From little acorns...

In centuries past, Oak barrels were routinely used for flavour development to add a dash of spicy vanilla richness in Champagne. Later, Stainless steel was adopted since it is chemically inert and convenient to use for wine making.

In more recent times, there are a number of Grand Crus that favour the “Born in Oak” principle to enhance their Champagne. Traditionally second use Burgundy barrels provided a gentle way of applying this principle, but Dryhill has pioneered the use of English Oak from a Staffordshire forest which has remarkable carbon capture credentials. At Norbury Park, Professor A.R. Bradwell has developed an estate to tackle climate change, which also grows some beautiful oak for crafting barrels for our Dryhill bubbly.  

To compliment our “Best of British” philosophy, we have partnered with Jensens of York and their team of Coopers to create a genuinely British Barrel.

We are following this heritage approach in part to optimise our flavour profile and to add to our sustainability credentials, but also to celebrate our region of Gloucestershire, where in the 17th century the traditional fermentation method was pioneered.

We hope our efforts will inspire other winemakers in England to explore this local initiative rather than importing barrels from overseas ...from little acorns mighty oak trees grow !