Meet the Producers -
Ventosus Micro Winery

For any newcomers, who are you and what do you do?

We are Ventosus Micro Winery, a family run business by Rob & Sarah Matson.

When did you establish your business?

We established the business in January 2021 but have only opened for sales in May 2022 due to the time it takes to build the production facility and make and mature the wine.

What inspired you to begin?

We were inspired to start the business in the UK 3 years ago when a family member opened a bistro and asked us to create wine for her commercially. Having tested the wines on a number of friends and city colleagues, we decided to commence our operation – disaster struck immediately as Covid lockdowns hit. The bistro had to close, and with it, our dreams of starting up.

How has your business grown since then?

We make Red, White and Rosé wines – we import grape juice onto the island and transform it into lovely wine by fermenting, aging, bottling, capping and boxing it. We have spent many hours ensuring that the balance of juice to alcohol is consistent. It’s why we think our wine tastes different to commercially produced wine. See what you think!

Where are you based and what does that community mean to you?

We relocated to Douglas in the summer of 2020 and noticed the number of local distilleries and breweries, but lack of wine makers – we decided to relaunch our initial ideas on the island. Rob has been making wine from his own grapes since 2007 in the UK but due to the inclement IOM weather we have switched exclusively to our trusty global grape juice distributor.

The business is based in Port St Mary, and whilst on first looks it appears to be a quiet port village, it’s undergoing material investment from local businesses and is becoming a vibrant area with a good array of shops, restaurants and services, with others planning to open in 2023.

What does the Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival mean to you?

The IOM Food & Drink festival is a great launch-pad for us as a new business to showcase our quality wines and interact with all areas of the community and offer business collaborations with enhanced products using Manx sourced produce.

Which other local producer(s) are you most looking forward to seeing this year?

We are most looking forward to seeing and meeting other licensed trade businesses, complimentary trades such as Manx Creamery, other local farmers and fishermen.

What’s on the horizon for your business?

We are expanding in all sales areas in 2022 with a select offering of trade & wholesale accounts. Keep an eye out for our wines in your independent bar or restaurant soon!

For retail opportunities, our wines are stocked by Tynwald Mills and we will be booking further pop-up taster bars and wine tasting events. 

Our wines are available to buy online at www.ventosus.co.uk and we offer an island wide delivery service.

What is your signature dish/product?

Our signature wine for the festival will be the launch of a limited edition Châteauneuf.