Dashelmere Vineyard: A New North Devon Coastal Wine Project
Introducing Dashelmere: A New Coastal Vineyard in North Devon
English wine is in the middle of one of the most exciting periods in its modern history, and a fresh generation of small, family-led vineyards is leading the way. Dashelmere is one of the most compelling new names to emerge in recent seasons: a young North Devon project that combines an ancient farm, a stretch of Atlantic coastline, and a quietly ambitious winemaking philosophy. With its first vintage now being released in strictly limited quantities, Dashelmere offers wine lovers the chance to be part of a story right at its very beginning.
Where is Dashelmere?
Dashelmere is rooted in West Ashford, a small hamlet that sits a few miles inland from the North Devon coast. The vineyard itself is laid out at West Ashford Barton, a working farm that has been on the same land for more than seven hundred years. The site is characterised by rolling hills, pockets of ancient woodland, and a long, slow view westward over the River Taw. On a clear day, the top fields look straight out across the Taw estuary, past Braunton Burrows and on to Hartland Point, before the land finally gives way to the open Atlantic.
That combination of sheltered inland ground and bracing sea air is at the heart of the Dashelmere identity. The farm's tag line - coastal white wines, grown and bottled by the sea - is not a marketing flourish. It reflects a real, observable terroir: vines planted close enough to the coast to feel the influence of salt-laden breezes, yet far enough inland to escape the worst of the salt spray and storm damage that batter exposed cliff-top sites further along the Devon and Cornish coast.
West Ashford Barton: a 13th-century farm
West Ashford Barton is a 13th-century Devonshire farmstead, and the vineyard has been developed with a light touch within that historic setting. The four acres under vine sit comfortably alongside the farm's continuing arable work and an active rewilding programme, and the family's long-term stewardship of the land is an important part of the Dashelmere story. New vineyards often need to balance commercial ambition with environmental responsibility, and at Dashelmere the two are deliberately entwined.
The Family Behind the Vines
Dashelmere is, at its heart, a family business. The vineyard is run by Charlie and her mother Arlene, a mother-and-daughter team who work the land together in all weathers. Both come from a background in traditional arable farming, and they have brought that discipline with them into viticulture, applying the same year-round attention to soil management, pruning, and canopy work that has long defined the farming calendar in this part of Devon.
That family ethic extends naturally into harvest time, which the team describe as the highlight of the year. As the grapes near ripeness at the end of summer, friends and family arrive in numbers to bring the crop in by hand. It is a traditional, communal approach to harvest that echoes the way many of the great European wine regions have always picked their fruit, and it gives the project a strong sense of place and continuity from its very first vintage.
From arable farming to viticulture
The move from arable farming into wine was not an obvious one, but it sits within a broader pattern across the UK, where established farming families are increasingly diversifying into vines. Like many of their peers, Charlie and Arlene were drawn to the combination of long-term crop value, the suitability of certain modern grape varieties to a changing British climate, and the chance to produce a finished, bottled product that carries the unmistakable character of a specific place.
The Grapes: Solaris and Sauvignac
Dashelmere's four acres are planted with two modern PIWI grape varieties: Solaris and Sauvignac. PIWI - short for Pilzwiderstandsfähige, or fungus-resistant - varieties have been developed to combine classic European wine character with strong natural resistance to mildew and other fungal diseases. That resilience is a practical advantage in the wet, changeable Atlantic-influenced climate of North Devon, where traditional Vitis vinifera varieties often require intensive spray programmes to reach full ripeness.
Solaris
Solaris is one of the most successful PIWI varieties in the UK. It ripens reliably even in cool seasons, builds sugar quickly, and retains the bright, aromatic acidity that English white wine is increasingly known for. At coastal sites it tends to produce wines with crisp orchard-fruit character, citrus lift, and a clear mineral streak - all qualities that fit naturally with the Dashelmere brief.
Sauvignac
Sauvignac is a newer addition to the UK wine scene, bred from Cabernet Sauvignon and Bronner. It is prized for its deeper colour, more structured palate, and resistance to both downy and powdery mildew. In the right hands it can produce wines with real gastronomic potential, and its inclusion in the Dashelmere planting signals a forward-looking approach to the range of styles the vineyard may eventually offer.
The Inaugural 2024 Vintage
The current release from Dashelmere is the 2024 vintage, a coastal white wine made from Solaris grapes harvested at the West Ashford Barton site. The first chapter of a new winery is always a significant moment, and the Dashelmere team are marking the occasion in the most personal way possible: by releasing only 180 bottles to the public.
That tiny volume is deliberate. Dashelmere is offering the wine exclusively to friends and family who have supported this journey from the beginning, and to a small circle of new customers prepared to engage with a brand-new name on a brand-new patch of land. The message is unmistakable: this is a request for honest feedback, conversation, and shared memory, not a mass-market launch.
A wine shaped by the coast
The combination of site and grape points clearly to the style of the 2024 release. The maritime influence of the Taw estuary, the moderating effect of the surrounding woodland, and the natural acidity of Solaris grown on a Devon hillside suggest a fresh, dry white with citrus and stone-fruit character, a saline edge, and a clean, mineral finish - a wine that sits comfortably alongside the most distinctive English coastal whites currently on the market.
The Wines
The current Dashelmere range is intentionally small, reflecting the limited volume of the inaugural release. The wines are available directly from the Dashelmere online shop and can be ordered individually or by the case.
Dashelmere Coastal White 2024 - £28.00
The single-bottle release of the inaugural vintage, available in 75cl format. Priced at £28.00 per bottle, it is positioned as a premium, small-lot English white wine. Customers can buy the wine directly from the Dashelmere Coastal White product page.
Dashelmere Coastal White Case (6 bottles) - £150.00
For customers who want to secure a fuller allocation, the same wine is available as a six-bottle case at £150.00. At £25.00 per bottle, the case represents a small saving on the single-bottle price and is the most natural way to follow the wine through its evolution in bottle over the coming months. The case can be ordered from the Dashelmere Coastal White case product page.
How to Buy Dashelmere
Dashelmere currently sells its wines through its own online shop rather than through wholesale or on-trade channels. The Dashelmere shop is the only direct route to purchase, and given the tiny 180-bottle release, allocation is strictly limited. As the vineyard matures and subsequent vintages are released, it is likely that the range will expand, both in terms of volume and in terms of the number of wines on offer, but for now the single Coastal White remains the entire range.
Visiting Dashelmere
Dashelmere is a young, working farm and vineyard rather than a large visitor centre, and the team do not currently offer formal tours, tastings, or cellar-door opening hours. They have, however, indicated that they are keen to build a long-term relationship with the people who buy their wine, and future visit opportunities, open days, or harvest events will be shared first on the brand's Instagram channel.
Why Dashelmere Matters
English wine is no longer a curiosity, but each new project still has to earn its place. What makes Dashelmere worth watching is the combination of a genuinely distinctive site, a thoughtful varietal choice, and a clear, patient philosophy. The decision to release only 180 bottles from the first vintage is a confident one: it prioritises quality and conversation over scale, and it gives the team a real chance to listen to what the wine - and their customers - are telling them.
For drinkers, this is an unusually intimate way to engage with a new English winery. Buying a bottle of the 2024 Coastal White is not just a purchase; it is a way to be present at the start of something that the team hope will run for decades. As Charlie, Arlene, and the rest of the Dashelmere family put it themselves, this is more than a first release - it is an invitation to help shape the future of Dashelmere over the decades ahead.
Stay Connected
The best way to follow the Dashelmere story as the vineyard grows is through the brand's Instagram account, where harvest updates, vineyard photographs, and news of future releases are shared. The Dashelmere shop is open for those ready to secure a bottle of the inaugural 2024 vintage.