Laverstoke Organic Ale

This traditional bottle conditioned ale is the latest “farm produce”. The ale has a remarkably full flavour and has been produced by master brewer Derek Lowe utilising the traditional hops and barley grown on the farm.

We have collected and grown old traditional hop varieties and selected the best combination of these for their aroma, and balanced them with additional organic hops, in this, our first beer. We are biodynamic and organic and go much further than both to produce excellent, flavoursome hops and barley. Our micro-biology lab continuously tests the soils, adding compost and compost teas so that the biology in the soil has the right proportions of beneficial bacteria and fungi for the hops and barley to be at their best and most flavoursome. This creates the deep flavours of the beer.

Vineyard

The vineyard of Laverstoke Park currenty comprises of 9 hectares of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Within each of these varieties clones were selected for their suitability to produce quality organic sparkling wine in the often difficult UK growing conditions. Each chosen to provide a different dimension for the winemaker to craft together a quality organic English sparkling wine. The site of the vineyard was chosen because of the slope, exposure to the sun and also to help manage the vigour of the vine and the impact of disease. A small area was intially planted in 2006 then the majority was planted in 2007 at a vine density of 5000 vines per hectare. These vines are managed organically and biodynamically with the focus on developing the soil to support the vine. This involves applying Laverstoke's own compost made on site and regular testing using the onsite laboratory to ensure the correct biology in the soil. There is also regular applications of compost tea to the foliage of the vine and the inter row to assist the vine in its defence against disease. The management of the vineyard is very much based on tried and tested techniques with the health of the vine the most important consideration in everything that we do. For further information on the vineyard please contact Darryl Kemp on 01256 772659 or email darryl@laverstokepark.co.uk.