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Wine

The first vines were planted on the La Mare Estate in 1972. Since then, La Mare has been lovingly developed and 17,000 vines now produce over 40,000 bottles of Estate wine a year. There are four white and three red grape varieties, with the major variety being Pinot Noir. A new, state-of-the-art £1.3m winery and distillery was completed in 2007 and La Mare now produces an impressive and award-winning portfolio of sparkling wines made traditionally (Methode Champenoise) and also a range of quality still wines.

Distilling

La Mare is actually much more than a Wine Estate as it is also home to an impressive cognac style copper pot distillery which produces the Island’s famous Jersey Apple Brandy. La Mare also makes premium cider and a range of apple based food products including Jersey Black Butter.

Cider orchards have been grown in Jersey for over 800 years and production was at its peak during the 17th century when over eight million litres of Jersey Cider was exported. The majority of the cider apple trees were replaced with potato fields at the beginning of the 20th century. However, over the past ten years, the once traditional views of Jersey cider orchards are returning once again to the Island’s countryside as La Mare is planting more trees every year due to the success of its Apple Brandy and Jersey Cream Liqueur (which is made using apple brandy and Jersey cream). As well as growing its own orchards La Mare also buys in apples from all over Jersey and the Estate’s production manager Daniel DeCarteret personally advises many of the local growers on how to get the best fruit from the orchard. The one rule that Daniel insists on is that all the apples must be ‘Genuine Jersey’ and grown on the Island.

The La Mare Wine Estate is in the unique position of being the most southerly wine estate in the British Isles. It sits on the same latitude as France’s famous Champagne region, making the climate ideal for wine making. The Estate has seen substantial growth and investment in recent years and has also won the top ‘Business of the Year’ award in the 2007 Jersey Enterprise awards.

Chocolate and Local Food

Wine and Chocolate are a perfect match and La Mare has its very own Chocolate Factory which makes over 2000 hand-made luxury chocolates a day. The Chocolatiere combines many of the Estate’s products like Jersey Apple Brandy to create a range of luxury Jersey chocolates. La Mare also produces a wonderful range of Jersey Black Butter, preserves, mustards and delicious fudge, all ‘genuine Jersey’ and hand-made.

Visitors – Guided Tours

Visitors to this fine property can relax in the beautiful lawn gardens surrounding the Estate’s luxurious 18th century Jersey granite farmhouse or enjoy a gentle stroll through the Estate’s vineyards and cider orchards before joining a guided tour of the winery. Here you will taste La Mare’s Jersey wines during an informative audio-visual show. The show is an excellent addition as it allows you to see the vineyard and winemaking process at all stages throughout the year from early spring all the way through summer to harvest, followed by the winemaking and bottling process. La Mare is a working Estate so whatever time of year you visit there is normally something going on and this is especially true during harvest. You will also be invited to visit the new cognac style distillery and discover the traditional art of distilling and oak ageing the famous Jersey Apple Brandy. Then it is on to the Chocolate Factory to see where the Chocolatiere makes the irresistible range of hand-made luxury chocolates. Finally, there are tastings of the Jersey Black Butter and preserves available in the vineyard’s shop, which is packed full of Genuine Jersey products.

Guided tours of the winery, distillery and Chocolatiere are available throughout the day and include an AV show, wine tasting, cream liqueur tasting and La Mare’s Jersey Fudge. You can even try your hand at making up a brandy cask or Tipple Dipping, which is a lot of fun.

Restaurant

The Vineyard Restaurant & Terrace is located in a stunning oak and glass building overlooking the rows of vines and is the perfect place to relax and enjoy a delicious lunch or freshly made Jersey Cream Tea. Booking is advised. New for 2008 is La Mare Picque Niques. You can pre-order a picnic and find your own idyllic spot amongst the vines or orchards or perhaps even wonder the short distance to the north coast of the Island where you can enjoy the views of the other Channel Islands, while tucking into the contents of your picnic. Open from Easter to the end of October.

For the Children

Children are very welcome and will love the Chocolate Factory and enjoy meeting the miniature ponies ‘Bubbles’ and ‘Fizz’ as well as the resident cheeky but loveable goat, Barney. The Picnics are also fun for the family to enjoy. Corporate Events & Wedding Venue

The Estate’s facilities also include a top-of-the-range conference and function centre catering for up to 180 people. In addition, the tranquillity and exclusivity of the Estate makes it the perfect venue for a wedding ceremony which can be located in the main manor house or in a marquee on the main lawn.

Opening Times

La Mare Wine Estate is open from Easter to October with Guided tours daily. The shop is also open in November and December with limited tours.