Veenow, Florosso, Shropshire, England

Who - Rob & Katie Greenow, Veenow
Where - Waters Upton, North Shropshire, England
What - Red Wine - Pinot Noir, Cabernet Noir
When - 2025
How  - Regenerative / organic practices, matured in barrel for nine months, vegan

Rob & Katie Greenow took on a 162 acre arable farm with the dream to start their own vineyard. Neither had prior experience of wine growing, but their passion for the stuff shaped their travels, visiting vineyards across Europe, notably across Italy and France where friends were made in wineries and knowledge was shared over a glass or two. In 2021 they planted their first vines of Bacchus and Pinot Noir which were shortly followed in 2023 by further plantings of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Piwi variety, Cabernet Noir taking them to 40 acres of vines making it the largest vineyard in Shropshire. Rob and Katie also have a deep passion for the future of the planet and sustainable farming so their entire vineyard has been farmed regeneratively from the beginning and at their 40 acres (with plans to expand further) they're currently the largest regenerative vineyard in the UK! After years of conventional arable farming, they had some work to do to bring life back to the soil but visiting Veenow today, you can see a vibrant, biodiverse field, full of life. They never plow and are selective with tractor use to avoid immpaction with alternate rows planted in grasses and a wide range of cover crops which provides wildlife cover, prevents rainwater run off and retains nutrients in the ground. Alongside this they keep their hedgerows full for windbreak as well as further environment for wildlife and have since noticed a return of a rare species of hare as well as multiple birds of prey. Oh yeah, and they've also noticed that this helps to grow happy and healthy grapes!

Their drive for sustainability doesn't end in the vineyard though, with a minimal touch in the winery, their wines are made with minimal sulphur. Bottled with lighter glass and labeled with sustainble cotton. Every choice is carefully considered every step of the way. This is a young project with only three years of vintage to show for so far, so definitely one to keep an eye on with exciting things ahead. 

2025 sees their first red release which is named after their daughter, Florence. Mostly Pinot Noir, with a little Cabernet Noir blended to add a little weight yet still fresh and juicy with notes of cherries, raspberries and plum with a little Cab Franc'esque herbaceousness. Suitable a little chilled if you like.