Ben Franks: Visiting Somerset and love wine? You must visit Oatley Vineyard

I love Oatley. I don’t get to talk about them as much as I’d like to but my visit to their vineyard a year ago has always stuck in my mind.

Jane & Iain

Oatley is run by couple Jane & Iain Awty who are part of the reason I love the wine business. They’re so friendly and welcoming. They make beautiful dry white wine exactly the way they like it and it’s worked for them. Their wines have won Decanter World Wine Awards every single year since 2011.

That’s one of the reasons why I always recommend Oatley to people who enjoy wine and are looking to explore English vineyards. Why not try quality white wine made by two people who truly care about the product they’re serving?

However, for all the elderflower, green apple and zippy freshness Oatley’s wines offer to your perfect summer, it’s not the only reason you should go. Of course most of the joy of visiting the vineyard is seeing the viticulture itself and learning how the wine in your glass got to be there.

Thankfully both Iain and Jane are excellent knowledge banks and they still do most of the work in the vineyard themselves. So they’re the ideal couple to know for your vine-related questions.

Around now, Easter 2016, Oatley is reopening its ‘doors’ in the picturesque location of south Somerset on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s always worth dropping the Awtys a note in advance and you can find out all the details about planning your visit to Oatley on their really helpful webpage here.

Oh, and while you’re there, you must buy a few bottles of either Jane’s 2013 Madeleine Angevine or Leonora’s 2013 Kernling and show your friends! They’ll be pleasantly surprised by how tasty it is and how far English wine has come!

On Thursday 5 May, from 7pm, Ben will be running a tasting of fine Italian wines and artisan cheese at Barton Street Wine Bar in Central Bath. If that sounds perfect to you, book onto the event now!

Ben Franks

I’m always on the look-out for new wine lists to try and I’m here to help any restaurant or pub who think their wine list needs a seasonal update. For more information or to get in touch about some more of my favourite wine & dine destinations, call Ben Franks Wine on +44(0)7545353147.

For wine recommendations and free-to-view tasting notes visit www.benfrankswine.com or follow him on Twitter @BenFranksWine