Kent wine of the Year 2022 Finalist: The Mount Sparkling Red

The story of wine began at The Mount in 2004 when 13,000 vines were planted. In 2011, the current owner, Simon Greenwood, added two acres of Chardonnay, taking The Mount to eight grape varieties and 10 acres under vine.

Located in a breathtaking Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the village of Shoreham, The Mount is now a happy family home. Simon and his wife Sarah are proud to have grown The Mount into a welcoming English vineyard, bar and restaurant, shop and stunning venue offering wine-tasting experiences, food and wine, bespoke events and local products.

The village pub is their most recent acquisition and will be opening this spring after an exciting refurbishment.

Sustainability

Sustainability is at the heart of how The Mount Vineyard operates in its ecological, social and economic environment.

The Mount has expressed an interest in working with the Darenth Valley Landscape Partnership Scheme to sponsor cycle hire from Shoreham Train Station, reducing traffic in the village and promoting further the use of the cycle routes in this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The aim is to promote sustainable tourism and attract more visitors to the area by offering entertaining and cross-generational activities in a unique environment.
This, in turn, will contribute to the success of many other local businesses as well as cementing The Mount’s position as a key employer in the local area.
The field-to-fork approach means The Mount is increasingly using products grown on the estate, such as apples, plums and herbs, plus free range eggs from the brood of resident hens and, in the future, homegrown
mushrooms will also be used in the kitchens. The team are moving catering and food preparation to an
in-house operation and by sourcing other ingredients from local suppliers, the business will have more control
over its food miles.
The recently-refurbished village pub has energy-efficient appliances installed, leading to a reduction in
the company’s carbon footprint.
The Mount uses a renewable-energy source, wood pellets, to heat the bar, restaurant and house. In addition, it
has been pleased to add six sheep to the team and their grazing of the meadow now eliminates the need to
mow!
The estate management team have built a wormery to dispose of organic waste as well as using their own compost as fertiliser throughout the estate. They also mulch vine prunings back into the vineyard soil.
Any other waste is recycled where possible by Lili Waste Services in Tonbridge with the joint aim being
to send zero waste to landfill. Animal shelters and bug hotels have been introduced at the vineyard and
the team will shortly be installing beehives to improve biodiversity and increase pollination. Importantly,
badger setts and rabbit warrens are never disturbed or destroyed.
With regards to The Mount’s own viticulture practices, the team employ integrated pest management
to reduce pesticide use and has purchased an inter-vine cultivator, eliminating the use of herbicide.
As born and bred passionate conservationists, the estate management team are always striving for more sustainable and eco-friendly vineyard practices.