Robertshaw – since 1662

Over the generations since the first Robertshaw farmed in the 13th century, the Robertshaw family grew into an established farming lineage. On January 30, 1626, during the reign of Charles I, Richard Robertshaw was among those summoned to receive the honour of knighthood due to his land ownership. Like many provincial landowners of the time, due to tensions at the time, he did not present himself at the coronation to receive the knighthood and records show he was later fined £10, a large sun in this days.

In 1662, the Robertshaw family settled in Keelham, Yorkshire, on land that has remained in the family ever since. In the same year, over 30 years before the French Monk Dom Perignon discovered the “methode champenoise” Englishman Christopher Merret wrote a paper in the Royal Society how adding sugar created a secondary fermentation in the bottle.

“Our wine coopers of recent times use vast quantities of sugar and molasses to all sorts of wines to make them drink brisk and sparkling and to give them spirit”

We often associate champagne with France. However, it was an Englishman, who initially introduced the distinctive method of sparkling wine.