Did you know, that in 2011 we gained permission from the Ranger of Windsor Great Park, the late Duke of Edinburgh, to plant a three-hectare vineyard within this Royal Park. Our inaugural vintage was 2013, launched to great global acclaim. Since then, this award-winning fizz has been served to Heads of State at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and around the world. It even features in a new documentary about the origins of sparkling wine. The latest release, 2016, has just been awarded 94 Points by Decanter too.
Have an inside look at Windsor Great Park Vineyard with this video update from Tony Laithwaite. He talks you through the different tasks of June and the sustainable methods the team employs to keep the vines strong and healthy.
Enough to inspire you to chill down a bottle of great English fizz!
Thanks for the uplifting video Tony. You look/sound almost as good as the wine! The product is excellent in my opinion and I certainly do not regret joining as a member of the Windsorians!
I look forward to receiving my next batch next Springtime.
Best wishes to all at Laithwaites – especially Simon Millard my wine adviser who is excellent at what he does!
Andrew Davison
20 November 2020
A brilliant & heart warming video message, just what we need during this very difficult year.
A huge well done to all the team.
I’m proud to be a Windsorian!
Thanks Tony and team for a beautiful wine, I so enjoy it, saving a few to celebrate the end ofvthis awful virus. Enjoyed the video……best wishes to all your team.
Rod.
Tony,
Nice video. My wife and I and three kids used to live in Old Windsor (32 yeaars less a 3 year stint living in Shetland during the construction of the Sullom Voe Oil Terminal). So, we know the Great Park well and when the opportunity arose to become a “Friend of Great Park Bubbly” we jumped at it. Superb fizz! Well done to our adviser, Alex Gulley.
Prior to the Norman Conquest, Old Windsor was the Windsor, only becoming “Old” when the Norman castle was built and “New” Windsor sptung up around it. There was a Saxon palace in Old Windsor, which no doubt William used for hunting in the Royal Forest of Windsor, before he built the round tower. He would have approved of a vinyard in the Forest!
You mentioned a name for us. In Saxon times, Old Windsor was known as Windlesora. So how about calling us “Windlesorans” to differentiate us from the residents of Windsor!
Best Wishes
Bill
Unbeknowest to the Laithwaite family, my family has been passing on the appreciation of sourcing good wine to future generations and this latest enterprise in Windsor Great Park vineyard is testament to the founder. My uncle recommended my father to the audacious ‘youngster’ in an unassuming van importing little gems, who then filled our cellar with pencil sketches of his exploits visiting small vineyards and I in turn ensure that my son’s wine rack is well stocked when he needs to take a break from the front line in medicine.
We will continue to enjoy the Windsor sparkle and more besides, good cheer to all the Laithwaites fraternity.
The vineyard looks great, every bit as good as the French ones we visit, have you been to Chatau la Coste – you should stock their wines!
look forward to our next case…
Most delicious champagne. We love it! Also special to enjoy this local “delicacy”. We are big fans of Laithwaite wines, your ever so thoughtful members of staff and the whole spirit and philosophy of the company. Incidentally, I have also just finished Tony’s autobiography and thoroughly enjoyed every page of it. Thank you!!
I recently read Tony’s autobiography,, too, kindly sent to me. A lot of social history. Sent Tony a letter about it, unfortunately he either didn’t get it or had no time to react. (Admittedly, I said I didn’t need a reply …) Generally, I think, Laithwaites deserve a better reputation. In the papers I read, none of their wines are ever amont the recommendations. Shame.
Heart warming, confiding and conversational as always. Your enthusiasm and quiet humour is infectious.Your expertise is admirable and prodigious: As with your profits and the onward expansion of your EXCELLENT Wine Empire and all services therein. Scant wonder then, when I so willingly ‘chuck my hat through your many doors’ for repeated and urgent bouts of Retail Therapy and thus, have quaffed your wines, from all over this planet, for decades. My thanks to you Tony; your good lady wife; your family and your Laithwaites staff. ALL of you: Simply wonderful: Keep Pounding………And I look forward to my next case of Windsor Great Park Fizz!!!!!!!