Dunleavy Vineyards are launching a crowdfunding campaign to buy a small field on the outskirts of the city of Bristol!
Established by Bristol resident Ingrid Bates thirteen years ago, Dunleavy vineyards have become a success story in the Bristol and Somerset food and drink scene. Rather than focussing on ‘direct from vineyard’ sales, Dunleavy wines are sold through a host of small independent shops and many Michelin starred restaurants across the country. Many of these shops and restaurants feature in their crowdfunding video and also in a special reward people can buy as part of their campaign.
‘After the difficult year hospitality has had, we weren’t sure what our shop and restaurant customers would say when we asked for help but we were blown away with the response we received. We’ve been amazed at how many have offered to help us share our story on social media which has given our campaign a real collaborative feel.’
Ingrid set her vineyard up when she was in her 20’s. With high prices for land around the city, she quickly realised that leasing land was the only option open to her as a young person if she wanted to realise her dream of becoming a wine producer. A few years down the line, demand for her wine has rocketed. Dunleavy need more grapes to keep up with demand!
‘The plan is to buy a small field, close to the city of Bristol to give our business a long term base where it’s easier for people to engage with us. It’ll be a real showpiece for sustainable viticulture. At Dunleavy we love trying new things and want to grow exciting and new grape varieties without the use of chemicals. We love wildlife and want our vineyard to be a real haven for nature in all its forms. Our small, leased plot has given us a great start but there’s so much more we’d like to do.’
People can buy fantastic rewards as part of the Dunleavy crowdfunding campaign to help them reach their target of £55,000. As well as vine adoption, vineyard tours and tastings, you can get tickets to a beer and wine tasting with two of Bristol’s best beer producers; Wiper& True and Left Handed Giant. The evening will be hosted by food writer and TV presenter Andy Clarke in the amazing Finzels Reach building in Bristol.
They’re also offering the chance to have your or your pets face on the front of a wine label as well as tickets to a special vineyard harvest supper experience with food writer and chef Claire Thomson. Dunleavy are best known for their rosé wine but they’re making a special small batch of still white wine that will only be available to participants in the crowdfunding campaign.
Last but not least, they have created a small number of limited edition prints featuring the work of celebrated photographer Martin Parr. There’s a fun twist however because these prints double up as wine labels for their award winning sparkling red wine!
‘We love making fun labels that push the boundaries of convention. Martin’s work has never been used on a wine label before so these small, limited edition pieces are a real one-off.’