Introduction to Torview Wines

I had the absolute joy of joining Torview Wines for their Sparkling Wine Making Day, and although this process started in October 2023, it was a year-long experience, with the collection of my wine in October 2024, ready to drink for Christmas. Now having drunk most of my wines, and with English Wine Week 2025 here – it’s time to share everything with you!

I’ve been championing Devon wine since lockdown, when vineyards found their voice at top volume on socials in order to sell their delicious tipples. I was surprised and delighted to find out how many vineyards there were in Devon – you can find them all on my Devon Wine and Vineyard Directory here.

So finally visiting this hidden gem in North Devon was a real treat – especially for such a hands-on experience. [AD – Invited]

Torview is a small, family-run vineyard, tucked away near Dartmoor, where owner Tim has been crafting red wines for the past 17 years. Unlike most English vineyards, Torview focuses exclusively on red grapes, growing Pinot Noir, Dornfelder, and Rondo – all chosen for their large leaves, which help boost photosynthesis.

October 2023: The Beginning

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about winemaking, it’s that patience is key – and I was about to put mine to the test!

Winemaking is equal parts patience, science, luck, and bravery, and I got to experience it firsthand. I turned up on winemaking day, along with other participants – some local, some further afield. We started by tasting three grape varieties, then moved on to hand-picking from our chosen vines. I opted for Rondo grapes as I have had a Rondo Rose from another Devon vineyard and I love it – it’s great chilled or at room temperature in my opinion, and despite its neon pink-red colour, it’s not a sweet wine like the bright and deep coloured Zinfandel bottles you see in supermarkets.

Rondo grapes

What makes Rondo special?

• Early ripening: It matures faster than many other red grape varieties, making it ideal for cooler regions.
• Disease resistance: It has strong resistance to winter frost and downy mildew, though it may still need protection against powdery mildew.
• Deep color & rich aroma: Rondo produces ruby-red wines with good body and aroma, often used for blending.

It’s widely grown in Germany, England, Denmark, Wales, and Sweden, where traditional red wine grapes struggle to ripen properly. Some vineyards even use Rondo to make rosé wines, thanks to its vibrant color and fruit-forward profile.

Once we’d picked our two buckets worth, we ventured up to the wine store and all had a go manually de-stalking, crushing, and hand-pressing our pick, all fuelled by tasting some of Torview’s bottled vintages (because, you know, research and all that).

We then had a taste of our murky concoctions, filled in our wine sheets, noting dates, tasting notes, alcohol levels (using a refractometer), and even naming our wines! Then, with our juicy mix safely in a demijohn, Tim took over its care for the winter. The waiting game began….

Throughout the visit, Tim was welcoming, chatty, answered all sorts of queries from the group. I find it really therapuetic to be among the vines, there’s something soothing about the rows and rows of leafy plants, usually with a great view on offer.

February 2024: Rest and refresh

Winemaking with Torview isn’t just a one-day affair, it’s a year-long process with a few key visits along the way. Tim updated me on how our wine is coming along:

• Over the winter, it had been resting.
• He had racked the clear wine into a new demijohn a couple of times to remove sediment.

March 2024: Bottling Day

Before bottling, the wine was chilled to -2°C to cold-stabilize it. A couple of days later, the wine was ready for bottling. I popped up to the vineyard for a very quick visit, but it was an important one – I got to taste the fruits of my labour to see how it was coming along. I loved the rich, fruity flavours that Rondo grapes bring.

We then added yeast and sugar to kickstart the secondary fermentation – this is where the sparkling magic happens. I then departed, with my patient hat on again, to wait until October, when I would return to disgorge, add dosage, seal the bottles, and finally take them home – just in time for Christmas drinking!

October 2024: The Final Stage

The final step was disgorging – and I knew that if Tim’s demo on wine-making day was anything to go by, this would be very messy! This was also the opportunity to sweeten the wine with sugar (dosage – pronounced do-sarge), before adding the champagne cork and cage. I chose to put a bit less in half the bottles to get a dryer finish, and the other half with a slightly sweeter finish with either gold or silver cork cages to identify which was which.

Then, my six bottles of sparkling red wine were ready to be taken home for a 6 week slumber and would be ready just in time for Christmas celebrations!

Reflections on My Winemaking Experience

This experience has been fantastic – a true lesson in patience and craftsmanship. From hand-picking grapes to bottling and tasting, every step has deepened my appreciation for winemaking. I’m already in awe of local producers overall – the passion and hard work required for these independent businesses is not to be underestimated. English weather and nature can really play havoc with crops, and it takes nerves of steel to stick with it, in the hope of a good outcome.

Would I do it again? Absolutely! Would I recommend it? Of course. This year’s courses look to be sold out, but if you want to get involved next year then get in touch with Tim!

Have I got any of my wine left? I have just one bottle left to enjoy during English Wine Week 2025! Cheers!

Find out more about Torview Wines:

Facebook | Instagram | Website

View our social posts and reels on this experience:

Instagram: October 2023 Winemaking Day Reel | February 2024 Update 1 | February 2024 Update 2 | June 2025 Digorging and Bottling Post

2025 © Disclosure – all images, unless otherwise stated are copyright of Dining Devon. For some of our visits we are #invited or products are #gifted, and are noted as such. This means we have been given something complimentary in exchange for our views in the hope of us sharing on our socials. This does not affect our opinions which are not seen or pre-approved by venues before we publish or share our experiences