Grape Expectations
STEVEN SHORT talks to local entrepreneurs Jamie and Steph of Vine + Country Tours and gets the inside track on local vineyards with a wine tour.
Jamie Thompson was working in Australia, running underground mine expansion projects, which “didn’t involve nearly enough dinner parties or fun”, when he realised he needed an alternative career. Looking out of the window of an office in the desert, he knew his life would be “comfortable but ultimately unrewarding and a bit barren,” so he returned to Europe, planning to start a new venture of his own.
Previously a chef in a pub in Rye, he had always loved food, wine and travel. As had Steph Jones who has always worked in hospitality in London, New York and Australia. The pair discovered their shared passion not in Australia, however, but here in their native Hastings on a date, “over several glasses of wine,” says Steph.
CREDIT: Vine and Country Tours
After a few more dates it was obvious that their shared love of food and drink could be a professional venture. “The ideas flew about wildly,” remembers Steph, “and eventually things began to take shape.”
“On my days off in Australia I’d get out and discover the vineyards of Margaret River and the Swan Valley,” says Jamie. “It gave me a real appetite for meeting the people and discovering the stories behind the wines and vineyards.”
Now he and Steph share stories about wine and the people who make it as Vine + Country Tours, which offers tailored food and wine tasting experiences around the vineyards of Sussex and Kent.
England’s finest
“We’re in one of the fastest growing wine regions in the world, producing wines that currently dominate the top spots at international wine competitions,” says Steph, who is as enthusiastic as Jamie in sharing her love of all things gourmet. “We are passionate about introducing guests to the unsung heroes of English wines, the smaller boutiques hidden throughout the Sussex and Kent countryside, where you might discover the real heart and soul of the wine scene here.”
Jamie and Steph work from a base in Hastings (though currently live down the road in Bexhill) and offer a variety of tours and experiences that can include collection from your home address or a convenient train station, or local accommodation. Most tours start with a pick-up at around 10.30am “but this is entirely flexible for guests” and, depending on the itinerary, run until around 3pm-5pm. “Of course, everything is bespoke, so that’s a loose guide, if someone has an idea… we’ll see about making it happen.”
CREDIT: Vine and Country Tours
Steph and Jamie’s ‘Full-Day Wine Tasting & Vineyard Lunch’ includes a guided tour of two comparatively ‘off the beaten track’ vineyards, extended tutored tastings, and “our signature vineyard feast lunch served within sight of the vines” accompanied by paired wines. They love doing corporate events, too, and also hen parties. “Is there a better recipe for a hen party than spending the day exploring vineyards surrounded by stunning English countryside with a glass of something cold and sparkling in hand and a table heaving with home-cooked, delicious foods?” asks Steph.
Throughout November and December the couple are offering an Xmas wine package “full of festivities, hearty food and heartier wines.” Check out the website for more details.
Steph and Jamie have lots of plans for 2023, among them a Valentine’s murder mystery event “in collaboration with one of our all-time favourite vineyards and a fantastic troup of actors. Attendees are welcome to dress up and join in, too, it’s going to be brilliant fun.”
• www.vineandcountrytours.co.uk
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