A Cornish winemaker has become the UK's first single grower to apply for a protected status for one of its vines.

Bob Lindo, joint founder of Camel Valley Vineyard, has submitted an application for Protected Designated Origin (PDO) recognition for part of the vineyard where the grapes for its Darnibole Bacchus wine are grown.

This is a small area of the Camel Valley Vineyard, known by the historic field name of Darnibole.

The Darnibole yard has an ancient slate sub soil and a steep, south-facing slope which, the Lindos believe, contributes to the particular quality of the Bacchus grapes grown there.

Mr Lindo said applying for the PDO was a way of making a statement about the quality of wine being produced.

"Champagne is a PDO," he said. "The idea of this is saying, you've got your PDOs in the rest of Europe, we think we're just as good as the rest of you and we deserve one too."

He added that gaining a PDO would not change anything about the wine or how it was produced, and he acknowledged that it was unlikely anyone else would want to use the name.

But Mr Lindo said being awarded the protected status would be an important recognition of the special nature of the Darnibole Bacchus.

"You can't make wine anywhere else that tastes like this," he said.

The Lindos have strict criteria for their Darnibole Bacchus wine – it must be made entirely from Bacchus grapes grown at Darnibole, picked by hand.

The wine-making process must involve no acidification or de-acidfication and no sweetening and the wine must be made at the adjoining Camel Valley winery. It must also be compared with previous vintages to ensure typicity – that it has the same key characteristics of previous Darnibole Bacchus wines.

Mr Lindo said: "All previous vintages of Darnibole Bacchus have won a gold medal and critical acclaim, so there is something that we consider to be special about that small area. It produces intense, steely Bacchus with a delicate restrained aroma."

The Lindos have applied for the protected status to the EU, through Defra, and Mr Lindo said they were confident they would succeed.

If so, he said they would then consider applying for PDOs for other areas of their vineyard that they regard as particularly special.