Great West Way® Travel Magazine | Issue 02

MY GREAT WEST WAY
Whether you want to indulge in a splash of Edwardian
opulence, down a chilled glass of Britain’s finest fizz or take a
ride in a Rolls Royce phantom, these three locals hold the keys
Words: Belinda Richardson
TOM NEWEY IS STILL reeling at the success he
has had with his Alder Ridge vineyard, eleven
years on from its launch. “Times are changing,”
he says. “Who would have ever thought they’d
find an internationally recognised vineyard along the
Great West Way?” Critics said it was too hairbrained and
wouldn’t work so Tom set out to prove them wrong and
was rewarded with the cat’s whiskers when he went and
won silver for his Blanc de Noirs at the International Wine
Challenge in 2016 - not bad for his very first vintage. “Of
course we have had our ups and downs and will no doubt
continue to. I certainly watch the weather a lot more than
I used to but for the time being – and I hate to say this –
global warming is working in our favour. The chalky ridge
and the flinty topsoil have many of the key characteristics
of the Champagne region, which not only means strong
grapes but a beautiful place to live.
Tom's best thing about the Great West Way:
It promotes slow travel, which means we get our heads
out of our sat navs and take time to appreciate our
surroundings on our journey”.
Pictured
left then
clockwise:
Tom Newey,
Chief
Executive of
Alder Ridge
Vineyard
and Cobbs
Farm Shops;
the vineyard;
Marlborough
and The
Three Tuns,
Tom's
favourite
place for
lunch
Tom's favourite day out: “A gentle browse – and a spend
- in my favourite town Marlborough while I am waiting for
my electric car to charge, followed by a wander in Great
Bedwyn and lunch at The Three Tuns.” →
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