Rowles Farm and Vineyard Featured on BBC News

When the BBC comes knocking, you know you're doing something right.

BBC South Weather journalist Alexis Green recently visited us here on the Berkshire Downs, and the story she told has been spreading far and wide — and we couldn't be more pleased with how it came out.

The piece centres on how the Carlisle family made the decision five years ago to diversify the farm in response to a warming climate — and what a decision it's turned out to be. But as the BBC notes, there was nothing rushed about it. Before a single vine went into the ground, the family spent three years monitoring weather patterns across the farm just to find the perfect spot. That kind of patience and precision says everything about how seriously they take this.

The vineyard now stretches across 6.5 hectares — roughly ten football pitches worth of vines — and once in full production, the family hope to produce around 100 tonnes of grapes a year, equating to approximately 100,000 bottles of wine. Not bad for a farm that started out growing wheat.

The BBC does a great job of capturing why this part of Berkshire is so well-suited to viticulture. As Will tells them: "The French climate is getting a lot warmer and where we currently are now, soil wise, we're exactly the same soil type as the Champagne region." It's a point that keeps coming up — and for good reason.

Of course, British farming is never without its challenges, and the article doesn't shy away from those either. A drought in 2023, a very wet 2024, frost fans running for six or seven nights this year alone — Georgie describes checking temperatures across the field at all hours, with readings varying by nearly six degrees between the top and bottom. It's not glamorous work, but it's the kind of dedication that makes great wine possible.

The good news? The farm produced 12 tonnes of grapes in 2024, and Georgie is optimistic: "This year it could be double what we had last year. Then double again next year — we'll see."

It's a brilliant piece of coverage that really gets to the heart of what Rowles Farm is all about — a family that knows its land, backs itself, and is quietly getting on with something rather exciting.

You can read the full BBC article here.