotes Court will not only increase the choice for visitors, but it will also be wonderful to work with Susannah and her team.”

The Wine Garden of England has nine member vineyards, all of whom welcome visitors. The vineyards are: Simpsons Wine Estate, Westwell, Balfour, Yotes Court, Biddenden, Chapel Down, Gusbourne, Squerryes and Domaine Evremond. They will be showing together at the Wine Garden of England Summer Celebration on 8th June at Chilham Castle. Tickets available through their website.