English Wine Week 2021: Celebrating Sustainability

It’s English Wine Week 2021 and so we though it only right to mention some of the amazing English wineries and vineyards we work with here at Flexi-Hex who are doing wonders in the world of sustainability. FOLC ROSÉ Folc were the first adopters of our 6-bottle box and since they started using Flexi-Hex, they haven't had a single breakage (typically 5-10% in the industry) in six months. Folc are committed to producing top quality English rosé using sustainable practices, while supporting their local community of winemakers. As a proudly British company, they source their grapes from family-run vineyards in East Sussex and Kent, close to where their wine production takes place, meaning less carbon miles are needed. As well as being both vegan and gluten-free, their bottle labels are made from recycled paper and they use a plant-based, carbon negative cork to seal the deal. Both their winery and a select few of their family-run vineyards are accredited to Wine GB’s sustainability scheme and that's not all... they were recently awarded a silver medal at the Wine GB Awards 2021. Congratulations guys! BRENLEY WINES Based in Kent, Jules and Tom Berry planted their first vines on Brenley Farm in 2009 and they have since built a reputation for producing quality grapes (Bacchus, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir & Chardonnay) alongside hops, apples and pears. In 2019, they released their first vintage – Brenley Bacchus 2019 – followed by Brenley Pinot Noir Rose 2020. Both wines are made exclusively using estate-grown grapes from Brenley Farm. In the not-so-distant future, they are planning on opening up the farm for vineyard tours and tastings so customers can really get to know the people and place behind their bottles. "I have to say I am in love with your packaging. It makes me so happy!" - Jules, Co-Founder RIDGEVIEW Ridgeview has been producing world-class sparkling wines in rural Sussex for over 25 years. They were one of the first vineyards to be planted in England, when many believed English wine just couldn’t be done, and they were one of the first wineries to focus solely on the production of sparkling wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grape varieties. The philosophy at Ridgeview is ‘minimal intervention’ while keeping control of the process and ensuring excellent quality from vine to glass. Dedicated to three pillars of sustainable practice – people, the environment, and economics – the Ridgeview Estate has invested in initiatives such as waste treatment, Bio-Bubble, cover crop biodiversity and solar power. Last Christmas, we sent out a bottle of Ridgeview as a thank you to some of our most loyal and long-standing customers. OXNEY ORGANIC ESTATE Based in East Sussex, Oxney Organic is the largest single-estate producer of English organic wine. Their 35 acres of vines in East Sussex produce around 20% of all organic grapes grown in the UK. Oxney also use their own grapes to make an increasingly celebrated range of still and sparking wines using organic methods and a sustainable low-intervention approach with wild ferments, no filtration and minimal use of SO2. They also generate biomass heat for winery operations using wood chips sourced from their own coppiced woodland.

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