HOLIDAYS  BUYING  HELPLINE Great Escapes: Isle of Wight 2 Wight tasty treats Nothing triggers the memory like the olfactory senses. Tastes and smells associated with great holidays will linger long after sights and sounds have faded. Which is why you need to feast on a region’s finest foods for a lasting memory of the place. Well, that’s our excuse and we’re sticking to it. The Isle of Wight has a wealth of food producers within a short distance of each other. On these pages we have put the emphasis on those places where you can find out a little about how the food is made, but our round-up is by no means exhaustive. No visit to the island would be complete without sampling the beers of Goddard’s Brewery or tasting an ice cream from Minghella’s. Eat, drink and shop – but be sure to take the bus if you’re thinking of sampling the island’s alcoholic delights. 1 THE GARLIC FARM More often associated with the Continent than southern England, garlic has been grown at this farm since the heatwaves of the mid ’70s. What was a kitchen-garden experiment has grown into a cottage industry with its own strain of the bulb, Solent Wight, which has even been sold at Marks & Spencer in Paris. You can stock up on the bulbs themselves, smoked or unsmoked, or sample some of the delectable products made from them, including pickles, chutney and – if you’re feeling particularly adventurous – smoked garlic honey. 2 ADGESTONE VINEYARD One of England’s oldest vineyards, it’s thought Adgestone’s first vines were planted by the Romans. It’s certainly a fine site, with frost-free, south-facing slopes which, in their latest incarnation, have been producing grapes since the late ’60s. Adgestone sells four wines: two whites, a red and a sparkling brut. If you want to find out more about the wine-making process, from grape variety selection right up to bottling, you can take a tour of the winery cellar. 3 MORTON MANOR VINEYARD As well as a fine selection of red, white and rosé wines, Morton Manor also offers some of the most pleasant surroundings in which you could possibly wish to enjoy them. The original manor was built in 1249, though this was extensively rebuilt around 1680, and has an elegant feel, inside and out. But the gardens are undoubtedly the finest feature, especially, in spring and summer, with Japanese acers providing a final flourish of colour in autumn. There’s a video to watch about the wine-growing process, and a tea room and wine bar in which to enjoy the fruit of the vines. And you can pick up your favourite, as well as other local treats, in the vineyard’s gift shop. 4 ROSEMARY VINEYARD Its pleasant hillside location makes the Rosemary Vineyard a lovely place to linger and make a closer inspection of the vines, or to enjoy a coffee or a cream tea on the terrace café. Occasionally presentations are given and guided tours are available, but it’s simple enough to grab a brochure and take a look yourself at the different varieties of grape prior to tasting the wines. There are four white varieties to sample, plus a rosé, a red and a brut sparkling wine. The grapes that thrive here originated in areas with climates similar to the Isle of Wight’s, such as the north of Germany and Alsace in eastern France. 5 ARRETON CRAFT VILLAGE There’s a range of gifts, crafts and local produce on sale here, but our main reason for including Arreton is for its micro-brewery, whose beers you can sample on site. The White Lion pub also serves locally brewed Goddards Fuddle Dee Dum (and if you can say that after a few pints, you’re doing well). The village itself marks the geographical heart of the island and has some worthwhile places to visit, including a 12th-century church and a brass-rubbing centre. 6 GODSHILL CIDER BARN If you are looking for gifts for those back home, the Godshill Cider Barn can oblige with a surprisingly wide range. It’s a cool, flagstone-floored shop with a great selection of high-quality ciders, preserves and pottery, and a few spices thrown in for good measure. If you fancy something a bit stronger, there are liquers and wines too. Our favourite of all the Godshill specialities was the saucily monickered Rumpy Pumpy Scrumpy. 7 AFTON PARK NURSERY AND ORCHARD That most English of fruits, the apple, is enjoying a renaissance as gourmets explore the tastes and textures of some neglected varieties. As you’ll learn at Afton Park, there used to be thousands of varieties in England, which has a climate uniquely suited to growing apples of character. If you want to learn how to grow them, or you’re keen to find new ways of using them in the kitchen, Afton Park is the place for you. The staff have plenty of hints and tips for growers of apples and many other types of produce. The orchard’s restaurant specialises in home-grown, chemical-free ingredients – and locally produced wine can be the ideal accompaniment. 8 SWEET MANUFACTORY Like so much else on the Isle of Wight, this is the remarkably evocative home of some old-fashioned values. Here you’ll find the huge, flavoursome boiled sweets stored in the big jars that would, until about 20 years ago, line many a newsagent’s walls. The fun part of this visit is watching the sweets being made. There are demonstrations every day, with running commentary provided by the confectioners themselves. After 15 minutes spent watching these real-life Willy Wonkas working their magic, you’ll be glad of the chance to sample the goods straight out of the tin, or you can pop into the shop next door to buy some for the journey home. HOME PAGE | TOP OF PAGE GREAT ESCAPES   Getting around  Wight tasty treats  Animal magic  BACK TO ARCHIVE FACTFILE: PLANNING Tourist information Tel 01983 813818 Refreshments Arreton Old Village and Barns Newchurch Tel 01983 528353 Attractions The Garlic Farm Newchurch Tel 01983 865378 Web www.garlic-gourmet.co.uk Adgestone Vineyard Adgestone Tel 01983 402503 Web Click Here Morton Manor Vineyard Brading Tel 01983 406168 Rosemary Vineyard Ryde Tel 01983 811084 Web Click Here Arreton Craft Village Arreton Tel 01983 528353 Godshill Cider Barn Godshill Tel 01983 840680 Afton Park Nursery and Orchard Freshwater Tel 01983 755774 Sweet Manufactory Alum Bay Tel 0870 458022 HOLIDAYS  BUYING  HELPLINE Contact Practical Caravan Best viewed in screen resolution 800 x 600 using I.E.4 or Netscape 4 or later.