Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Wight Stuff: Island Produce
The Isle of Wight is home to a small but
reputable wine industry. At the island's
biggest producer, Rosemary Vineyards,
Smallbrook Lane, Ryde ( &   01983/
811084; www.rosemaryvineyard.co.uk),
you can taste a range of regular and
fruit wines. Whites are generally made
from flowery German varietals; the rosé
(£7) is lively and fruity. Tasting is free.
The island is also famous for the quality
of its garlic, and you'll find all things for
alliophiles at the Garlic Farm, Mersley
Lane, Newchurch ( &   01983/867333;
www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk). On sale are
pickles, garlic grappes grown on the
farm, cookbooks, and more—even
garlic beer. Isle of Wight seafood is
excellent, and you'll find a fresh supply
at Ventnor Haven Fishery, Esplanade,
Ventnor ( &   01983/852176 ). They also
sell fish and chips.
7
up for classic Wight countryside views), you'll also find the 16th-century Well House,
where, during periods of siege, donkeys took turns treading a large wheel connected
to a rope that hauled up water from a well. Also inside the courtyard is a museum
with exhibits on the social history of the Isle of Wight, the recreated bedroom used
by Charles I during his imprisonment, and displays on the later, tragic death here of
Charles's daughter, Princess Elizabeth.
Castle Hill, Carisbrooke (1 1 4 miles southwest of Newport). &   01983/522107. www.english-heritage.org.
uk. Admission £7 adults, £6 seniors and students, £5 children 5-15. Apr-Sept daily 10am-5pm; Oct-Mar
daily 10am-4pm. Bus: 7, 12, or 38.
Osborne House HISTORIC HOME Queen Victoria's most cherished resi-
dence owes much to the characteristic thoroughness of her beloved husband, Prince
Albert, who contributed to the design of their honey-colored Italianate mansion. The
rooms remain as Victoria knew them, down to the French piano she used to play and
the cozy clutter of her sitting room. Grief-stricken at the death of Albert in 1861, she
asked that Osborne House be kept as it was, and so it has been. The house is sur-
rounded by lush, tranquil gardens, with a panoramic terrace that looks right across
the Solent to Portsmouth's 21st-century Spinnaker Tower (p. 299). Victoria died on
January 22, 1901, in her bedroom at Osborne House.
The Avenue, East Cowes (1 mile southeast of the town center). &   01983/200022. www.english-heritage.
org.uk. House and grounds £11 adults, £9.30 seniors, £5.50 children 5-15, family ticket £27. Apr-Sept daily
10am-5pm; Oct daily 10am-4pm; Nov-Mar (inside of house by 1-hr. pre-booked guided tour only) Wed-
Sun 10am-2:30pm. Bus: 4 or 5.
Where to Eat
For flavors from beyond these shores, stop in for tapas and a glass of Tempranillo at
El Toro Contento , 2 Pier St., Ventnor ( &   01983/857600; www.eltorocontento.
co.uk). The long menu of authentic Spanish dishes includes the likes of shrimp
cooked with garlic and sherry, and simple plates of Serrano ham and chorizo. Platters
range from £3 to £7.50; in the evenings, there's also paella.
Brasserie at the George MODERN ENGLISH/FRENCH This exquisite
hotel restaurant decorated with modern painted panels, has the best view of Yar-
mouth pier and the Solent through floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The place is known
for its quality ingredients, deftly handled and beautifully presented in showcase fixed-
price dinners. Start with a ballotine of pheasant with raisins, carrot, and hazelnuts;
 
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