Overview: Midland Press Urban Winery, located beneath the railway line at Moor Street Station in Birmingham, has released its 2026 season vintage. Winemaker Richard Stenton utilizes a natural approach with minimal intervention to transform Herefordshire grapes into red, rosé, white, and orange varieties. The operation produces approximately 10,000 bottles annually for direct sale and local restaurants.
The Full Story
Based under the railway line heading into Moor Street Station in Digbeth, the facility manages significant industrial risks associated with fermentation. Carbon dioxide generated during the process poses asphyxiation dangers, necessitating CO2 safety alarms clipped to staff belts. A massive industrial door maintains fresh air flow within the arches to ensure safety.
The 2026 season grapes sat in their skins for a month before pressing into steel tanks. While heat caused some vine issues, Richard Stenton describes the weather as having “supercharged” the vintage. Grapes are sourced from a Herefordshire farm, with production volumes reaching about a tonne of fruit crushed under their own weight in a massive tank.
The winery produces red, rosé, white, and orange wines, including Pinot Noir and Chardonnay planted for sparkling varieties. Sales occur directly from the producer or at restaurants in Birmingham and London.
Production & Profile
The production process emphasizes minimal intervention, defined as natural winemaking. Grapes are allowed to sit in their skins for a month to take on color and flavor before the juice is pressed into a steel tank. This method applies to red, rosé, white, and orange varieties.
Specific varietals include Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with significant planting dedicated to sparkling wines. The facility utilizes industrial machinery for crushing and pressing, including a huge cylinder twice the size of a domestic boiler to squeeze juice from the wine before bottling occurs in five or six months.
Brand & Industry History
Making wine in Birmingham was once considered unlikely as the region sat on the limits of viable grape-growing. However, climate change has shifted this dynamic, with more people growing grapes in the Midlands and requiring local conversion facilities. The Midland Press Urban Winery represents a shift where farmers can now turn grapes into wine under a railway arch in Digbeth.
What This Means
As the climate continues to warm, growing grapes and making wine could offer farmers an additional source of income. Richard Stenton advises that having some grapes is not enough anymore; it is better to work with someone from the outset so you know who you will sell your grapes to. The region is now firmly becoming winemaking country for those prepared to navigate the market.
Consumer Takeaway
Drinkers can access this wine directly from the producer or through restaurants in Birmingham and London. The release includes approximately 10,000 bottles annually, featuring geometric patterned white labels on red, rosé, and orange varieties. The vintage reflects a supercharged year where heat has influenced the final product despite some vine issues.
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