It is a time of unprecdented change, and we are some of the few fortunate enough to keep working on our vines, making wine and sellling under relatively safe conditions.  We are surrounded, at least in spirit, by our wonderful customers and volunteers, and we have found ways to be part of the local community.

But now is the time to take stock and really plan for the future, after the pandemic.  As part of the on-going narrative, we are still keeping active on the environmental front.  Bothy Vineyard is, for the first time, running a wildflower blog so that we can share with our readers the wonderful variety of wildflowers that share their habitats with our vines.  The colours, profusion and density of these quiet companions remind us daily that we are not the sole inhabitatns of this planet and that this pandemic is a truly human tragedy.

Bothy Vineyard is also keen to highlight the fact that farming can co-exist alongside a rich and diverse wildflower habitat.  It brings joy and sustains well being to us, whilst supporting a multitude of insects, birds and other animals. There must be a way of truly putting a value on our natural world once we are out of this.

To enjoy our wildflower blog, plesae visit our Facebook page.  Please feel free to share this. 
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Bothy Vineyard celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2018 making it the oldest vineyard-winery in Oxfordshire.  After several years of being hit by late frosts, the vines came through this cold winter and spring with virtually no frost damage. Will this Spring be as kind to us.
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Sian Liwicki of Bothy Vineyard said,“When the vineyard was first planted in 1978, those were pioneering days.  In the early years of the industry no one knew which grapes would do best in our climate and what the productivity would look like. The founders Dorothy and Roger Fisher, however, astutely found a site with 20 feet of sand, sheltered from the winds and in a relatively dry rain shadow. It has not always been easy but forty years on we are still here and producing excellent wines. We are celebrating the founder’s foresight and extending the tradition of wine making in the Vale of the White Horse for many more years!” ​

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We’ve done a recent collaboration with myhotelbreak on why their guests should visit us here at Bothy Vineyard.  Read the article below:
During a hotel break it’s always an added bonus when you find a hidden gem when exploring a new place. For people looking for a break in Oxfordshire we highly recommend adding Bothy Vineyard to your itinerary.
Let’s find out more…
Looking to add something different on your next trip to Oxfordshire? Bothy Vineyard ticks so many boxes.  Not just for wine enthusiasts, this charming vineyard situated in Abingdon with its wooden door entrance and slant roof, offers an experience to remember for visitors.
This is Oxfordshire’s oldest vineyard and winery, situated just 6 miles from the heart of Oxford.  Bothy produce some of the finest wine you’re likely to taste anywhere (trust us we know)! It’s one of the best places to sample wine in the area. They continue the ancient tradition of producing wine that’s not new to Oxfordshire.
Bothy wines have won several awards over the years and it’s partly due to the deep sandy terroir and the unusually dry micro climate.  However, it is also the artisanal, hand-crafted nature of the winemaking which makes this boutique vineyard stand out from the others. The vineyard is also committed to working with nature, ensuring that it’s wines are as sustainably produced as possible.
Wine Tours and Tasting…
Enjoy a fun and exciting tour at Bothy. The tour season kicks off when the days warm up and lengthen at the end of April. At the start of the tour you’ll learn about the history of the vineyard during your initial walk. Visitors will learn the environment factors that affect wine production and more.
During the 2hr session visitors will begin to understand about the wine making operations in the winery as well as enjoying a free tasting session of the award winning wines at Bothy. Cheese and other nibbles will also be offered.
It’s important to book prior to arrival.
Click here to find out more on pricing and booking arrangements of Wine Tours.
What wines are on offer?
There are several wines on offer from the vineyard shop at Bothy which is open every Saturday in the Summer and can also be bought via prior arrangement.  You’ll find the best Oxford Wine around as the grapes have been picked and tended by hand while the still wine has been bottled on the estate with minimum intervention.
Click here to find out what’s available.
This is a really great winery run by Richard and Sian who are passionate about producing fantastic wine for the area of Oxfordshire and beyond.
Expect a warm welcome when you arrive and a fond farewell too.  This is a place to be discovered. Take time out and visit Bothy Vineyard this year. You’re in for a treat.
 
Follow the Bothy blog on www.facebook.com/bothyvineyard
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So very exciting to have Jared Reabow film our activities from above and set it to soaring music.  It is dedicated to our troup of volunteers who have supported us all these years.  Please enjoy.
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Winter pruning is when we cut off all of last year's growth that we no longer need, leaving just the strongest "arms" or canes for growing on this coming year.  We use electric secateurs which help us avoid repetitive strain injury - there are thousands of cuts to make!  But it is also a machine that demands respect and care. This weekend we will be joined by a band of volunteers who will take all the cut canes off the trellis system for us.  They are a fantastic gang - to learn more watch this video: winter pruning

So very excited - we have printed our own high quality corkscrews.  This fetching butlers friend is ergonomically designed and will last and last. Excellent as a present too.

 It came as a complete shock to us but dear, dear Lendon Scantlebury, friend, business collaborator and indomitable curator to our two Sculpture in the Vineyard exhbitions suddently passed away in January.

We first met Lendon when we went to an exhibition which he curated an exhibition at Kingham (2012).  It was a trip eked out of an impossibly busy vineyard schedule and getting a break to look at art, of all things, was like another country.  We were captivated by the sculptures, the layout, the diversity and when we met Lendon we were immediately taken by him.  His hat, his smile, the cadences in his voice, his warm, lively character.  His charm worked – we bought two pieces! 

We immediately saw the potential for holding a similar exhibition at Bothy.  This was someone we could work with and such an exhibition would help us raise money for charity and help put the business on the map.  We lured Lendon to the vineyard (sculpture delivery), so we could show him round. The more we talked with him, the more we liked him and the rest is history. 

2013 was the beginning of a lovely, fun, close and creative collaboration – 2 successful “Sculpture in the Vineyard” events and Lendon providing guidance and inspiration to everyone he came across.  Organising his fellow sculptors – it was like herding cats, but one could not wish for a more patient and charming curator. The whole Liwicki family got involved.  Richard and Sian – doing the hosting thing, but our girls also helped out – publicity and social media (Sasha), cakes and art (Zoe). It was a fantastic experience for us all.
A week before Lendon was taken into hospital we spent a morning dissecting the previous events and planning the next – for September.  It was going to be better, more ambitious in terms of quality and beauty.  As always Lendon was enthusiastic and positive. But sadly it was not to be.  There was no suggestion that he was seriously ill.  We will greatly miss Lendon from our lives. His ambition, his creativity, style and joie de vie.

Rather proud of our Christmas display - lots of lovely presents and delicious wines.  Busy all the days in the run up to Christmas.  It felt like everyone had gotten over the shock of Brexit and were just intent on having a good time.  At least one customer declared that they were having a "local food only" Christmas day, whilst another was determined to just give locally made presents.  That's the spirit!  Happy New Year everyone! 

After a slow start to Spring, we had a fantastically settled period over floweing (July).  Late August was fine and dry and our crop began to ripen.  Now, in late September and early October the weather is more autumnal.  Fine mists and rains intersperse fine and windy weather, slowing down ripening.  It's now a race to get the grapes ripened whilst the birds and squirrels are very interested in our crop.  October harvest days have been issued to our volunteers and the preparations begin......

We were surprised and pleased to find that Wei Min He, who visited the vineyard with Sylvia Vetta, had sketched the tour he was on during English Wine Week. In between helping Sian with glasses and bottles, he sketched Ed talking to our visitors. Here it is!
Wei Min is well known in Oxford. Most recently, to celebrate the historic Radcliffe Observatory Quarter project, Weimin He as artist-in-residence for Oxford University created a unique portfolio of drawings, ink paintings and woodcut prints to reflect the unprecedented transformation of the site.
Weimin trained as an artist in both north-eastern China and Northern Ireland. In 2008 he created a body of artwork reflecting the transformation of the Ashmolean Museum and had a successful exhibition when the Museum was reopened in 2009. His work has been exhibited worldwide, including at the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the China National Museum of Art. He also teaches life drawing at the Ruskin School and the Ashmolean Museum.http://www.parallel-prints.com/weimin-he/nm