Firm's corking wine idea
They may not have their own vineyard yet – but a West Midlands wine-producing company is turning out thousands of bottles of Shiraz and Chardonnay to match any in Europe or the New World.
And they have cheekily named some of them after local landmarks to drive home the Black Country brand.
Location-wise, Beacon Valley Winery, located 100 yards from the busy Scott Arms junction in Great Barr, could not be further from the tranquil, sun-kissed vineyards of France, Italy and Spain.
Yet the wine produced by the family-owned business is no different, and in some cases better, they insist.
The Hoggs started out as cider makers and gradually introduced wine into their product list. They now turn out up to 1,500 bottles a month, some of it made straight from the grape.
And they would like nothing better than to find a top-quality local grower.
Chris Hogg, 39, who runs the wine-making end of the business, said they had considered Sandwell Valley Farm in West Bromwich which has its own vines but the grapes are not produced in sufficient quantity.
Between four and six pounds of fruit are needed to make a gallon of wine, which means the family imports most of its grapes in the form of juice or concentrates from as far afield as Chile.
The wine making took off after a number of customers, who took up wine-making as a hobby, experienced a range of problems. Beacon Valley Winery became a virtual agony aunt for those in a dilemma.
The company sells all the equipment, including wine presses, to hobbyists, along with beer and cider-making kits.
Chris said: "We thought we'd produce it ourselves to show people how it's done, and it took off from there."
"We do all the fermentation, blending and bottling here – it's very much a Great Barr product," he says.
His father Robert Hogg and mother Barbara started Hamstead Brewing Centre 25 years ago.
