St Martins Vineyard

The St. Martins Vineyard and Winery is on the south facing slopes of a tenancy farm originally used to produce bulbs and cut flower by Mr. Derek Perkins, Val's Father.

The first of the vines trialled were white varieties - Reichensteiner and Madeleine Angevine.

Plantings have taken place annually in the spring; to date there are 25 field's approximately 4 acres are under vines.

The varieties that were chosen were to suit the soil types and the climate of the Isles of Scilly. These included: Orion, Seyval Blanc, and Siegerrebe. A red grape Rondo is also doing well. The double guyot system of training is being used and extra windbreak's have been erected to supplement existing fences of Pittisporum and Euonymous.

In 1996 we had a well drilled on the farm to supply us with the required water for the winery.

In 1999 the birds enjoyed the very first crop of grapes which demonstrated the need for all the vines to be netted in order to protect all future harvests.

The first vintage in 2000 yielded just 120 bottles! For the first three years the grapes were picked, packed and loaded onto the Scillonian III and transported to Penboa Vineyard, where the wine was made and bottled by Loyd and Janet Jones.

In 2003 the Thomas's converted a stone barn into a winery so that now the wine is made and bottled by then St. Martins Vineyard in the Isles of Scilly.