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[Written for wine.com]
Harvey’s Wine Museum: ship shape and Bristol
fashion.
By Elizabeth Sagehorn & Don Lipper
Sherry lovers from all over the world feel the compulsion
to visit Bristol, England at some point in their lives.
The siren song of the Harvey’s Bristol Cream Museum is simply too
strong to resist. Especially since
they give samples.
Having spent the day before at Vinopolis in London, We
dreaded the thought of schlepping through another wine museum.
We were pleasantly surprised to find that Harvey’s Museum is fun,
slightly campy (you’re greeted by the sound of seagulls and a disembodied
voice describing “ye ole seafarin’ days”), and (most important) easy to
walk through in an hour. Instead of
erring on the side of exhaustive, they offer bite-sized but tasty exhibits that
teach about a wide range of imbibing topics.
In addition to specialized information about sherry and port, they
include the standard:
- The
history of wine
- The
different types of wine
- Classic
grape varieties
- How
they make different types of wine
- How
to taste wine, etc.
For the historian who can’t just enjoy a vacation and
is determined to learn something new, there is plenty of info about the wine
business in Bristol. It began when
the ever-feisty Eleanor of Aquitaine married the English King Henry II in 1152.
Part of her dowry was the French winemaking province of Bordeaux.
Over the next 300 years, the people of England developed a taste for fine
wine (probably to compensate for their cooking).
When Henry VI lost Bordeaux back to the French, English wine merchants
had to scramble for another source of spirits.
They turned to the friendlier (at least that week) nation of Spain, which
specialized in producing sherry. Sack,
as the Elizabethans called it, became very popular in England.
And thus a new industry was born.
One of the preeminent men in the wine importing business
was John Harvey. After losing
several members of his family to rough seas, this decided landlubber refused to
enter the family business of ship captaining.
Against his father’s wishes, he became a successful sherry merchant.
Descendants of John Harvey are still involved with the firm to this day.
If you’re fond of old things (aside from your spouse)
the museum has an extensive collection of antique glass, crystal and silver.
One large case boasts 74 examples of historical wine and sherry glasses
and decanters dating from 1680. One
of the specimens is worth £50,000 (about $80,000)!
On the other side of elegance (and hygiene) there is an ancient leather
wine pouch.
If it’s precious metals you fancy, one wall is lined
with endless silver relics including goblets, funnels, tasting cups and bottle
labels. Smaller exhibits include
the blue Bristol glass collection (the result of an 18th century tax
on all colorless glass) and plenty of interesting side stories about corks,
bottles and corkscrews. One long
hallway features an extensive art collection devoted to antique cartoons, sheet
music and advertisements all featuring wine.
Barrel-makers (and their countless fans) will enjoy the coopering exhibit
further down the hall.
The museum is located in John Harvey & Sons former
wine cellars. The main room of the
cellar/museum is large and open with the original flagstone floors and
whitewashed brick walls and ceiling. Be
sure you get a map before you go any further.
As a result of the architecture, visitors must wend their way through a
rabbit’s warren of corridors and rooms. Don’t
stop walking until you’ve reached the mock-up of the Elizabethan pub “the
Unicorn”. This charming little
room is so cozy you’ll want to curl up in front of the fire and break out into
a chorus of “I Am ‘Enry the Eighth, I Am”.
It was John Harvey Jr. who in 1882 was indirectly
responsible for the name “Harvey’s Bristol Cream”. A consummate salesman, one day John Jr. invited a foreign
aristocrat to visit the cellar and sample his sherries.
The lady had a distinguished palate and after tasting an average product
(Bristol Milk) and a superior one proclaimed, “If that be milk, then this is
cream”. Thus was born one of the
world’s favorite sherry blends. The
recipe is still a carefully guarded secret.
Harvey’s
Bristol Cream Museum is open Monday-Saturday 10:00-5:00.
If you’re interested in tasting Mr. Harvey’s “Cream”, plan your
visit carefully. We highly
recommend that you call Mr. Alun Cox to make an appointment first.
The museum offers morning, afternoon, and evening tours, but requires a
minimum of 30 people for each tour. Be
prepared to change you plans in order to fill out an existing group.
Entry is £6.50 (about $10). Entry
to the museum is down narrow steps through a low-roofed tunnel, so folks
planning on visiting with wheelchairs or strollers may want to make alternative
plans. Special wine, sherry and
port tastings are also available by appointment.
Phone ahead for prices and availability.
Harvey’s
Bristol Cream Museum is located at:
12 Denmark Street
Bristol, BS1 5DQ
England
Phone: 44.117.927.5036
Fax:
44.117.927.5001
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