Wines & Beverages

Wight Spirit

It's not just food lovers who head to the Isle of Wight, the mild climate and fertile soils are perfect for producing some of the finest English wines, ciders and juices. Brewing is also resurgent with 2 breweries making a huge range of mouthwatering award-winning delights. As for spirits, we are not sure about the lineage of 'Wight Vodka' but we love it all the same!

Beer

Beer is big of the Isle of Wight and one award-winning brewery is Goddards Brewery (01983 611011) in Ryde. Run by Anthony Goddard, the brewery is housed in 18th-century barns and produces an amber-coloured nectar called Duck's Folly and a flavoursome, malty, hoppy ale called Fuggle-Dee-Dum. At the Inn at St Lawrence near Ventnor, Yates' Brewery (01983 731731) run by David Yates and his son, produce a range of successful draft real ales and bottled conditioned beers such as their flagship bitter Undercliff Experience. Yate's Isle of Wight Special Ale collected a bronze award at the 2007 Great British Beer Festival.

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Wine

The Isle of Wight has the perfect climate for growing vines and is one of the top producers of high-quality English wine. Adgestone Vineyard (01983 402503) near Sandown is the oldest in Britain and you can tour the cellars and taste award-winning wines. Rosemary Vineyard (01983 811084) near Ryde is the largest on the Island, producing both sparkling and country wines - open all year for vineyard. Rossiters Vineyard (01983 761616) near Yarmouth is a hidden gem, producing wonderful estate-grown, bottle white, red and rosé wines - vineyard trail and free wine tasting.

Cider

Vintage cider lovers are in seventh heaven on the Isle of Wight. Sharon Orchard (01983 564595) in Ryde, run by Sharon McNally, boasts over 4,000 apple trees, growing 20 different kinds of apple which are pressed within a week of being picked to form 10 varieties of juice and cider, available from the on-site shop. Godshill Cider Barn (01983 840680) in Godshill produce unfiltered, dry to medium sweet cider and sell it in old-fashioned stone bottles. The on-site shop is open all year, selling wines, beer, liqueurs, mustards, chutneys & preserves.

Juices

Sharon Orchard (01983 564595) in Ryde produce a wonderful range of apple and pear juices without additives or colourings. Godshill Cider Barn (01983 840680) produce ginger beer and sell from their shop. Afton Park Nursery (01983 755774) in Freshwater offer delicious award-winning home-made apple juice using mainly Cox and Bramley fruit from their orchards. It contains no artificial additives, sweeteners, preservatives, colouring and no added water. Available from the on-site shop and Apple Tree Café.