Lympstone Manor exterior
Lympstone Manor, Exmouth
(Image credit: Lympstone Manor, Exmouth)

Michelin-starred restaurant and hotel Lympstone Manor is to plant a vineyard to produce sparkling wine on its estate.

Lympstone Manor, which only opened in 2017 after being refurbished by owner and chef Michael Caines MBE, plans to produce Champagne-method, English sparkling wines at the 11-hectare estate.

Lympstone’s team will plant 18,000 vines in April this year, to mark one year since opening. The restaurant, which forms part of a country house hotel, was awarded one star in the 2018 Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland.

Its move follows strong sales growth for English and Welsh wine in recent years, and a significant rise in vineyard plantings.

‘From the first time I viewed the property in July 2014, my intention was to establish a vineyard on the site,’ said Caines.

Lympstone Manor sits on the East Devon Exe estuary in south-west England.

‘The great vineyards of Europe are all located on rivers, the Médoc châteaux of Bordeaux on the Gironde, wine estates along Rhône, Loire, and Rhine rivers, the great port vineyards of the Douro.

‘Why not the Exe estuary? Our climate is mild, and the success of other local vineyards has convinced me that it will be possible to produce outstanding wines here.’

The first batch of Lympstone Manor Cuvée is planned for 2023, with still wines possibly to follow after that.

James Matyear has joined the Lympstone Manor team as vineyard and grounds manager and will oversee the project alongside Caines and operations director, Steve Edwards.

Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.