HAVE you heard of the Yorkshire sparkling wine that tastes like Champagne?

It hails from a vineyard just outside York and according to its creators is as good as the real thing.

Tim Spakouskas, of Yorkshire Heart Vineyard & Brewery, at Nun Monkton, boasts: "In a taste test most people would not know the difference between Champagne and our Yorkshire sparking wine."

The business has been going for 20 years but faced its biggest challenge in lockdown when sales fell off a cliff.

It has managed to turn round its fortunes and is this week's Trader of the Week.

If you would like to nominate a local trader - or your own business - click here to fill out our online form.

Tim said: "Overnight at the end of March we lost all of our events and tours. Most of our wine was sold through our tours with 80 per cent of brewery sales through the pub trade."

But within ten days, the business had an online shop and began the fight back.

Today, online sales are up and a new Vineyard Picnics venture has been launched.

Tim tells us more about the success story:

Where is the business?

Yorkshire Heart is award-winning family-run vineyard and brewery based at Nun Monkton in the heart of Yorkshire.

The vineyard, near York, started as a hobby for chief winemaker Gillian Spakouskas in 2000 with 35 vines. Now we lovingly nurture 22,000 vines all year round, producing fine English wine from grape to glass on-site in the winery.

York Press:

The Spakouskas family

What does it sell?

We produce and sell our own wines and beers from our very own vineyard and brewery close by.

How are you special?

We are one of the most northerly vineyards in the UK. Yorkshire wine can compete with our national and global friends. We have won awards for our white, red, rose and sparking wines.We offer tours and tastings at the vineyard all year round which have been severely affected by the COVID pandemic.

How have you adapted during the Covid-19 crisis?

Overnight at the end of March we lost all of our events and tours. Most of our wine was sold through our tours with 80 per cent of brewery sales through the pub trade. With the help of our marketing agency we were able to get an online shop opened within ten days and we now offer all our wines and beers through the website. This literally gave us a lifeline for the business to survive during lockdown. Web sales have grown considerably since the launch in April. We have also developed the website further for the booking of Vineyard Tours and we have introduced Vineyard Picnics too.

York Press:

Beer from Yorkshire Heart

What awards have you won?

International Gold Wine Winner - Challenge 2019; SIBA Gold Award 2017 - Regional Winner - Lagers and Pilsners

What is your favourite story about the business?

Most visitors have a preconceived idea that we have created a gimmick. Surely a vineyard in Yorkshire is just that? What they come away with is an experience that is no different from visiting a vineyard in Europe of further afield. In a taste test most people would not know the difference between Champagne and our Yorkshire sparking wine.

If you would like to nominate a local trader - or your own business - click here to fill out our online form.