Cornwall hopes to join premier cru

An award-winning Cornwall vineyard has become the first in the UK to apply for protected status for one of its wines.

Following the practice of the great wine-makers of France, where the best wines have had protected status for centuries, Camel Valley Vineyard is applying for Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) recognition for its Darnibole wine. The PDO is the EU-wide equivalent of the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC).

The vineyard, near Bodmin, which was started by Bob and Annie Lindo in 1989, has already beaten champagne makers including Bollinger at the Bollicine del Mondo wine competition in Verona, Italy, with its sparkling "Cornwall Brut" wines.

If successful, the PDO will apply to white wine made from Bacchus grapes grown in one small 3.5-acre section of the 24-acre vineyard. Previous years' vintages have already won International Wine Challenge awards.

PA