In his latest food column Mark Heath visits Hawkswood Vineyard in Thurston, samples some perfect roadside pizza and discovers a scenic new Suffolk cafe...
I don't know much about wine, other than the fact that I enjoy drinking it. That, and I'm pretty adept at picking out the bargains from the cheaper end of my local Co-op's offering when the urge strikes on impromptu midweek drinking nights. I also didn't know until recently that we have an award-winning vineyard tucked away in the heart of mid-Suffolk - but, once educated, I obviously felt it my duty to pop along to learn more on your behalf.
And drink wine. Hawkswood Vineyard is based on the outskirts of Thurston, near Bury St Edmunds, the retirement passion project of ex-surgeon Michael Rhodes and his wife Irene, a former nurse. Michael and Irene Rhodes created and run Hawkswood Vineyard in Thurston (Image: Submitted) It's just been named best vineyard in the East of England in the WineGB awards , while their Pinot Rose was heralded as the second-best rose in the country.
Impressive stuff. The duo offer tasting and tours Monday to Saturday, so I - along with my equally enthusiastic wine-appreciating parents and wife - joined a group a couple of weeks ago. As you may expect, drinking multiple highly-rated wines in the Suffolk sun on a Wednesday afternoon was bloody good fun, especially in the company of natural hosts Michael and Irene.
We'll get onto the wines themselves shortly, but first a few details about the vineyard,.