High Clandon – Interview With Sibylla Tindale – Celebrating 20 Years!

There is no denying that English Sparkling Wine is on the rise, becoming an undeniable contender to Traditional Method Sparkling Wines around the world. To the English, it’s becoming a fan favourite and a go-to Glass of Bubbly, its quality is improving year on year and thanks to innovators and those willing to follow their dreams, the choice of English Sparkling Wine is expanding.

In this exclusive feature we speak with Sibylla Tindale, the incredible owner of High Clandon, in England, let’s find out a little about her life in the English wine industry, the future plans for High Clandon, one of her truly magical bubbly moments and so much more.

It’s Great To Speak With You,  Sibylla, Can You Tell Us A Little About Yourself & Your Incredible Journey Into The English Wine Industry?

“Lovely to chat too, thank you…and now to reminisce a bit. It was 20 years ago that we planted our High Clandon vineyard here in the beautiful Surrey Hills AONB.  That was impelled by a concatenation of events…

Growing up in the Constantia Valley of the Cape, the oldest wine area in South Africa dating back to 1668 (not I by the way)! and learning to relish great wines. At university studying Chemistry, then winning a wine competition, what a spur to show off! Then, loving Champagne and classic sparkling wine (Cap Classique it is called in SA), I discovered an English sparkling from Painshill Park, Georgian gardens developed in the 1770s by a Mr Hamilton near Cobham, Surrey and who planted a small vineyard on a south facing slope above the lake, which in the 20th Century had its wine made by Plumpton College.  This has a much lauded viticulture and Oenology – wine-training department.

And lastly, we bought a property with dazzling views high in the Surrey Hills…and guess what? Chalk, chalk and more chalk substrate reaching down 100 metres which challenged my gardening skills.  Eureka! This with the realisation that this was the best substrate in the world for award-winning wine cultivation so I said to my husband Bruce, let’s grow our own great English sparkling wine.  So that is how it all started. Off I went to Plumpton College to do a short course in viticulture and oenology and then we planted our vineyard to produce only aged-vintage premier Cuvée.  (Subsequently, Bruce achieved his BSc Honours degree in Oenology & Viticulture there after retiring from running PA Management Consultants).  Since then, it has become a whirlwind of viticulture, Gold Medals, visitors, hospitality and joy.  People who love wine are a joy to be with. It’s great fun.”

Do You Remember Your First Experience With Sparkling Wine? When It Was And What Kind Of Wine It Was?

“Well, that’s a question! I believe when I was rather young… my father who adored the good things in life introduced me to fizz at Sunday lunches at our farm in Central Africa, now Zambia.  I guess I was about 7 / 8 years old and loved it. Only a small glass mind. … I do not recall the brand, but do recall the joy.  Moving to the Cape to a smallholding in the Constantia Valley, we had ample wines to choose from and had Groot Constantia sparkling and also Twee Jongsezellen which later was called Methode Cap Classique style – to distinguish this classic method style, to create consumer confidence in the bottle-fermented Methode Champenoise from the cheaper fizzed-up wines.”

You’re Celebrating Your 20th Year Since Planting Your Boutique Vineyard, What Future Plans Can Enthusiasts Of High Clandon Look Forward To In The Coming Years? 

“Gosh….20 years.  Time has whizzed by and the plan remains, to stick to our approach of staying small so we can continue to hand manicuring our vines and bunches  (sticking to our knitting!!) to produce fabulous, gorgeous aged-vintage-only Cuvées. They garner so many gold medals and we will continue with this joy. 

The ‘expansion’ plans are to use every morsel of each grape to produce ‘range extensions’.  This has led to the second pressing of our grapes to produce a second wine to be distilled into a high alcohol Eau de Vie de Vin. This eau de vie then is used for our luscious The Essence of High Clandon Liqueur, our Cupid Blue Gin (named after the rare blue butterfly Cupido Minimus which lives and thrives in our extensive wildflower meadow alongside the vineyard), and now perhaps to use the excess eau de vie to make a little casket of aged brandy. Let’s see how that goes.

In addition, I would like to develop a range of skin-care beauty products using the wonderful phytophenols left over in the crushed grape husks – called the pomace – and use the active do-good phytophenol ingredient.  There is ample evidence in the beauty industry that these phytophenols are of benefit to skin care.  So the ideas continue! 

We wish to reach the point that the only item leaving the vineyard is the grape…and this will go all the way into products to enjoy.  No waste. Sustainable vineyard!”

Can You Speak A Little About Your Art & Sculptures In The Vineyard And The Experiences People Can Enjoy At The Vineyard? 

“Art and Sculptures in the Vineyard was a concept to tie together the gorgeous taste of our Cuvée, to reach a market of like-minded lovers of sparkling wine and our delight in the arts of Surrey and beyond.  This was a way of celebrating the release of our annual five-year-aged vintage every summer with great, happy, enticing art showing in our wildflower meadow, gardens, vineyard and Glass Barn…and then the realisation that a marvellous charity for children with severe disabilities, Cherry Trees based in our village of East Clandon could benefit too. So this circle of support has become a feature of our summer calendar.  10% of art sales go to Cherry Trees, the artists have a beautiful showcase for sculptures and paintings and do not pay any commission to us and we have the joy, and so do our visitors of wonderful art. This year celebrates not only 20 years of the vineyard but also our 11th Art & Sculptures in the Vineyard event.

As to other experiences: we do a lauded Tour, Talk, and Tasting for visitors to the vineyard and we challenge even MWs to go away without learning something fun, or historical or simply ‘gosh I never knew that’ and you too can learn the Art of Sabrage – our signature.  Since becoming founder members of Vineyards of the Surrey Hills, one of five including the great Denbies, Albury, Chilworth Manor and Greyfriars, we have pioneered the Battle of Waterloo, a Masterclass and taste-off of these five vineyards premier Cuvées against grand marque Champagnes. The participating audience judges who wins this battle! So far it’s been ‘nul point’ to Napoleon! A testament to our fine wines from these chalky hills.

Another fun adventure: we planted a truffle orchard in 2004 which now bears from the roots of the hazel and oak trees not only the classic delicacy, the Burgundian truffle, we also have just discovered that we have the prized Perigord black truffle – one of only three such finds in England to date – which extends the truffle season from August to March. So of course, for the visitor they can experience the joy of Truffles and Cuvée Experience Day.  Learn of the mystique of truffles, how to hunt them with a truffling dog and enjoy the truffle on freshly scrambled eggs with a glass of our vintage Cuvée.

And two years ago, Cherry Trees charity and ourselves developed a fun outdoor event for May/late spring, a Jazz in the Vineyard concert on the lawn overlooking the wildflower meadow with sweeping views across the hills to London’s dramatic skyline and using the fine musicians from Guildford’s Jazz School. Picnics, rugs and fine Cuvée make the event extra special. This year’s Jazz event took place on 8th June.”

When It Comes To Pairing Sparkling Wine With Food, Do You Have Any Favourite Combinations That You Would Personally Recommend?  

“Our Quintessence of England – our name for an English sparkling wine to distinguish it from Champagne and other ordinary fizzes, seems to go with so much!  It is due to the ageing and quality of the grapes that it has the body to pair with so many foods.  For me, it is fab with nuts, with paté, with seafood and shellfish and my favourite is a butter-fried rare sirloin with a hint of truffle butter where the Cuvée is at its apogee.”

Can You Share With Us One Of The Most Memorable Experiences You’ve Enjoyed With A Glass of Bubbly? 

“Oh. Oh! What a question! It has to be when my husband proposed to me under a series of vines whilst picnicking at Delheim wine estate near Stellenbosch. Perfection. Unsurprisingly, I do not recall clearly the brand, but it might have been Kaapse Vonkel from Simonsig Estate.”

Thank you, Sibylla, for sharing your story and experiences with us and we at Glass of Bubbly wish you the very best for the future!

Images belong to Sibylla Tindale. Glass of Bubbly was granted permission to use them.