old westminster winery

We arrived in Westminster to searing heat so naturally our first port of call after our 4 hour drive was to Old Westminster Winery, located a stone’s throw away from our home. I had already sussed the place out on Instagram so knew what to expect – The American on the other hand was blown away by what quiet Westminster now had to offer, all these years after he left his hometown.

Nestled amongst the vines we found the tasting rooms and each tried a flight of wine before settling on a bottle. Our flights each contained one white, three roses and a red. The white was fruity yet refreshing (our favourite), the roses a curious take on French roses we are used to (very dark, and almost tasted like a crisp red) and the red was as expected; oaky and smooth. Seeing as the weather was reaching 32 degrees we decided a chilled bottle of the white would best quench our thirst.

We settled on the comfy sofas outside, perfect for taking in the views and indulged in a little people watching. Everyone from dating couples to a hen party was there, enjoying a Saturday afternoon in the sun. We mulled over our plans for the week ahead which would include another visit with friends later on!

With the temperatures seemingly rising by the second we made a beeline for home but not before a quick photo shoot amongst the vines – it would have been rude not to! Apparently they plant roses at the end of each row as a way of telling whether the vines are healthy or not. The roses will wither and die if the vines are struggling – news to me so I was pleased to see the roses coping just fine in the sun.

Later in the week we returned with friends, only by now the weather had turned so we stayed in the barn and enjoyed a long overdue catch-up and the same fruity white (plus a few more bottles..). Old Westminster Winery, you were one of the highlights of our trip and we will be making a beeline for you again on our return!

L.