Raise a glass to Perthshire winery
For 35 years, Cairn o Mohr has been producing award-winning berry wines, ciders and soft drinks from locally grown soft fruits, pomme fruits, leaves and flowers.
The winery also operates a popular visitor centre to educate and entertain visitors and fans and its tour has been consistently top of ‘Things to do in Perthshire Food and Drink Tours’ on Trip Advisor for the last nine years.
Established in 1987, with a core range of five berry wines, Cairn o Mohr has expanded steadily to incorporate a range of 22 drinks: 15 still, sparkling, limited edition and seasonal wines; four ciders produced from 100 per cent local apples brought in or picked from gardens and small orchards; two premium soft drinks, one fruit juice and an alcohol-free cider, in response to the growing demand for non-alcoholic alternatives.
All the drinks are produced from fresh local ingredients in season using traditional method.
Right from the beginning Cairn o Mohr encouraged customers go direct and many remember the start-up days when it sold the wine out of an old cupboard in the winery.
Today there is a shop in converted 19th century stone-built stables but the feeling is still the same; relaxed and friendly, it offers visitors a taste of tradition, nature and sustainable living. It’s also quite unique.
The company introduced the winery tours when it realised customers wanted to know more about the place and the process, with the delight of tasting the wines at the end. To help visitors relax and unwind it also opened a homely café with a decking area in 2010, garnering rave reviews all year round.
The Cairn o’ Mohr Winery is based on authenticity and integrity. All the drinks are produced from local ingredients; visitors can even walk through its orchards where it grows its elderflowers and elderberries.
It also aims to run a sustainable business with minimum waste, reusing and recycling packaging, planting more trees and bushes for its raw materials, keeping energy use to a minimum.
The winery and surroundings feel very natural with many old buildings made from stone, the sand pit set in the old horse trough, most of the fittings made of wood, the orchards growing vigorously, not to mention the swallows singing on the wire.
Sales manager Linzey Cairns said: “We are trying to increase the biodiversity of our orchards by planting the apple orchard with wild flowers that we leave uncut to provide food and shelter to the many insects and birds. We cut and hoe out weeds instead of using weed killers.
“There’s a commitment to giving something back to the community, too, from buying local fruit and employing local people to being active participants in many Errol and Carse of Gowrie activities, sponsoring the bowling club, the fun run and Errol Gala.
“Come to our stall at the GWCT Scottish Game Fair this summer to taste a range of our lovely drinks.”
