A Trip to New Zealand – in Buckinghamshire

2021 hasn’t exactly been the year of epic adventures for many of us, so when Belle About Town received an invite to ‘Discover the Adventure’ from a New Zealand winery, naturally, we couldn’t resist.

I am lucky to have visited New Zealand pre-Covid, and it’s fair to say that I’m completely obsessed. From the snowy peaks in the South to the sandy beaches in the North, the country is incredible – and the wine is, arguably, even more so.

Full disclaimer: I love New Zealand wines. Not just because they’re invariably delicious, but also because they’re great for the planet. All NZ wines must be 100% sustainable; anything less is not acceptable.

So, I packed my bags and prepared to return to New Zealand once more! – I checked the invite – to Chalfont & Latimer, in Buckinghamshire…

“Chalfont & Latimer is a London Underground and National Rail station in Zone 8 on the Metropolitan line, in Buckinghamshire”, Wikipedia tells me. Time for this adventurer to leave the Town and transform once more into her intrepid alter-ego, ‘Belle in the ‘Burbs’! Filled with trepidation, I put on my adventure hat and boarded the tube.

Upon arrival, we were whisked away in unmarked cars, down winding roads, into the depths of an ancient forest. Within minutes, we had arrived at an enchanted clearing, beautifully lit by lanterns, with stunning tepees, tables carved out of birch trees and the most magical thing of all – a welcome glass of Sauvignon Blanc accompanied by an edible marigold!  The wine was delicious: with the marigolds bringing a light sweetness from the petals, just like floating in little globes of New Zealand sunshine. This was my kind of adventure!

After an introduction to the wine, all from the famous Mud House winery, we were invited to get back to nature. We were taken foraging in our glorious natural surroundings, reminiscent of the beautiful scenery I had seen on my trip to the southern hemisphere. We saw the vegetable patch and the most giant pumpkins I’d seen in my life! Then we got to eat some of its sumptuous offerings in a feast from Nomadic Dinners, all paired with, yes, more wine! We were also given a chance to learn about edible nettles and mushrooms, and more.

Nomadic Dinners provide ‘hidden woodland feasts inspired by nature’, hosting a range of events that move around secret locations in the UK (but always within London). Their feasts bring diners back to their roots, providing delicious food, surrounded by – and sourced from – the natural surroundings. Everything we ate was either grown and foraged or grazed on the land, and it was delicious!

Each course was paired with a Mud House wine. Our hosts were both warm and knowledgeable about their wines and their beliefs.  We learnt that the melt from the Southern Alps snow provided irrigation for the regions for the trio of specialist wines – the Sauvignon Blanc is accompanied by its friends, Pinot Gris (a refreshing rose) from Waipara Valley and Pinot Noir from Centra Otago (the most southerly and highest wine-growing region). All of the vineyards where the grapes are grown for these wines are always selected with care and foresight and a commitment from Mud House to treat the land with respect and love.

To an extent, the company is built on love: the two founders met on the trip of a lifetime, fell in love through joint passion and ethics, made their home in New Zealand out of natural materials (i.e. the mud in Mud House), and created a company built on everything they believe in.

From lunch to darkness, we learned so much about dedication and the wines and the who, what, when and where in their creation. The whole experience is firmly etched in my mind, from the brilliant hosts to the dining table carved out of birch wood, the natural, unspoilt surroundings full of wild flora and fauna and the sheer magic of the day – and all just minutes away from the Metropolitan line.  

I imagined seeing a tuatara strolling past my feet or a kakapo pecking away at something to eat, but that was too much to ask for – this was England, not New Zealand.  But as we digested dinner around the campfire, told stories and reminisced on what we’d learned, we came away knowing that wine is much more than just its flavour; it’s a story of everything around us.