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Records still exist of the last meeting of the jurors which was in 1086. It was attended by Norman de Nostresfield, Walter de Clai, Brian de Scalariis, Firmin Lifget (the man of the Earl), Ulric Hag of Linton and Aluric de Norsehide.
The ford over the River Granta was replaced in 1868 by a bridge in Linton High Street. The vineyard lies between the ford and the old Roman road from Godmanchester to Colchester, which runs a little way north of the A1307.
Soil. A rare thistle, which is protected, grows just below the vineyard and is evidence that the glaciers of the last Ice Age reached a point just about where the vineyard is situated, producing a vatiety of soil conditions. The vineyard is divided roughly into two, one part being flint-bearing loam over chalk, and the other being gravel over sand. Both these soil conditions, being free draining, are ideal for vines.
Cultivation. The first vines were planted in 1972 and the current 18 acres are trained in a wide-row spaced, and tall trellised system, which allows a larger leaf area, thus providing a greater ability to catch the sunlight and intensify the sweetness of the grapes. This assists growth by allowing a target leaf area to catch the sunlight thus sweetening the grapes. It also allows the roots to spread wider giving each vine more soil space, which helps to prevent disease by allowing a good air flow through the row and around the vine itself. By taking care we can avoid using insecticides; our ladybird population keeps the insects in check.
However, we do use some herbicides and a tractor-mounted hoe to keep the weeds at bay under the vines. Fungicides must always be used, although we avoid excessive spraying and vary our spray programme to suit the conditions of the year.
We grow Müller-Thurgau, Ortega, Huxelrebe, Schöenburger, Reichensteiner and Siegerrebe vines for a mix of good cropping and intense. flavours. They also crop early so that we may pick before autumn sets in. Winter frosts are not in the main dangerous, as the vines are dormant, however frost in late spring can do serious damage.
Some three or four months after the grapes are picked the wine from each variety is tasted and selected for blending, this is done by the proprietor and the wine maker. After blending the wine is allowed to rest for approximately six weeks prior to bottling. The characteristics of Chilford are its good clean flavour, fragrant nose, fruity body and good acidity: a single-estate wine of fine quality.
Visitors are welcome between 11am-5pm from March 1 - October 31, and 11am-4pm November 1 - December 23, seven days a week.
What the Romans Started... the Saxons Continued... the Normans Improved...