That’s it for the Crypt this year. Our last Summer Sunset Tasting was on Thursday 17 September, our tenth evening.

Thank you to everyone who came. You asked brilliant questions, you laughed at Sophia’s jokes, and you took a lot of wine home with you, which we’re very grateful for.

Over a hundred of you through the Crypt across the summer.

The room

The Crypt was the warming room of the Augustinian Priory, founded around 1153. Vaulted and cool, the right temperature for a summer tasting.

A thousand years of pilgrimage

Guests enjoyed learning about our history. Richeldis de Faverches had her vision in 1061 and built a replica of the holy house from Nazareth in the Abbey Grounds. Walsingham became one of the four great pilgrimage sites of medieval Europe, with Jerusalem, Rome and Santiago.

Estate grown

Every bottle you tasted was grown here. Nothing blended with fruit from elsewhere or bought in.

The wines

Jane MacQuitty of The Times picked our Pinot Noir as one of her top English reds. Bronze at the WineGB Awards, alongside our Bacchus Reserve. Our Solaris took a Decanter Bronze this year.

Private Abbey grounds access

Some of you decided to go and explore the Abbey Grounds after our tasting with a glass of wine in hand. Most of you decided to spend time in the Crypt enjoying the surroundings and our company.

Thank you

The questions you asked Sophia and Clovis were brilliant. Guests wanted to understand what wild fermentation is. Why we planted the three varieties. What the chalk gives the wine. 

Thank you to Elizabeth, who set the room and prepped our plates. And to Sam and Ali at Walsingham Farms Shop for providing the delicious accompaniments for the tastings.

Next year

We’re planning next year’s dates now. Sign up to our newsletter to hear first. Our wines are at the stockists on our Where to Buy page in the meantime.

See you next spring.

Clovis and Sophia