Furnace Projects: English Wines, Vineyard Experiences & Rural Creativity in Herefordshire
Nestled on a 500-year-old estate in the Herefordshire countryside, Furnace Projects is part vineyard, part artist residency, part rural retreat. From four carefully reconstructed 300-year-old barns at St Weonards, the team tends two vineyards, makes small-batch English wines, runs vineyard tastings, hosts an acclaimed cultural salon called S.T.E.W., and welcomes guests to two very different rural stays: Blackbird Barn in Herefordshire and Comraich on the West Coast of Scotland. The whole enterprise is built on a simple idea: bring nature, culture and collaboration together, in a glass of wine or a bowl of seasonal stew, in a rural setting.
About Furnace Projects and the Furnace Farm Barns
Furnace Projects describes its work as "bringing together nature, culture and collaboration" and exploring "new world thinking and ideas in a rural context, over a glass of wine." The site at St Weonards consists of four reconstructed 300-year-old barns arranged around a landscaped courtyard and terraces that look out over the vineyard. Within the cluster of historic buildings sit a working studio, a wine tasting room, the Winemaker's Cabin and The Plant Room, a space dedicated to sowing seeds. The characterful stone and timber buildings host vineyard experiences, wine tastings, artist residencies and workshops throughout the year.
The project sits inside the wider Treago Estate, a Herefordshire landscape whose history has been continuously worked for at least five hundred years. Herefordshire is, in the words of the producers, a county whose "ancient history still echoes in its modern day existence", a place whose relative inaccessibility has long drawn artists and makers seeking out its extraordinary natural beauty. Furnace Projects positions itself as a focus for that creative rural community, working to "democratise and spread the values, practices and produce of the contemporary rural across as wide and diverse an audience as possible."
The Heritage of the Treago Estate Setting
Volcanic activity shaped much of Herefordshire, leaving behind the Malvern Hills and the Worcester and Hereford Beacons, the silhouette most associated with the county. The same geology underpins the soil around the Furnace vineyards, and provides exactly the kind of free-draining, mineral-rich ground that classical cool-climate grape varieties enjoy. The Treago Estate, which surrounds the Furnace site, anchors the project in an unbroken thread of rural stewardship that goes back centuries, and gives the wines a sense of place they could not have anywhere else.
The Vineyards: Yarkhill and St Weonards
Furnace Projects operates two separate vineyards, each with a distinct character and purpose. They lie within a few miles of one another and are managed entirely by hand.
Yarkhill Vineyard
The larger of the two vineyards was planted in 2010 at Yarkhill, an Anglo-Saxon-named village sitting in the valley of the River Frome. The combination of soil, slope and aspect along the Frome valley makes Yarkhill well suited to viticulture, and the site carries a mix of Bacchus, Phoenix, Pinot Noir, Regent, Rondo and Seyval Blanc vines. The Yarkhill fruit forms the backbone of the Furnace wine range.
St Weonards Vineyard on the Treago Estate
A smaller, more experimental vineyard was planted in 2018 on the Treago Estate itself, near the village of St Weonards. It is set in "beautiful unspoilt landscape" and is used for experimental winemaking. Here the team has planted Bacchus, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The St Weonards plot doubles as the setting for Furnace's vineyard tastings and experiences, hosted on site by Beth.
Grape Varieties Grown at Furnace Projects
Across both vineyards Furnace Projects cultivates seven varieties, chosen for their suitability to the Herefordshire climate and the styles the team wants to make:
- Bacchus, the aromatic German crossing that has become a calling card for English still and sparkling wines.
- Phoenix, a disease-resistant variety used to add resilience in cooler, damper seasons.
- Pinot Noir, the classic Champagne grape, used here for both sparkling base wines and red blends.
- Regent, a German red crossing that brings deep colour and soft, autumnal fruit.
- Rondo, an early-ripening red hybrid that excels in cooler English seasons.
- Chardonnay, one of the world's great white grapes, planted at St Weonards.
- Seyval Blanc, a reliable, clean-tasting white hybrid widely used in English sparkling wine.
All of the vines are hand-tended and harvested by hand. The grapes are then processed nearby by the highly renowned Three Choirs Vineyard, who work closely with Furnace to deliver the characters and flavours that the team are looking for.
The English Wines of Furnace Projects
Furnace's English wines are, in the team's own words, named after "English garden birds who are distinct in their character and song," and the range has historically included a red (Chiff Chaff), a sparkling brut (Wren) and a reserve rosé (Robin). The current shop range carries that bird-inspired ethos under a refreshed set of names. All four bottles are available to order online from the Furnace Projects shop.
Magic Hour 2021 - Rosé
Named for the fleeting moments just after sunset and just before sunrise, Magic Hour 2021 is a pale, fruit-forward rosé at 11.5% vol. It is full of peaches, melon, sweet grapefruit and lychee, with an aromatic, floral nose, a summer-in-a-bottle style that works equally well as an aperitif or with light food. Price: £15.00 per bottle.
Astral 2021 - Red Wine
Made from Regent grapes, the Astral 2021 Red pours a dark ruby red with a herbaceous nose. On the palate it is dry and fragrant, layering autumnal fruits and black cherries over an aftertaste of liquorice and spice. Soft tannins and a hint of spice make it a flexible partner for red meat, hard cheeses or a roast. 11.5% vol. Price: £18.00 per bottle.
Celestial Light 2018 - Sparkling Brut
Celestial Light 2018 takes its name from the visible heavens: the sun, moon and stars. A Bacchus-led sparkling white aged on the lees for four years, it pours pale lemon with a lively mousse and a steady stream of bubbles. The palate is dry to medium dry, layering brioche over citrus fruits, melon, elderflower and a bittersweet orange finish. Bronze Medal Winner, IEWA. The judges noted "a really interesting wine with a lovely subtlety," praising its apple-pith texture, bruised-apple fruit and well-judged residual sugar. Price: £30.00 per bottle.
Minimum Order and Delivery Information
A minimum order of two bottles applies to all wine orders. All prices include VAT at 20%. Orders can also be collected from Furnace Farm Barns, Herefordshire, HR2 8NZ. Mainland UK delivery is a flat £16.00 fee, with orders arriving 2 - 4 working days from the day after they are placed. Note that from 13 May 2025 to the end of June 2025, no shipping is possible and orders are pick-up only. Deliveries to Ireland and parts of Scotland may attract additional fees; international and special-location orders are handled on request via studio@furnaceprojects.com.
Vineyard Experiences and Wine Tastings at St Weonards
Furnace's vineyard experiences are by appointment only and hosted on site at the St Weonards vineyard by Beth. The session typically walks guests through the two vineyards, the larger Yarkhill site in the Frome valley and the experimental Treago Estate plot, before moving into the wine tasting room for a guided flight through the current releases. Because tastings are run on a private-appointment basis, the team can tailor the visit to the group, from a focused tasting of the current range to a full vineyard-and-cellar day.
To request a tasting or to design a bespoke experience, contact the studio at studio@furnaceprojects.com. Furnace also welcomes trade and hospitality enquiries for the wines; wholesale pricing is quoted by email and depends on postcode and quantity.
Beyond Wine: Olive Oil, Wooden Spoons and Prints
The Furnace Produces range extends well beyond the cellar. As well as the wines themselves, the team stocks an extraordinary 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Kalamata, sourced from the family farm of their friend George in Greece. The George's Olive Oil is on the shop at £16.50.
They also make and sell hand-carved wooden spoons, turned from the fallen boughs of the trees that surround the vineyard, as well as a set of postcards featuring the original illustrations of the birds that inspired the wine names and a small run of special-edition prints.
S.T.E.W. (Sometimes Everything is Wonderful)
S.T.E.W. is the cultural heart of Furnace Projects. The salon, with the acronym standing for Sometimes Everything is Wonderful, first ran in 2009 and has appeared periodically ever since, popping up in Herefordshire and London to provide "an informal, experimental platform for artists and creative thinkers to present new work." Past events have drawn an eclectic mix of writers, musicians and artists, including Jónsi and Alex (Sigur Rós), Richard Strange, MC Kinky, Maria Marshall, Sue Hubbard, Richard Dyer, The Agency Gallery, William Hunt and Emma Gibson.
S.T.E.W. has its own format. Attendees are offered a bowl of seasonal stew, accompanied by Furnace wines, while taking in some "cultural nutrition" in the form of an artistic presentation, exhibition or performance. It is one of the more distinctive cultural offers of any English vineyard. Past S.T.E.W. programmes and forthcoming events are detailed alongside the rest of the cultural programme.
Creative Residencies and the Furnace Studio
Alongside S.T.E.W., the Furnace Studio runs creative residencies in partnership with both rural and urban organisations. The Winemaker's Cabin, the Plant Room and a series of spaces around the barns provide studio space and on-site accommodation for artists, makers and thinkers working in and around the rural. The programme is one of the ways the team tries to knit the contemporary rural into a wider cultural conversation.
Stays: Blackbird Barn and Comraich
Furnace offers two very different places to stay under its rural stays banner.
Blackbird Barn, Llanwarne
Blackbird Barn sits in the scenic hamlet of Llanwarne, set deep in rolling Herefordshire countryside. Llanwarne is, in the team's description, "a secret English idyll" reputedly lying on five ley lines. The ruined church of St John the Baptist and the Gamber Brook give the hamlet its tranquil atmosphere; on clear nights, the skies are full of stars and the distinctive hoot of local owls is a regular dusk-time chorus. Blackbird Barn is also close to the Wye Valley: Symond's Yat and the Wye River offer some of the most dramatic scenery in southern Britain within easy reach.
Comraich, Clachtoll
Comraich, The Artists' House, is a Scandinavian-styled contemporary property on the West Coast of Scotland at Clachtoll, IV27 4JD, just six miles from Lochinver. It blends Scottish "coorie" with Scandinavian "hygge": a spacious open-plan living area over two levels with picture windows that frame the changing skies over the loch and coastline.
The property sleeps four in two king-size bedrooms, with two bathrooms (one shower/WC, one bath/WC), an electric oven and ceramic hob, a Smeg fridge/freezer, a La Pavoni espresso press, full Le Creuset cookware, a dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer and microwave. Practical touches include underfloor heating in the ground-floor hallways and bathrooms, a wood burner with the first basket of logs provided, a snug with a Smart TV, beach towels and parking for two cars. Outside, a south-facing decked veranda with garden seating and a barbecue overlooks the garden and the loch. The beach is 500 metres away. Check-in is from 16:00, check-out by 10:00. Rental rates and bookings are arranged by email via studio@furnaceprojects.com.
Plan Your Visit to Furnace Projects
Furnace Projects is based at Furnace Farm Barns, St Weonards, Herefordshire, HR2 8NZ. Tastings and vineyard experiences are run by appointment only; email studio@furnaceprojects.com to arrange a visit. The shop ships a minimum order of two bottles of wine anywhere in mainland UK (£16.00 flat fee) or orders can be collected from the barns during the open pick-up windows. Stays at Blackbird Barn in Herefordshire and Comraich on the West Coast of Scotland are arranged by email through the studio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Furnace Projects?
Furnace Projects is at Furnace Farm Barns, St Weonards, Herefordshire, HR2 8NZ, on the historic Treago Estate between Hereford and Ross-on-Wye.
Can I buy Furnace wines online?
Yes. The current range: Magic Hour Rosé (£15.00), Astral Red (£18.00) and the IEWA Bronze Medal-winning Celestial Light 2018 sparkling brut (£30.00), can all be ordered from the online shop. A minimum order of two bottles applies, with a £16.00 flat-rate UK mainland delivery.
Do you offer vineyard tours?
Tastings and vineyard experiences are run by appointment at the St Weonards vineyard and hosted by Beth. Email studio@furnaceprojects.com to make a booking.
What varieties do you grow?
Furnace grows Bacchus, Phoenix, Pinot Noir, Regent, Rondo, Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc across its Yarkhill and St Weonards sites.
Do you host events?
Yes. The headline event is S.T.E.W., Sometimes Everything is Wonderful, a seasonal cultural salon that has been running periodically since 2009 and draws writers, musicians and artists from across the UK and beyond.
Where can I stay?
Two rural stays are available: Blackbird Barn in Llanwarne, Herefordshire, and Comraich, a contemporary Scandinavian-styled house in Clachtoll on the West Coast of Scotland.
Who makes the wines?
Grapes are hand-tended and harvested by the Furnace team and processed nearby by the highly renowned Three Choirs Vineyard, which works closely with Furnace on style and character.