Branchline Chardonnay
£25
Single-estate, hand-picked Chardonnay, spontaneously fermented with wild yeast, lightly oaked, unfined and unfiltered. Creamy citrus, crisp acidity and a light green-herbal note; intense, bone dry and mouth-watering.
2019
Stamford
Andy and Fi Beamish had talked about a vineyard and distillery since touring Australia in their twenties. Church Farm finally gave the idea somewhere to land: bought in 2012, tested and planned for several years, then planted with its first vines in 2019. Mallard Point launched in 2022, named for the locomotive that set its unbeaten steam speed record just north of Essendine. The railway gives the bottles their swagger, but the farming supplies the substance. More than 18,500 vines now include the English classics alongside Sauvignac and Cabernet Jura, disease-resistant varieties that help the family reduce vineyard sprays. Fruit is picked by hand and moves only a few steps to the on-site winery, where Andy works with wild yeast, minimal intervention and an appetite for wines that change with the season. Fi’s distillery completes the circle. Grape skins become spirit, winery waste feeds the farm’s Hereford cattle, sheep graze the dormant rows and lightweight aluminium bottles return by post to be cleaned and filled again. The result is not a glossy sustainability slogan but a practical small-farm loop — one visitors can explore on regular tours from spring to early autumn.
Church Farm’s 18,500-plus vines sit in open Rutland countryside close to Stamford and the East Coast Main Line. Bacchus, Chardonnay and the three Pinots are joined by PIWI varieties Sauvignac and Cabernet Jura, broadening both the flavour palette and the estate’s options in damp seasons. Wildflower strips, cover crops, mechanical weeding, winter sheep and careful crop walks keep the vineyard busy with more than grapes.
WINEMAKER
Andy Beamish came to wine through agriculture and curiosity rather than a family cellar. After years of planning with his wife Fi, he planted Church Farm in 2019 and built a winery close enough to keep every stage at home. Hand-picked fruit, vineyard-cultured wild yeast and unfined, unfiltered bottlings give him a deliberately light touch; the aim is vivid fruit and a clear sense of each Rutland season, whether the result is a rustic pink pét-nat or a precise still Chardonnay.
The Collection
£25
Single-estate, hand-picked Chardonnay, spontaneously fermented with wild yeast, lightly oaked, unfined and unfiltered. Creamy citrus, crisp acidity and a light green-herbal note; intense, bone dry and mouth-watering.
£25
Bright pink with rustic bubbles, crunchy red apple, crushed raspberry, pink grapefruit and white flowers. Wild-fermented, bottle-fermented, unfined and unfiltered, with no added sulphur and natural sediment.
£21
Wild-yeast fermented, unfined and unfiltered, with 100% malolactic fermentation. Elderflower, pear drops and hedgerow notes lead into a long, gently sweet finish.
Tours and tastings
Tuesday: 10:00–16:00
Thursday: 10:00–16:00
Saturday: 10:00–12:00
Tours and tastings: Tours run on published dates from March to September and require advance booking. Outdoor routes can be wet or uneven; guests with mobility requirements should contact the estate before booking.