Our story
A Family-Run Vineyard on the edge of the Peak District
How We Started
In 2022 the four of us – Katherine, Tim, Sully, and Greta – moved out of Manchester to a farm on the edge of the Peak District. We didn’t have a plan we just fell in love with the tumble-down buildings and the sloping meadows. It felt like home.
We moved into the crumbling farmhouse with no central-heating and began to dream about what we could make of the farm and the land.
And that’s where the idea of Greater Manchester’s first vineyard came from. Inspired by the south-facing slopes and encouraged by our friends Michael and Mary at the Carr Head Vineyard in nearby Hathersage, we decided a vineyard might actually be a realistic possibility.
We teamed up with Martin at Halfpenny Green Winery in Staffordshire to learn more. Soil samples indicated that the ground was good for viticulture and drains freely, while the gradient of the land pulls the frost away from the vines. There’s no denying that we are exposed to the wind and rain of the Western Peaks in Mellor, but Pinot Noir, Divico, Solaris and Calardis Blanc grapes have been selected for their hardiness and suitability to a cooler climate.
Get in touch with us for more information.
Be Part of the Vineyard
After harvest, the team at Halfpenny Green will take delivery of our grapes within hours, and they’ll oversee the wine-making process. They’ve been responsible for producing award-winning English wines since 2005, and their expertise will be invaluable as we look to establish The Dark Peak and learn more about making wine ourselves.
For now, we’re tending the vines, producing our sell-out Dark Peak Pest Gin, and building towards our first harvest of grapes. New members are still welcome to join us, and we hope that sense of ownership will spill out of the village boundary, down into Greater Manchester, up into the Peaks and beyond. All will be welcome to wander the footpath through the vines to the church, or to come and sample this uniquely Northern wine at our Cellar Door.
