Will Davenport is unquestionably one of the leading lights in UK wine production, organic or otherwise. What started in 1991 as fivehectares planted at a single vineyard in Kent has, over the years, expanded to 24 acres across 5 separate vineyard sites with a winery in East Sussex. In 2000 Will took the decision to convert all the vineyards to organic and it’s a decision he doesn’t regret, attributing the quality of the wine to the lack of chemicals both in the vineyard and winery.

 What does this mean in practice? Copper and sulphur are used in the vineyard, but sparingly when mildew is a risk and Will also uses comfrey and nettle preparations as a liquid feed for the vines. By all accounts they have a bit of a badger problem at times too. The winemaking is as unmessed-around-with as possible too: no commercial yeasts; minimal sulphites; minimal filtration and the only fining used is bentonite clay, making all the wines vegan. There’s also a commitment to sustainability that runs through all that Davenports do, from low-energy cooling systems in the winery, fully recycled and recyclable packaging to a farm managed for wildlife under the Environmental Stewardship Scheme.