Vineyard March 2024 by KELSEY Media

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MARCH 2024

INSIDE An insight into grapevine diseases Sweetness and light The rise and rise of the Crouch Valley

Brave choices

Clayhill Vineyard in the beautiful Crouch Valley is the fascinating story of a successful mixed farming enterprise

LAND & PROPERTY CONSULTANTS Expert advice for viticulture: • Site-finding • Sales & acquisitions • Planning applications • Environmental schemes & grants

Call us on 01892 770339 Matthew Berryman 07710 765323 matthew@c-l-m.co.uk

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VINEYARD for viticulturists in Great Britain

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www.vineyardmagazine.co.uk VINEYARD Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL 01959 541444 EDITORIAL Editor: Rebecca Farmer vineyard.ed@kelsey.co.uk

NEWS 8 10

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Encouraging investment to boost rural tourism

REGULARS 18

Features: Malcolm Triggs GRAPHIC DESIGN Jo Legg Flair Creative Design jo.legg@flair-design.co.uk

Leadership team strengthened

In conversation...

Wine Tours of Kent was set up five years ago and offers guests the opportunity to visit multiple vineyards in the Kent countryside accompanied by expert tour guides.

20 Matthew Jukes Sweetness and light.

The agronomy diary

Protect buds from pests as spring approaches.

38 The vine post

Everything you need to know about vine guards.

Education

When a space in Lewes’ charming boutique style landmark The Needlemakers became available, Plumpton College alumnus Sally Murphy knew that the time and place were right.

52 Representing you

WineGB pruning competition.

55 Machinery advice and tips

Pulling up to 50 hours/ha out of your pruning costs

Machinery

Fertilising the vineyard.

FEATURES 11

Winning ways

12 14

WineGB Rising Star Awards

Investing in a generation of regenerative viticulturists.

Buyers looking for established vineyards

Spring marks a busy time in the land market and viticulture buyers will again be active in 2024.

Front cover image: Clayhill Vineyard © Martin Apps, Countrywide Photographic

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Winery

CONTENTS Features Brave choices

Clayhill Vineyard in the beautiful Crouch Valley is the fascinating story of a successful mixed farming enterprise.

The rise and rise of the Crouch Valley

30 40

A collaboration between two businesses is now helping to support the rise and rise of the Crouch Valley in Essex as one of the foremost grape-growing regions of England.

An insight into grapevine diseases It is impossible to overstate the devastation that grapevine diseases can cause.

Harvest report

Stephen Skelton MW is the author of the WineGB 2023 Harvest Report and has given readers an insight into some of the highlights allowing vineyards in to benchmark their own performance.

ar mer cca F e b

From the editor

"We know what we are but know not what we may be." Hamlet (act IV scene V) It is very easy to look around us and see what we have not got and what we have not done and whilst this can be a useful exercise it also means we can miss what we have achieved. In global terms grape growing and wine making in England and Wales is young, energetic and pioneering. The WineGB rising star awards (page 12) has been a good chance to reflect on the young people within the industry. We cannot know how far the story of wine has got to travel in England and Wales but we know that having skilled new entrants to the industry will sustain the momentum that has built up in the previous decades. Many areas of agriculture have struggled to attract new entrants but the production of wine as a whole has worked hard to encourage and nurture new talent, embracing all who show an interest. We must also recognise and be on the look out for all those who have that special quality that is able to identify new talented people and encourage them. There are many areas where this is evident within our industry from vineyards and wine merchants to machinery dealerships and beyond. At a visit in Essex this month (page 22) it was great to talk to people passionate about the future of the industry and whose careers have so much potential promise. Be it in the winery, the vineyard or associated trades fresh ideas, new perspectives and enthusiasm can bring benefits beyond the obvious and fulfil needs that have yet to be identified. Ensuring a continuous influx of skilled new entrants to the industry will guarantee its future but more than that will keep hold of the energy and pioneering attitude that has literally laid the foundation of an industry that appears to be breaking new ground with every new season. Collectively the industry should receive congratulations for what it has achieved and should continue to work at encouraging all who show a passion for this wonderful sector.

Send your thoughts and comments

6 M A R C H 2 0 2 4 | V I N E YA R D

by email to vineyard.ed@kelsey.co.uk

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NEWS

Leadership team strengthened WineFi, the fine wine investment platform, has announced the appointment of Jonathan Keeling as their Chief Commercial Officer. Keeling, who spent eight years at leading crowdfunding platform Crowdcube, most recently as Chief Growth Officer, will also be joining WineFi’s board of directors. This appointment comes during a period of significant momentum for WineFi. Since its launch in October 2023, the platform, which facilitates a more accessible and cost-effective approach to wine investment, has experienced explosive growth, even while remaining in a private beta phase. Callum Woodcock, CEO and Founder of WineFi, expressed his enthusiasm for the addition of Jonny Keeling to the team, stating, “We are delighted to be welcoming Jonny to WineFi. Who has been a trusted mentor and adviser since WineFi’s inception. His expertise and background make him the perfect fit for leading WineFi’s go-to-market strategy.” Having played a pivotal role

in streamlining access to equity investment in start-ups at Crowdcube, Keeling expressed his ambition for WineFi, stating, “Crowdcube streamlined access to equity investment in start-ups, and our ambition is to do the same with fine wine. “WineFi is perfectly poised to introduce a meaningful new audience to the asset class.” Jonny Keeling, the newly appointed Chief Commercial Officer, added, “I am excited to join WineFi and contribute to their mission of becoming the category-defining brand within the space. WineFi's innovative approach aligns seamlessly with the evolving landscape of fine wine investments.” The appointment of Jonny Keeling underscores WineFi's commitment to excellence and innovation within the alternative asset sector. As the company continues to thrive and redefine industry standards, Keeling's wealth of experience is expected to play a pivotal role in driving WineFi towards becoming a category-defining brand.

BSPB appoints policy specialist The British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB) has created a new role and appointed Dr Anthony Hopkins as head of policy. This reflects the BSPB’s need to strengthen its ability to represent plant breeders in response to the many policy challenges the sector faces. Dr Hopkins said of his new role: “Plant breeders and growers are operating in a difficult post-Brexit policy environment, especially in terms of how we work with our European partners. As supply chains tighten, we want to ensure UK farmers and growers have access to the best genetics possible and continue to benefit from the investment and innovation that plant breeding provides.” Dr Hopkins joins the organisation from the NFU to work alongside head of business operations Stephanie Spiers. He was most recently chief crops adviser at the NFU, with a proven track record of securing improvements across a variety of issues affecting the arable sector such as access to crop nutrition and plant protection products. “There are many challenges, but with the right policy environment the plant breeding sector offers enormous value to UK agriculture, domestic food security, and sustainability. I’ll be working to ensure this is recognised and supported by policymakers in line with the BSPB’s strategy, and the needs of our members,” says Dr Hopkins. BSPB Chair, Robin Wood, commented on the appointment: “I’m delighted to welcome Anthony to the BSPB. With his background in farming and agricultural policy, combined with a PhD in political strategy, I’m confident he’ll ensure the BSPB has a strong voice in policy discussions.” Dr Hopkins’ immediate priorities will include resolving trade barriers, providing long-term access of plant protection products, and securing vital seed treatments. Further focus will also be given to gene editing technology, which the BSPB has already been instrumental in securing via the Precision Breeding Act. “I look forward to working with the BSPB’s members and other organisations across the agricultural and horticultural supply chain to maximise the influence we have,” concluded Dr Hopkins.

8 M A R C H 2 0 2 4 | V I N E YA R D

Helping your business to grow

Supporting vineyards, wineries and business owners just like you Our viticulture experts can provide you with the advice you need to help your business grow. We can help you with: • • • • • •

Getting your business structure right Managing your business Improving your profitability, cash flow and growth Tax planning for vineyards Accounting for vineyards Passing on your business

John Billings Senior Partner, Head of Vineyards E: john.billings@carpenterbox.com Sarah Fitzgerald Partner E: sarah.fitzgerald@carpenterbox.com

Proud Gold Patron of WineGB

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NEWS

Encouraging investment to boost rural tourism The CLA is calling for a permanent reduction in VAT for accommodation and attractions enterprises to boost rural tourism, ahead of the spring budget. The CLA, which represents nearly 27,000 farmers, landowners and rural businesses in England and Wales, has submitted written representations to the Treasury to be considered as part of the decision-making process in the lead-up to the Budget on 6 March. Key recommendations to help level up the rural economy and deliver the government’s net zero objectives include: To support the rural tourism sector, there needs to be a permanent reduction in VAT to 12.5% for accommodation and attractions enterprises. To support the decarbonisation of owner-occupied and rented homes, more people should be able to qualify for the zero-rate of VAT on energysaving materials. This can be done by extending relief to the purchase of energy-saving materials as well as their installation. Simplify the tax system and encourage investment in agricultural buildings, equipment, and infrastructure which will ultimately modernise the sector and drive productivity growth. This means, in particular: extending the full expensing regime to unincorporated businesses; and extending the annual investment allowance and the writing down allowances to include buildings and structures. Provide certainty for landowners wishing to deliver environment land

management or ecosystem services by confirming at the Budget that it will proceed with legislation to ensure that land used for environmental delivery/ecosystem services is not subject to inheritance tax. Keep the framework of capital taxes stable to give confidence to those planning the reorganisation of substantial but illiquid capital assets, given land is a significant input to their businesses. CLA President Victoria Vyvyan said: “The CLA and its members are wellplaced to help government achieve its ambitions to deliver growth and create a fairer and greener country. “To enable growth in the rural economy, the Government needs to fund the agricultural transition so that we can grow food and enhance the environment. They also need to stimulate capital investment in agricultural businesses and create a tax system that doesn't penalise farmers and land managers for providing environmental land management and eco-system services. “Rural tourism is an important and exciting sector, accounting for over 70% of domestic tourism, but VAT rates need to be internationally competitive to help it reach its full potential. France and Spain pay half the VAT we do and that undermines our competitiveness. “With VAT permanently at 12.5%, we estimate that over a 10-year period, the tourism sector would be able to stimulate an additional £2bn for the rural economy, generating extra revenue for the Treasury.”

New Scholars Programme £30k funding pot to boost careers, networking and skills across the agricultural and food sector in the region. Photo: Stepstone Imagery

Kent Wine of the Year

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Judges will be looking for the Kent Wine of the Year as part of the Taste of Kent Awards 2024, which were launched in January and will conclude with a glittering awards ceremony at the Gulbenkian Arts Centre at the University of Kent in June. The well-established awards are judged by experts, with farms and food and drink businesses invited to nominate themselves in a range of categories, including Kent Cheese of the Year, Kent Meat Product of the Year and Kent Wine of the Year. Entries close on 23 February. See www.tasteofkentawards.co.uk

The East of England Agricultural Society has announced the launch of the East of England Agricultural Society Scholars Programme, with grants of up to £2,000 per successful applicant to help progress careers within the agricultural and horticultural industries. With the first two scholars already benefiting from their grants, the programme has three funding windows – with the first closing 20 February. Further windows will close in June and October, but applications are welcome all year round. Society Vice Chairman, Stuart Roberts, said: “The East of England Agricultural Society Scholars Programme is an exciting new project for the Society, and I am delighted with the calibre of our first scholars. Going forward we anticipate this programme becoming an important core activity for us as we reach out

to those who are looking to increase their own skills and knowledge, and to pass that on to the agricultural and rural community in the East of England. "The future success of this programme will be determined entirely by the candidates who apply and are successful in receiving awards and I would encourage as many people as possible to apply for the next round of scholars grants." The East of England Agricultural Society launched the fund in September 2023, offering successful applicants the opportunity to develop their careers, whilst also building a network around the Programme to help create future leaders in the industry. As part of the funding, recipients will receive mentorship from committee members and past scholars, be invited to deliver talks, and have the opportunity to feed into the wider Society network.

Winning ways Investing in a generation of regenerative viticulturists. For the first time, global warming has exceeded 1.5°C across an entire year, according to the EU's climate service. At the current rate of emissions, the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C as a long term average - rather than a single year - could be crossed within the next decade. The impacts of climate change continue to accelerate and extreme heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and floods that have occurred over the past 12 months have given us a taste of what could come. The effect on viticulture and wine producers will be significant, and therefore within the context of this global crisis it’s not surprising that grape growers and wine producers the world over are looking for ways to help mitigate Climate Change and adapt to variable and extreme conditions. One beneficial movement building momentum is regenerative viticulture and here at Vinescapes we actively embrace regenerative approaches, investing in the vineyards of today to create a more sustainable and vibrant wine world for the future. The regenerative viticulture movement started as a response to the environmental challenges posed by conventional grape growing practices and is a holistic approach to grape growing that aims to restore and enhance the health of vineyard ecosystems. It goes beyond traditional organic or biodynamic practices by focusing on improving soil and plant health, carbon sequestration, biodiversity gains and overall ecosystem

resilience. The goal is not only to produce high-quality grapes but to contribute positively to the environment and to try to help reverse climate change. Globally, the push for more sustainable viticulture is coming from markets, producers, governments and the International Organisation of Vines and Wine (OIV). The international focus on regenerative viticulture is being advocated for by the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation (RVF), a pivotal organization dedicated to advancing and supporting regenerative viticulture practices. At this global policy level Vinescapes play an important role; Dr Alistair Nesbitt, the CEO of Vinescapes, serves as a founding Trustee of The Regenerative Viticulture Foundation (RVF) and holds a position as a committee member of the Sustainability and Climate Change group within the OIV. In these capacities Vinescapes play an important part in propelling transformative changes for the international viticultural community. Nationally Dr Alistair Nesbitt wrote the UK’s first guidelines for sustainable viticulture in 2012, under the WineSkills program delivered by Plumpton College and funded by DEFRA those guidelines and training materials have now evolved into the current Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (SWGB) Scheme which gives authority, assurance and credibility to the way in which sustainability is measured and observed in the wine industry of Great Britain. Perhaps most importantly, in a local context,

working with producers Dr Nesbitt and his team of skilled viticulturists spend time training and implementing regenerative approaches to vineyards in the UK and abroad. From those roles and links it is clear to see where Vinescapes passion for viticulture sits, engaging with and supporting essential changes to the way vineyards are managed and wine is produced. Vinescapes believes it is important to build a generation of viticulturists who have the skills and knowledge to manage and advise on the vineyards on the future. Recently Vinescapes Viticulturist, Rob Poyser, was recently honoured with the WineGB Rising Star award for his dedication to Sustainable Viticulture, showing that the Vinescapes passion for regenerative viticulture is starting to pay dividends. The Vinescapes Graduate Scheme, a world first, also provides a distinctive opportunity for emerging professionals to enter the industry and acquire hands-on experience in regenerative viticulture. The climate crisis will impact everyone on the planet, but it is hoped that through both individual and collective action we can build resilience in the UK and international wine production sectors. The investments Vinescapes are making are geared towards cultivating a generation of viticulturists fit for the future.

Find out more

To find out more about our work or those of the organisations above, or what you can do engage with sustainable or regenerative practices please contact us via:

DESKTOP www.vinescapes.com DESKTOP www.regenerativeviticulture.org

DESKTOP www.vinescapes.com ENVELOPE info@vinescapes.com phone-alt 01306 733960 M A R C H 2 0 2 4 | V I N E YA R D

WineGB Rising Star Awards WineGB held the inaugural Rising Star Awards at the Vintners’ Hall in London. The awards recognised and commended those aged 30 and under working in the different sectors of the UK wine industry. A winner from each category was chosen by a panel of industry experts from nominations submitted by peers and employers from across the industry and wider wine trade. The categories covered viticulture, winemaking, business/marketing and tourism. Sustainability was also highlighted, with additional awards

given to individuals in the viticulture and winemaking categories that had shown particular commitment to sustainable practices.

Sales and marketing ◆ Winner: Oscar Willis

Sales, Marketing & Communications Manager, Yotes Court Vineyard ◆ Merit: Phoebe French Membership Engagement Manager, Wines of Great Britain

Anne Jones and Rob Poyser

Nicola Bates and Fiona Mounsey, mother of Sophie

Emma Rice and Den'e Van Wyk

◆ Winner: Sophie Mounsey

◆ Winner: Jack Mankin

Marketing and Tourism Manager, Velfrey Vineyard

Winemaker, Ridgeview

Viticulture

◆ Winner: Ben Brown

Agronomist & Viticulture Specialist, Agrii

Winemaking

◆ Winner: Tom Follows

Cellar Hand, Chapel Down

◆ Merit: Jean Langedyk

Assistant Winemaker, Bolney Wine Estate

◆ Merit: Den’e Van Wyk

Assistant Winemaker, Simpsons Wine Estate

Sustainability – viticulture Viticulturist, Vinescapes

Emma Rice and Tom Follows

Sustainability – winemaking

Tourism

◆ Winner: Rob Poyser

Jacob Leadley and Oscar Willis

The evening also saw the announcement of The Vintners’ UK Wine Apprentice Award, given by The Vintners’ Company to support an aspiring individual working in a UK winery. The award provides funding to study wine production at Plumpton College in Sussex over a two-year period, plus the opportunity to study for a WSET qualification at an appropriate level. The winner was Louisa Adams of Breaky Bottom Vineyard. Nicola Bates, CEO of WineGB commented: “We are so proud to see such a rich pool of young talent across our industry, making such a significant contribution. These awards allow us to publicly acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our deserved

Sam Linter, Louisa Adams and Ian Harris

winners and fantastic nominees – they are our leaders of the future. We also want to continue to inspire many others to discover the wide range of career opportunities in this exciting industry. “I’d like to thank the Vintners’ Company for their great support by giving us this special event at Vintners’ Hall and of course for the generous UK Wine Apprentice Award which will set this year’s talented winner, Louisa, on her way to an exciting career in the UK wine industry.” Ian Harris MBE said: “The Vintners’ Company is very proud to support the UK wine industry and its ongoing growth. It’s fantastic to celebrate its future stars. Our hearty congratulations to Louisa in winning The Vintners’ UK Wine Apprentice Award and we wish her well with her studies at Plumpton College. We look forward to following her career!”

Anne Jones and Jack Mankin

LAND MANAGEMENT

B er r y m a ew n tth

Buyers looking for established vineyards Spring marks a busy time in the land market and viticulture buyers will again be active in 2024. Recently, more buyers have been looking for established vineyards, whereas previously the majority of inquires that came across my desk were from people seeking bare land. This shift reflects the fact that buyers are likely to be established businesses keen to expand, that don’t want to wait for vines to reach full production. They want productive vineyards they can simply absorb, helping them achieve further economies of scale. This consolidation is likely to happen ever-more, with the smaller vineyards in the right places on the right soils particularly likely to attract the attention of their larger counterparts. Where the vines have been well-managed – and they’re established but less than 10 years old – land can easily make £35,000/ acre and often £50,000/acre or even more. Meanwhile, bare land suitable for viticulture is making top side of £14,000/acre – and this figure could easily rise above £20,000 or even £25,000 in some instances. When the vineyard comes with buildings, a house or other infrastructure, it could well command even higher prices. With lots of deals done off-market, many such transactions never make the headlines. Having been involved with this market for many years, one factor that has become apparent is that it’s impossible to separate prices and demand from the factors affecting the wider land market. Anything that influences agricultural land prices will be

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relevant to viticulture. And right now, I don’t see any reduction in the value of land. In fact, far from it. Land is going up in value, despite interest rate levels. The simple fact is there are more buyers than sellers. Back in the 1990s, there were broadly two types of buyer for farmland – farmers and institutional investors. Nowadays, there are many, including farmers looking to expand their agricultural businesses (often funded by ‘rollover’ money from a development land sale); people with rewilding ambitions; corporates looking to fulfil their ESG and CSR responsibilities; plus those buying for biodiversity net gain purposes. On top of this, in an area such as the south east, there is a huge demand from ‘amenity’ buyers. Land can potentially be put to so many other uses, it doesn’t matter whether it’s next to the M25 and under a flight path or in a beautifully remote and picturesque part of Surrey – there will be lots of people who want it. Despite this brisk demand, it’s important sellers of vineyards and would-be viticulture land make sure what they’re selling is fit to sell. As when selling any business, you need to present it in the absolute best possible light. This means making it as ‘production-ready’ as possible, but also making sure there are no issues which could cause a buyer to worry or hesitate. This covers everything from making sure the title deeds are in correct order and being clear about any public rights of way that affect it to having the paperwork related to any stewardship agreement on the land

and being able to answer questions about whether an Environmental Impact Assessment would be required if there’s grassland a buyer might wish to plough up. This is where choosing the right solicitor is vital. I’d always advise going for one who specialises in agricultural work and, even then, some are better than others! Picking the right one can make the difference between getting a deal done in a timely fashion and not. If you’re selling land, be honest with yourself about what a realistic price is, too. That means trying to see its advantages and disadvantages through a would-be buyer’s eyes. Yes, sellers are in a strong position currently, but it’s still important to value it realistically and come up with a strategic and creative plan for getting it in front of the right people at the right time. This spring comes at a buoyant time for the wine sector. WineGB recently released figures showing favourable weather led to the 2023 harvest being the biggest ever, with a harvest equivalent of between 20m and 22m bottles. Its figures also suggest 3,400ha is in production in 2023, compared with 1,297ha in 2012. If new plantings continue at their recent pace and yields continue to rise, Britain is set to have in excess of 7,600ha of total planting by 2032. We should remember this is still a tiny area compared to the main wineproducing countries, but there’s no sign of the demand for land and vineyards in England and Wales slowing in 2024.

DESKTOP www.c-l-m.co.uk ENVELOPE matthew@c-l-m.co.uk phone-alt 07710 765323

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PROPERTY FOR SALE

Fantastic base on which to build a distinct style STAPLEFIELD | WEST SUSSEX Strutt and Parker are delighted to be offering Dillions Vineyard for sale, which is situated at Staplefield in West Sussex. The property was acquired by the vendors in 2010. Following extensive consultancy advice on the suitability of the site and pre-planting preparation, planting of some 17,000 vines took place in the Spring of 2019. Four varieties were planted including the three traditional sparkling wine varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir (including the early ripening Pinot Noir Precoce) and Pinot Meunier) and a significant amount of Bacchus to provide a still white wine. Wine making began in 2019. The current range of wines include a Bacchus and a Pinot Rosé. Dillions Bacchus 2020 won silver at the Wine GB 2021 awards, and silver at the

GUIDE PRICE: £3,750,000 IEWA. Dillions Rosé 2020 won an IEWA bronze and was named by Tom Hewson in his 2021 ‘Special Report’ as ‘best still rosé.’ The current wines offer a fantastic base on which to build a distinct style of Sussex Bacchus, and offers the potential for the exciting development of a still red Pinot Noir, sparkling rosé and classic cuvee style in the future. Matthew Jukes assessment of the Dillions Bacchus in Vineyard Magazine in April 2020 stated “Tasting unlike any Bacchus I have seen before in the UK, Dillions Bacchus proves that new eyes are such a valuable asset in our business. I venture that this wine will convert Bacchus atheists with its unpredictable flavour trail of rhubarb stalks and violets… Fascinating and also memorable, this is a

ABOUT 19.75 ACRES debut […] which will have us all on the edge of our seats.” The property offers buyers a beautifully renovated Grade II listed farmhouse, guest annexe, range of farm buildings and land extending to some 19.75 acres including the commercial vineyard together with planning consent for a new vineyard building. Will Banham who heads up vineyard sales for Strutt and Parker says ‘opportunities to buy a vineyard in prime production with such a charming family home are very rare. New entrants are bound to be attracted to Dillions; the house sits in beautiful gardens with far reaching views over the Sussex countryside. The vineyard and award winning wines make this opportunity truly unique.’

Further details can be obtained from Will Banham at Strutt and Parker on 07818 237049

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West Sussex, Staplefield

Guide Price £3,750,000

A commercial vineyard in prime production with beautifully renovated Grade II listed house and detached annexe in a private yet highly accessible location Staplefield: 1 mile, Handcross: 2 miles, Cuckfield: 4 miles, Gatwick Airport: 12 miles Commercial vineyard with 17,000 vines planted in 2019 including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir (including the early ripening Pinot Noir Precoce) and Pinot Meunier | Planning consent for vineyard building | Award winning wines | Period farmhouse | Kitchen/breakfast room Family room | Sitting room | Drawing room | Utility room | Principal bedroom with ensuite and dressing room 5 Further bedrooms | 2-Bedroom annexe cottage | Beautiful gardens | Outbuildings About 19.75 acres (7.99 ha) Will Banham South East Estates & Farm Agency | 07818 237 049 will.banham@struttandparker.com

/struttandparker

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TOURISM

In conversation... Wine Tours of Kent was set up five years ago by Abi Ireland. The company offers guests the opportunity to visit multiple vineyards in the Kent countryside accompanied by expert tour guides. To find out a little more about this growing business Vineyard Magazine spoke to Abi Ireland, Chloe Ridgwell, Customer Experience Manager and Colin Reeves, Customer Relationship Manager. What was the inspiration for a company running bespoke tours of the Vineyards of Kent? [Abi] Australia! I worked there for several years and so enjoyed being able to join organised tours and tastings at various wine estates. It gave me a huge appreciation of wine and the whole process from grape to glass! When I returned to the UK, I realised we had a great deal of vineyards in Kent but no way of visiting them to enjoy the end-product without a “designated driver”. The subsequent idea and desire to fill a niche market resulted in Wine Tours of Kent, the business, born in March 2019. I can’t believe we are now celebrating our fifth anniversary!

Abi Ireland, Founder

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When did you run your first tours and how have these tours developed over time? [Abi] Luckily, we managed to get quite a few under our belt in our first year which helped to provide a loyal client base. Like many other businesses, we had to adapt during the pandemic and subsequent restrictions. This period allowed us to develop online tutored tastings. Interesting and fun! As we emerged from lockdown, the business resumed tours and tastings that were booked via the website, known as “shared” tours, pre-organised with a set itinerary and open to all. The Private offering developed alongside the existing tours, enabling a more bespoke experience. This could be a two or three vineyard tour that includes lunch. Lunch might be at a vineyard or at a lovely Kentish pub.

How do you choose the vineyards that you work with? [Abi] There’s no set rule. We are very fortunate to have developed close relationships with many fantastic vineyard owners and winemakers. We want the guests to have the best experience possible and certain vineyards might suit a particular group better than others. We try to make sure that there aren’t long journeys between stops to make the most of the day! [Colin] Of course, some guests will request a certain favourite or more well-known vineyards! Others might prefer “still” over “sparkling”, or “white” over “red” and we will try to accommodate where possible. Who are the tour guides? [Chloe] We have an extremely enthusiastic group of tour guides, me included. They have all sorts of different professional backgrounds, but love being able to guide, educate and promote the wine estates that are on our doorstep.

Many of the vineyards you work with have great stories. How do you ensure the visitors on the tour are fully engaged with the vineyards you visit? [Chloe] You’re right, in fact they all have great stories! Prior to arrival, our guides will give some background and perhaps a few “fun facts”. [Colin] However, we don’t like to give too much away as it’s important for our guests to be able to engage with the owners/winemakers/tutors and hear their stories directly.

What is the demographic of the visitors and what is their knowledge of Kentish wine? [Abi] Oh gosh! Good question! It’s a real mix that could range from anything like a family outing or special birthday, to a “hen do” or a company treating their clients or suppliers. [Chloe] Knowledge of Kentish wine? Also, very mixed. Some know a lot about wine generally but not Kent specifically, and there are others who know very little. [Colin] One thing I can say for certain is that nearly everyone we have taken on a tour is pleasantly surprised by how good the wine is.

What is your favourite grape variety/wine style and why? [Abi] too hard a question haha. I’m currently enjoying tasting still Pinot Meunier from Kent vineyards too like Chloe. However it really does depend on what I'm eating or where I am on what wine I tend to choose to sip.

Do you have visitors from overseas? [Abi] Yes, we do. Some might simply be holidaymakers from all over, but interestingly we get many Norwegians! I am told that the biggest importer of English wine is Norway, and they love to come here and see it for themselves!

What is your favourite memory? [Abi] One favourite is seeing the guests enjoying the live music while sipping wine during one of our “Heard It Through the Grapevine” tours. However, I am pleased to be able to say there are many great memories and being our fifth year, I look forward to many more!

[Colin] That’s a tricky one. I don’t think I would like to try to single one out as I love so many. I also feel it’s very dependent on the occasion (although an “occasion” isn’t necessarily needed to open a bottle!). An English rosé never lets you down on a hot summer’s day. Chardonnay had a bad rap for many years but luckily is now emerging from the “ABC” (Anything But) days so perhaps a Chablis style white wine would rank highly for me. For a red, I’ve recently been drawn towards Italy and am now on a journey of discovery! [Chloe] My favourites change all the time! I feel like there is always something new and exciting to try – especially in English wine. Right now, I am really enjoying 100% Pinot Meunier’s, I think it’s been hiding away in sparkling wine for far too long! And outside of the UK, I’m a big Bordeaux fan.

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WINE REVIEWS

We have an excellent potential for sweet wines in the UK. I am a massive fan of sweet wines, and while I am told they are perpetually out of fashion, whenever I open bottles for corporate events or dinner parties, everyone coos with pleasure. So, please forgive me if this is a slightly indulgent column this month. Somehow, I think this topic appeals to a much wider fanbase than we realise, and as we have a handful of superb sweeties in this country, we ought to shine an infrequent spotlight in this direction. I have found three beautiful wines to feature this month. One is an acknowledged classic, another a quiet overachiever, and the third the brand-new vintage of a wine I have followed for a decade. But first, let’s track back a couple of years to when I remember being flabbergasted by a stellar bottle of sweet English wine. I am confident that 2018 Biddenden Vineyards

Late Harvest Ortega, released in 2021, will be remembered as an event horizon wine. The Ortega grapes were left on the vine until 15th October, resulting in them having the highest natural sugar levels of any grapes harvested in the UK. I featured this wine on this page and given its sugar level and extraordinary acid battery pack, I have a feeling I could feature it again in two or three decades – at least the wine is guaranteed to last this long! We have an excellent potential for sweet wines in the UK, and while the market might seem small, every wine list in every restaurant serves a sweet wine by the glass, so there is no earthly reason why this spot should not be inhabited by a wine from these shores. Here are three that I would consider listing in every style of restaurant, from a boutique gastro-pub to a swaggering Michelin three-star: they are that good!

MV Nyetimber, Cuvee Chérie, Demi-Sec £40.00 www.nyetimber.com and a host of other retailers, including Fortnum & Mason and Hedonism.

A couple of UK wineries have tackled the subject of Demi-Sec with varying results. This style of wine should not be a portfolio-filler or a wine to fill the back page of a brochure but one made from a profound adoration of this celestial sparkling style. Pol Roger, Billecart-Salmon and Henriot make Demi-Secs that work for me, and I seem to remember a previous incarnation of Louis Roederer (not today’s Carte Blanche) that was incredible. Forty years ago, we drank this style of wine as an aperitif. Today, we favour much dryer styles, and I am not entirely convinced that this is what the punter truly desires. Dryer styles are foodier and more action-packed. Finely tuned off-dry sparklers are luxurious, welcoming, and generous, and they set the scene for the palate to move onto genuinely dry wines from a base of relaxation and openness. So, we come to Cuvee Chérie, a magical creation and a wine that nails the brief. Made from 100% Chardonnay and including a 20-30% reserve wine core and 38 g/L residual sugar, this is the UK’s most famous Demi-Sec for a reason: it is the best.

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DESKTOP www.matthewjukes.com ENVELOPE vineyard.ed@kelsey.co.uk

Sweetness and light

Mat h e

2023 Knightor, Mena Hweg £19.00

www.shop.knightor.com

Ten years after featuring the inaugural 2013 Mena Hweg in a massive Daily Mail compendium of the finest English wines, I am thrilled to alert you to the 2023 vintage, which is the finest vintage to date. In the old days, this wine was made from 100% Schönburger, inspired by the most beautiful Spätlese wines from the Mosel. Today, Bacchus is responsible for the shimmering beauty in this glass, and it is very simply fermented cool and bottled young to preserve its energy and freshness. With a slight 8% alcohol and precisely the same 38 g/L RS as Chérie, this is sheer heaven, and while I tasted it first on a grotty day in January, I cannot wait to drink it ice cold on a scorcher this summer. Again, I would serve it as the ultimate in sophistication – the perfect chilled aperitif. However, many would mistakenly offer it with spicier Asian fusion cuisine. Please don’t do that, as this combo rarely hits the mark. The most successful way to serve Mena Hweg is with fresh fruit puddings, and I cannot think of a finer pairing than wild strawberries, so splash out this summer and send your palate into orbit.

2022 Rowton, Late Harvest Solaris, England £19.00, half bottle www.rowtonvineyard.co.uk

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£27.99

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At the end of every year, I compile a list of the Finest Fifty wines. I publish this for my members of www.matthewjukes.com. In order to compile this report, I re-read every single tasting note of the year and discard any wines that have appeared in either of my two En Primeur features or my 100 Best Australian or Piemonte reports. Those wines left, which are of exemplary standing, are further whittled down to a perfect half-century. This wine made the grade by virtue of its simply heavenly flavours. I have entitled this month’s article, ‘Sweetness and Light’, and Rowton’s Late Harvest Solaris seems to have been ripened not by a hot sun, like so many thick, viscous, oily sweeties from warmer climes, but by bright light. It is aerial, diaphanous, ethereal and all-pervasive. This sweet wine haunts the taste buds rather than smothering them, and you are left with an aromatherapeutic glow instead of a faint but growing headache. Listen to the intro to Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’. Ten seconds will do, and then sip this wine. For a fresh, light, caressing sweetie, it has an anthemic influence on one’s body!

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EDITOR'S VISIT

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Brave choices

Rebecca Far

Clayhill Vineyard in the beautiful Crouch Valley is the fascinating story of a successful mixed farming enterprise. There are so many unique aspects to Clayhill Vineyard, first is the fact that the vines were planted on the site in 2006. At the time of planting the only other vineyard in the region was New Hall Estate, so it was a brave move to say the least, but what makes Crouch Valley farmer Dale Symonds’ story truly unique is that his family farm at Clayhill has been a successful mixed

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farming enterprise for decades, but he is now not only a contract grape grower but also a wine maker with his own on site winery. Dale explained: “I was a student at Plumpton when they planted the original vines and the students all got involved in that. I would have always regretted it if I had not planted the vines at Clayhill.” As

the number of vineyards has expanded in the region that regret is gratefully not something that Dale has to live with. Instead, the vineyard has grown to 30 acres since 2006. The vineyard is to grow a further 20 acres next year. Dale points to the 20 acre block that is already being prepared for the new vines. This land has been taken out of the arable

EDITOR'S VISIT rotation of the mixed family farm. The farm has been in Dale’s family for decades as his father moved from Cornwall to farm the land in the Crouch Valley over 60 years ago. Dale is very stoic as he explained that in general consumers are not willing to pay more for the price of bread but they will pay a premium for a bottle of wine. “We have diversified to keep the farm going,” said Dale. “In 2005 the wheat price had become very low and I saw an article in a magazine about the English Wine Group looking for growers to contract grow grapes. I had always joked with my dad that with the climate we should be planting oranges and olives but we went for vines instead,” said Dale with a chuckle. Lizzy Tresadern has worked for the family enterprise for nine years now enjoying her work in the vineyard, but her story started

quite differently. “Back in 2015 I was looking for an apprenticeship,” explained Lizzy. At that point the farm had a pig enterprise and in conjunction with a course at Writtle college Lizzy joined the business. Both Dale and Lizzy talk about how everyone gets involved with all aspects of the farming enterprise. “On a Friday I would spend all day in the vineyard and in 2017 I was involved in the planting of 10 acres of vines,” said Lizzy. When the pig enterprise had to close in 2019 due to prices being unsustainable Lizzy moved full time to the vineyard. “We were all sad to see the pigs go,” she said. This full time move to the vineyard may not have been part of the original plan but it has proved a good move for Lizzy who is now involved in the whole process ground to glass.

Like all good viticulturists and winemakers she has an eye for the details. Lizzy explained that she absolutely loves the vineyard work but that she also finds the artistic side of winemaking really rewarding. In the villages surrounding the vineyard are numerous posters that state in bold letters 'Don’t Kill the Crouch Valley' which is a campaign that is opposed to a large housing development that would literally blot what is currently a beautiful undulating gentle view of the River Crouch. For his involvement in this campaign Dale has been nominated for a Countryside Alliance Award. It is clear from a discussion on this subject that Dale is not opposed to development providing it is sympathetic and blends with the surroundings. It is the wholesale destruction of the beauty of the local << landscape to which he is opposed.

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EDITOR'S VISIT

Lizzy Tresadern and Dale Symonds The vineyard sits between the River Blackwater and the River Crouch and it is this that gives a unique environment to the Crouch Valley area. Sitting on London Clay Dale explained that even the areas farmed locally have a different soil type to that on which Clayhill Vineyard is planted. This is one of the things that gives the grapes grown at Clayhill their unique character. Most of the vineyard is planted at a density of 1,500 plants per acre but “the new plantings are slightly higher as they are specifically planted for premium still wines” explained Dale. Dale was clear that he did not want to limit his options. The original vines were planted under a contract agreement with a vineyard in Kent and that agreement still exists. “They have been great to work with and they are a great team,” said Dale. Those original vines were Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. That original planting had 13 clonal rootstocks; since no two growing seasons are the same Dale was ensuring that the whole vineyard would never suffer at the same time. “We planted using Burgundian clones which at the time was an unusual choice,” he added. It is clear that at Clayhill vineyardTh there muchlan that iscin unusual. The t g ac eisba influence of a mixed farming enterprise is evident in many ways. Dale act to understand cinatgPlumpton e balan explained that he undertookTh an intensive course what the winemakers would want from him as the grower, which shows how he was really committed not just to producing the best crop he could but also to fulfilling the needs of his customers. Over the years Clayhill Vineyard has worked with many wineries and Dale made it clear that he will always err on the side of caution when it comes to crop estimates. The vineyard consistently

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yields on average 3.8 tonnes/acre across the varieties. “If I make a promise to deliver a certain quantity of fruit I will stick to it,” said Dale earnestly. It is not always an easy balance between the farming interests and the commercial vineyard operation. For example whilst Dale explained that the grapes produced for sparkling wine production (about 50% of the total area) are relatively easy those produced for still wine are more stressful as the extra hang time they require gives the team “more to panic about.” Added to this, some seasons produce stresses in other areas of the farming enterprise. For example, on the back of three wet winters in 2013 it was a struggle to get the harvest off the fields “there is a balance between what the vineyard needs and the farm needs” said Dale. Another area that shows the influence of other agricultural operations on the commercial vineyard is in the machinery that the vineyard has which includes a “homemade canopy trimmer that utilises combine side knives,” said Dale. Whilst he is content with this piece of kit there is still a shopping list for the vineyard including a shoot remover and an inter row cultivator and then further into the future a pre-pruner as both Dale and Lizzy feel this would bring significant efficiency savings. With a clear vision for the future Dale did not want to limit the options at Clayhill to planting vines that were suitable only for sparkling or only for still. “In 2006 I wanted to plant Bacchus but I could not get an agreement from anyone who would buy it,” said Dale. “I would not plant without somewhere to send the grapes,” he added. Bacchus did finally get planted at Clayhill vineyard in 2017 along with Reisling, Pinot Gris and some other varieties. Speaking in the vineyard about pests and diseases it is clear that there are not many predators that Lizzy and Dale have to deal with. The typical predators such as birds, deer and badgers have not been a problem here and the vineyard has never suffered a frost event. In terms of disease Dale said that the Chardonnay can be susceptible to powdery mildew and in the growing season Lizzy walks the vineyard everyday. “She is the eyes on the ground in the vineyard,” said Dale warmly showing how much he really values those who work with him in this venture. This includes Tom Hammond who started a Vine Manager Level 3 Crop Technician apprenticeship at Plumpton College in January 2024. After his GCSE’s Tom who like Lizzy is local but not from an agricultural

EDITOR'S VISIT

It is not always an easy balance between the farming interests and the commercial vineyard operation background came to the vineyard for some experience and found he loved working on the vineyard. Tom approached Dale with the idea of starting an apprenticeship with Clayhill Vineyard and is really enjoying his new role. “I wanted to take on an apprentice but had been waiting for the right person,” said Dale. “It is enjoyable to learn something and then be able to use what you have learned,” said Tom. Speaking with Tom about his first harvest experience he said: “There is a real community feel and it is hard work but there is a sense of energy from everyone." Clayhill Vineyard offers employment at harvest to a cross section of the local community. “We have a real mix of people including some who fit picking around the school run so on picking days there are people

coming and going alongside those who are in the fields all day,” said Dale. Energy levels are also supported by Dale’s mum and his motherin-law who between them supply both sweet and savoury sustenance for the vineyard workers. Clayhill Vineyard has its own winery which has allowed the vineyard to embrace the art of winemaking. This is situated on the farm (in an adapted butchers shop) so the grapes have a very short distance to travel. The number of bottles Clayhill produces is small but has grown every year. Dale and Lizzy now produce wine in every variety that they grow. Dale was at first reluctant to produce a sparkling wine “but it was not as scary as I thought,” he said laughing. Having overcome his initial reticence he soon embraced the unusual with a sparkling red Pinot Noir aptly named “The Trials of the Red.” Visitors to the onsite café (opened in 2017) benefit from being able to try one of the 11 wines on the menu. There are three sparkling wines including Decimes and Messenger, both these wines are made with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir but differ in the amount of lees aging with Decimes receiving up to 36 months on lees. The third sparkling wine produced is the previously mentioned Pinot Noir sparkling red. <<

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<< The still wines are all varietal with Chardonnay, Reisling, Pinot Gris, Bacchus and Auxerrois as the white wines with two versions of Pinot Noir Rosé and finally a Pinot Noir Red. There really is something on the menu for every palate. Whilst the first trial wines were produced in 2009 the first commercial wines were released in 2010. “Originally we produced 250 litres of our own wine but this has now increased to 250 litres of every variety,” explained Dale. It is not just in the winery that Clayhill adopt the theme of trials and in answer to my questions about the varieties that are to be found in the vineyard Dale and Lizzy exchange glances and it is clear there are developments ahead for the future of this vineyard. Lizzy let slip that Sauvignon Blanc is her favourite variety to work with. “You look out in the vineyard and see this patch of bright green the vines are so happy,” she said with a smile. Dale explained: “The trial varieties are planted in blocks of four 100m rows which gives us enough to play with” but as to what those varieties might be he would not be drawn into

discussion. He did intimate that as respects the varieties there are some that are outside of the norm for the UK. When talking it is clear that Dale researches each trial variety carefully looking for profiles similar to those that already work well on the site. Think less Pinot Noir and more Viognier is the only hint he will divulge. That there is much patience involved in viticulture is beyond doubt but at Clayhill the patience Dale and Lizzy have shown has really brought benefits. “When the first wines were produced from the Pinot Gris I felt they were a little underwhelming,” said Dale but with time both the wines and the vines are now performing exceptionally. Lizzy explained that in the café the Pinot Gris is particularly popular. For any vineyard and winery that ability to get feedback directly from the consumer is invaluable. The café is open every weekend throughout the year except for the month of January when the café shuts for repairs. The café is also the ideal place for the vineyard to host a string of events including a monthly cheese and wine evening. The café is run by Amy and Lizzy has

taken over the social media and organising the events. I find myself wondering if the visitors are aware that the grapes grown on the vines they can see from the café are part of some of the most well known and extra special award winning wines in England. On this subject Dale is quite stoic. He recounted how he had once spoken to another grower, who had produced grapes under contract that went on to produce award winning wines, about how no one knew who had grown the grapes. “The grower told me that it was OK because he knew that they were the grapes from his vineyard and that was enough and I feel exactly the same, I know who grew those grapes,” he said as he pointed to the block of Chardonnay vines which have a very special place in his heart. Trying to encapsulate all that this wonderful vineyard has to offer it feels like Clayhill Vineyard is the commercial vineyard with the heart of a family and a creative mind. Perhaps this is the perfect combination to nurture confidence and the freedom to push the boundaries and gather momentum. Photos: Martin Apps, Countrywide Photographic

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AGRONOMY DIARY

Rob S

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Protect buds from pests as spring approaches

W ill

Robi n s iam on

Pest damage to new buds has a major impact on vines, so with spring just around the corner, Hutchinsons agronomists Will Robinson and Rob Saunders offer some advice on how to manage three key threats. Packed full of nutrients and carbohydrates, vine buds present an attractive proposition for pests, such as caterpillars and birds. Losing primary and secondary buds has direct implications for yield, and creates gaps in the fruiting canopy, potentially complicating management decisions, as well as reducing productivity. Understanding the risks and how to mitigate them is key.

Cutworms

One pest that seems to be becoming more common is the cutworm, specifically the turnip moth larvae. This has been a threat to sugar beet for many years, but as the UK’s vine area increases, so it is being found more frequently – indeed, cutworm is an issue in vineyards elsewhere in the world. Larvae overwinter in the surface layer of soil and pupate in the spring, usually coinciding with the point at which buds break dormancy and start to swell with green tips showing. Caterpillars move up vine trunks at night to feed on buds, with some – albeit unproven – reports suggesting they may travel to the end bud first, then work back along the cane, hollowing out both primary and secondary buds as they go. This is different to the damage in sugar beet, where cutworms chew through young stalks, causing plants to fall over. Damage tends to be very localised and patchy in nature, and can be hard to distinguish from that caused by winter moth, or birds. Monitoring with pheromone traps during the moth’s main flying period of mid-April to July is useful to assess male moth activity and help predict overall risk, although does nothing for caterpillars themselves, for which control measures are fairly limited.

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Contact insecticides are an option, though likely best applied at night given cutworms are nocturnal. Alternatively, light cultivation of the top 2cm-3cm around vines might disturb the surface enough to expose cutworms to natural predators, such as birds. Irrigation or heavy rainfall can also help indirectly, by washing larvae deeper into the soil, making it harder for them to reach the surface. Bio-control in the form of beneficial nematodes is also an option, although experience with such products is fairly limited and is dependent on soil conditions. When applied to the soil, the nematodes enter and kill the cutworm larvae, then reproduce, increasing the nematode population in the surrounding area. Numbers decline once larvae have been killed.

Winter moths

Winter moths are another pest to be aware of, as they can be problematic in various crops, notably apples, pears, soft fruit, and vines. Adult moths live through the colder winter months and females usually start laying eggs in February. Again, the larvae tend to hatch around the time that buds break dormancy, but unlike cutworms, winter moth caterpillars are diurnal, so feed during the day. They are bright green in colour, making them easy to identify – cutworms in contrast, are generally brown or grey. Insecticides, such as spinosad, could be an option if pressure justifies their use, however the impact on any beneficial insects must always be considered. Good results can also be achieved with the biopesticide based on Bacillus thuringiensis, which is suitable for organic systems.

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Birds

Wild birds can be something of a mixed blessing in vineyards. Large flocks of starlings, pigeons, or pheasants, for example, can pose a risk to both emerging buds, and ripe fruit later in the season, while other bird species offer important natural predation of many insect pests – tits, for instance, feed on vine Light Brown Apple Moth caterpillars and possibly cutworm. Bats too offer nighttime predation of some moths. During early spring, pigeon grazing of buds is perhaps the biggest issue, and damage is usually easy to identify as pigeons tend to sit on the crown of the vine, hollowing out all buds around them. Finches in contrast, are smaller and lighter birds, that tend to perch on the ends of canes to eat buds. With netting unlikely to be a viable option for most growers, placing bird scarers around the vineyard ahead of the main risk period is the best way to deter birds. But remember that late winter and early spring can still be quite stormy months, so scarers need to be robust enough, or you may need to repair or replace any that get damaged.

Hollowed out vine bud

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MCNEILL VINEYARD MANAGEMENT LTD

The rise and rise of the Crouch Valley Great wine is all about collaboration, whether that’s in the partnership between the grower and the winemaker, the pairing of the right food with the right vintage or simply the joy of sharing a bottle with friends. Another collaboration, this time between two businesses with considerable synergies, is now helping to support the rise and rise of the Crouch Valley in Essex as one of the foremost grape-growing regions of England. Just a couple of hours with Duncan McNeill and Michael (‘Mikey’) Hollington is enough to highlight the mutual respect that exists between the two men, who share a belief in the future of English wine in general and in the Crouch Valley in particular. By combining their skills – Duncan is an experienced viticulturist whose company, McNeill Vineyard Management, or MVM, currently has 400 acres of vines under management across 22 vineyards and Mikey’s Crows Lane Estate Contracting business provides and operates specialist vineyard machinery – they are rapidly becoming a force to be recognised in the region. It’s a symbiotic partnership which benefits not just their own businesses but the customer. As Duncan pointed out. “I couldn’t focus on delivering viticulture advice without having the machinery back up from Mikey and he clearly also benefits from the collaboration, but above all it means the growers are getting the best possible service from the partnership.” Crows Lane Estate Contracting – or CLE – was set up in 2022 by Mikey and his mother, Debbie Reid, and followed the establishment of Crows

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Michael Hollington and Duncan McNeill Lane Estate Vineyard at Stow Maries, planted by Duncan, in 2018. Mikey, who has always enjoyed working with agricultural machinery and “grew up driving combines” bought a range of equipment to enable him to look after his family’s vines but now uses that equipment – and more – as MVM’s sole contractor. The partnership with MVM, which was set up in 2011, is informal, but it has allowed both businesses to grow side by side. As a further spinoff, the two men have joined forces with a third, German

McNeill Vineyard Management Ltd Volker Scheu, to invest in a New Holland Braud 9090L grape harvester which is the sharp end of a third business, South & East Grape Harvesting. While the Braud is ideal for harvesting ‘standard’ grapes and can do the job at around half the cost of employing manual labour, Duncan is quick to point out that his team still picks the ‘super premium grapes’ – for which the Crouch Valley is becoming so well known – by hand. Cutting the cost of ‘entry level’ English wines is, though, critical in broadening the market and encouraging the right level of demand for the increasing quantity being produced in this country, he stressed. “In 2023 the UK harvest was enough to make 22 million bottles of wine, and we need to find a home for it all,” he pointed out. “it is important that some English wines become more price competitive as production volumes increase. “Not everyone is prepared to pay £50, £60 or £70 for a bottle of English wine, but if we can cut the production costs so that entry level wines are coming in at £15, we will start to develop the kind of demand we need to sustain that level of productivity, which is only going to increase,” he said. “You need an entry level base for the product pyramid. Without a solid base, the pyramid will collapse.” While keen to see lower cost English wines being produced, both Duncan and Mikey are convinced that the Crouch Valley is in the right place to nurture a new generation of really great still wines, an opinion that is founded on good evidence. <<

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MCNEILL VINEYARD MANAGEMENT LTD << “In 2018, James Lambert, the managing director of Lyme Bay Wines, told me I should recognise that this area had the potential to produce really great wines and make that my absolute focus. He felt that the Crouch Valley could produce world-class still wines from Burgundian varieties such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as great sparkling wines.” Two years earlier, in 2016, the region had grown its first grapes to hit 90 Oeschle (Oe) points, at that time a real achievement and opening up the potential of making a wine with 12.5% alcohol without having to chaptalise. In 2018, the year James highlighted its potential, the Crouch Valley produced grapes that hit 98 Oe, giving a potential alcohol percentage of 13.5. “In 2020, given how hot the summer was, I started to think we might grow a Pinot Noir that would hit 100,” Duncan said. In the event, the harvest topped out at a remarkable 106 Oe – and it was Mikey and his family’s Crows Lane Estate Vineyard, planted just two years earlier, that achieved that record-breaking result. “Lyme Bay Wines turned that harvest into what the press referred to as the ‘killer Pinot’,” Mikey recalled. At 13.5% it rivalled the alcohol levels of wines produced in Central Otago or Oregon.

Duncan McNeill

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“It’s interesting to note that just a few years ago we were aiming to hit 90 Oe,” Duncan remarked. “Now we consider that the baseline for Crouch Valley premium still wines.” While playing his own part in taking English wine to the next level, Duncan is quick to pay tribute to the Crouch Valley pioneers, particularly Martins Lane Estate, Danbury Ridge Wine Estate and New Hall Vineyard in Maldon, where he worked for a time after gaining experience on vineyards in New Zealand and then Germany. “If New Hall hadn’t been planted in 1969, the Crouch Valley wouldn’t look like it does today,” he said. “It was a pioneering move that led to this area becoming established as the ideal location for growing some of the ripest grapes in the country.” Duncan moved back to England – and to Essex – in 2006 after studying viticulture in New Zealand and working as an apprentice in Germany as he realised he “had a better chance of establishing myself in the wine industry in this country than in Germany”. He was accompanied by German wife Nadine, whom he had met in Australia and is now co-director and company secretary. In 2010 he joined FAST as a viticulture consultant, but “after a year in which I didn’t pick a single grape” he realised that his ‘hands-on’ nature was calling him in a different direction, and so McNeill Vineyard Management was born, initially taking on two clients, Martins Lane << Estate and Crouch Valley Vineyard.

Rebecca Far

EDITOR'S VISIT

er m

Falling in love

r Ed ito

The environment of the Crouch Valley has added its unique fingerprint to the wines of Riverview Crouch Valley Vineyard. The 9.95 acres that make up the vineyard are the closest to the river Crouch in the whole area. It was this that inspired the name and has also influenced the brands label design.

The Riverview Crouch Valley vineyard was planted in 2018 by hand, with the site having previously been part of a 1200 acre arable enterprise. The land has been farmed for three generations and had previously been planted with wheat, feed beans and linseed over the years. Now husband and wife team Umut and Katie Yesil have planted the land with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier vines forming the highly successful Riverview Vineyard. Umut and Katie met on a night out in Shoreditch, London when they were both

at University. Whilst studying at university Umut had worked in the hospitality industry. Working in ﬁnance at a hotel Umut found himself involved in alcohol purchasing and this sparked his interest in the wine industry. “My ﬁrst idea was to start up a wine bar,” said Umut and he pointed to the urban winery Vagabond as a model that he thought worked well. Katie (whose family farmed the land that is now Riverview vineyard) is now the fourth generation of her family to be involved in a branch of agriculture, having originally moved from the Crouch Valley to London in 2012

Umut and Katie

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Planted in 1979, Elham Valley Vineyard is part of the social enterprises run by the Fifth Trust, a charity that is supporting 160 adult students with learning disabilities, with students ranging in age from 17 to 72. Elham Valley Vineyard is not large nor is it particularly visible from the road as you drive through Barham near Canterbury and yet it is a vineyard with one of the biggest hearts you will find anywhere in the world. To borrow a line from one of my favourite films, it is difficult to write about this vineyard without running out of adjectives. Peter Stratton arrived at The Fifth Trust a little under three years ago having left his previous role in the travel industry due to Covid-19. As social enterprise manager for

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While there is undoubtedly an art to making wine, one Sussex vineyard has gone further by putting art at the centre of its entire operation. gently sloping south-facing area of former pasture was considered as the venue for a sculpture park. Fortunately for lovers of fine English wine, the two entrepreneurs behind the venture,

husband and wife team Mark Collins and Julie Bretland, decided that they could find plenty of space to celebrate their interest in art amongst the vines while using most of the land to pursue their passion for producing fine wine. And while ‘good’ art can be a very subjective decision, good wine is judged by experts, and those that have put Artelium to the test have already found it to be a winner. The 2017 Nature Series Cuvée, which features a series of three labels designed by

artist Judith Alder, won Gold at this year’s Independent English Wine Awards. The Nature Series was released as a collaboration with London-based wine bar Vagabond, with the three labels representing light, soil and water, the three vital elements needed to sustain life in the vineyard. Collaboration – with artists, winemakers and the local community – is central to the Artelium philosophy and has helped the relatively young business establish itself successfully at what was previously a dairy

Photos: © Martin Apps, Countrywide Photographic

the charity, Peter ensures that any money that is raised through the social enterprises, including the vineyard, the garden centre and café as well as the garden services business and a woodshack is returned to the charity so that it further enriches the lives of the students – the woodshack makes beautiful bespoke furniture as well as small things like the post markers for the vineyard. Having arrived at The Fifth Trust, Peter was faced with a vineyard that did not have a manager and had been neglected due to a combination of factors including Covid-19,

and Peter has since become a true leader within the vineyard team. It is important to remember that the main focus for the 55 strong team of teachers, instructors, supervisors and carers at The Fifth Trust is the students. Whilst the wines are available through the café and the garden centre, the day to day running of the site is more complex than that of a truly commercial vineyard. “Our staff are looking after students all day every day, so their first thought is not how to look after the vineyard,” commented Peter.

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VINEYARD VISIT

A big hit with customers

Nigel A kehu

Arriving at the end of a country lane just outside the picturesque Wealden village of Biddenden, I park up and make my way to a cluster of traditional farm buildings, where a group of journalists and other guests has gathered for the planting day organised by third generation vintner Tom Barnes. With everyone supplied with a glass of Biddenden sparkling wine, Tom’s father Julian gave a short welcome speech, explaining how the family came to start a vineyard on the farm at Little Whatmans. With the farm originally home to a 40-acre apple orchard, Julian’s parents Richard and Joyce Barnes began diversifying in the late 1960s as apple prices began to decline. After

listening to a feature on the BBC’s Woman’s Hour programme about English vineyards being replanted in Hampshire, Joyce was inspired to turn to viticulture. In 1969, one third of an acre of vines was planted and Biddenden Vineyards was born. Julian admitted: “There wasn’t an awful lot of thought process that went into it other than they grew and over the next few years we had some crops and planted some more.” It wasn’t until they planted a trial block of vines that included the variety Ortega, which remains Biddenden’s ﬂagship variety to this day, that things really took oﬀ. During tastings in the shop it quickly became apparent that Ortega was a hit with customers.

In addition to the vines, the family also diversiﬁed into processing fruit on the farm to make their own branded Biddenden cider and apple juice, Julian said. The business buys in apples from local growers with whom they have worked for generations and processes over a million litres every year, supplying many independent restaurants, farm shops, cafés and delis across the south east, through their retail site at Biddenden and online. Finishing his introduction, he handed over to Tom to explain more about the plan for the afternoon; a short tour of the vineyard, followed by some vine planting (carried out by middle brother Sam Barnes on his GPS-guided tractor and planter) and then a

We set oﬀ along the vineyard trail walking past row after row of green vines. In all there are 12 diﬀerent grape varieties planted across the 26 acres of gentle south facing slopes, on sandy loam over clay in a shallow sheltered valley. Together this creates the perfect conditions for Germanic and French grape varieties. Biddenden has its own microclimate, explained our guide. Ortega, a German grape developed from crossbreeding Muller-Thurgau and Siegerrebe, is Biddenden’s signature variety and covers just over half the vineyard, explained Colin. Other varieties which go into making award-winning wines include Bacchus, Dornfelder, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Reichensteiner and Scheurebe. There are also plantings of Schönburger, Riesling, Huxelrebe and Gewürztraminer. The family’s wines are produced using only grapes grown on the estate. They are hand picked, pressed and bottled on site to produce around 80,000 bottles every year. These include a mixture of still (white and << red), sparkling and dessert wines.

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Tom Barnes

Sam Barnes

Julian Barnes

Vineyard facts ◆ 26 acres of vines - by the end of the day this had become 28 ◆ 12 grape varieties including Ortega ◆ Fiercely independent ◆ On-site vineyard shop and tasting room selling wine and other local produce ◆ Tours (a mixture of self-guided and guided) and tastings on site ◆ Employs 14 people full time and up to 40 casual staﬀ and pickers at peak times ◆ Makes Biddenden Cider and apple juice (over one million litres per year)

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food and wine pairing. We were divided up into individual groups, each led by an expert guide (in my case a knowledgeable chap called Colin) to answer our questions and explain more about the diﬀerent varieties during our tour.

Vineyard tour

This month Nigel Akehurst visits Biddenden Vineyard in Kent to take part in a planting day hosted by owners the Barnes family, who have been growing vines and making wine on their 65-acre family farm since 1969.

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the people around you; it’s called the Ubuntu spirit - I am because we are,” he explained. He readily admitted that as an agronomist he has enjoyed the practical element at Elham Valley Vineyard, putting in the end posts and helping this small area of vines to become both secure and tidy for the future. Tim has also enjoyed the interpersonal side of vine growing alongside his scientific approach and has found that there have been real benefits to him as well, Peter now a firm friend and mentor. One of the other things that was important to the improved health of the vineyard was a consistent spray regime. Since the vineyard did not have anyone with a licence to spray, Peter tried reaching out to the vine growing community but ultimately someone from the organisation was sent away to gain the spray licence required and a new member of the garden business team was also employed, both of whom now maintain a healthy spray regime << with help from Tim and Hutchinsons.

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Mark and Julie want to create something that will last, and they also want to take the opportunity to showcase the work of British artists 30

clear that pruning was going to be quite a challenge,” said Tim. That initial pruning took place between Christmas and New Year and Tim called on the aid of his own sister Jen along with Peter and other volunteers, to do the remedial work. “Tim’s generosity seems to know no bounds along with that of his family,” commented Peter with an air of gratitude. “We had short canes, not a lot of growth points and at the time a bit of a dodgy trellis. We pruned the Pinot Noir very, very hard,” said Tim. Despite working full time, Tim explained that he wanted to volunteer his free time to the project “as an immigrant to this country that is how you meet people and make friends,” he said. “If you need help I will help, I don’t care if we met yesterday.” This remarkably generous spirit is uncommon, and I ask where he thinks it comes from? Tim credits his upbringing in Africa (Zimbabwe to be precise) with this attitude. “In Africa you are who you are because of

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farm and equestrian centre. Remarkably, perhaps, the Covid-19 pandemic played its part, too, with the increased numbers of walkers on a footpath from Ditchling to the South Downs that runs through the site watching with interest as vines were planted and farm buildings took on a new life. Once restrictions were lifted, Mark and Julie were able to turn interested observers into potential customers with the aid of signs and new paths. While Artelium seeks to marry wine and art, it was another wedding – Mark and Julie’s own – that proved to be the launchpad for the business. Both successful entrepreneurs, they wanted to serve an English wine at their wedding in 2013 and embarked on a comprehensive tour of vineyards to find the right choice. After an in-depth search, their wedding guests were served an English wine made by Owen Elias, one of the most respected winemakers in the business with decades of experience at the likes of Balfour and Chapel Down, so it’s no surprise to find that he is now Artelium’s consultant winemaker. Artelium has been conceived as a long-term investment and based on a collaborative approach to winemaking. Hannah pointed out: “Mark and Julie want to create something that will last, and they also want to take the opportunity to showcase the work of craftspeople of all kinds, from expert winemakers to the artists designing our labels.” It’s an ambition that is supported by the vineyard’s location, in the heart of the Sussex countryside and close to Charleston House, famed for its connections to the Bloomsbury group and formerly home to Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. The typeface for the London Underground was designed in Ditchling by Edward Johnston. The complex of converted farm buildings at Streat now includes the Skelton Workshops, founded by the late John Skelton, letter carver and sculptor, who lived nearby and spent 50 years working in the county. It offers a range of courses, events and << exhibitions.

The unruly vineyard needed help and the inaugural Vineyard & Winery Show of November 2021 at Detling is a pivotal point in this story. “I had to learn very quickly how to care for vines and I saw that there was a wine show going on and I thought I will get myself along to that,” said Peter. Someone suggested that Peter spoke to Hutchinsons agronomist Tim Ferris and on that day a greatly beneficial relationship began. “We are very dependent upon the generosity of people like Tim and many volunteers including corporate companies that undertake volunteer days. Travel company Saga provide volunteers once a month and the University of Kent at Canterbury have released a film that encourages their staff to volunteer at The Fifth Trust and other charities,” Peter added. “When I came by in November 2021 of course it was the end of the season, and I could see that there was a fair amount of disease on the wood. 2021 was a horrible year and it became

Tim Ferris and Peter Stratton

rst

Art of wine in the tasting room and is planning a sculpture trail through the estate’s 45 acres of vines. In fact, as hospitality manager Hannah Simpson-Banks pointed out, at one stage the

The human connection

ARTELIUM WINE ESTATE

Artelium Wine Estate, based in glorious countryside at Malthouse Farm, Streat, not far from Ditchling, collaborates with renowned artists to create unique labels for its bottles, hosts regular exhibitions

IN FOCUS...

to study at the London College of Fashion. Initially therefore it may have seemed unlikely that she would end up caring for the land that has been in her family for generations, but Katie explained that her father had also been thinking about the possibility of planting vines on the family land. The 12,001 vines are planted on 3m wide rows so that tractors can navigate the heavy London Clay soils of the Crouch Valley. The planting density is quite low at 1,226 vines per acre. I asked Katie who is now 30 years old about her experiences of being a young female entrant to the viticulture industry. Whilst she is quick to sing the praises of the arable farming community she admitted: “There are deﬁnitely more women in this industry. Our winemaker is Sarah Massey at Lyme Bay and it is great for us to have a female winemaker in what could be << another male dominated industry.”

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WINE TOURISM

A unique experience

VINEYARD For Growers & Winemakers in Great Britain ™

scan me to read past editions

Wine is such a personal thing and the way we experience it can influence our thoughts and feelings about a particular style of wine for a lifetime. If a wine is truly an expression of the terroir then each bottle is an invitation to experience the heart of the vineyard, its soil, the cultivation techniques used, the varieties and the history of the vines. Barcelona is a beautiful city home to many wonders. It is a city of flair, creativity and most importantly imagination. Visitors and residents can experience the flair of one of the most Iconic football teams in the world. The Nou Camp is a space where the worlds best players have dazzled generations of spectators with their goals. The creativity on display at the The Picasso Museum ranges from the rural (some works of Picasso feature the mountainous regions of Terra Alta) to the raunchy and the imaginative structures of Antoni Gaudi are truly mind blowing. Whether turning a corner of a city street and finding yourself face to face with the Casa Batllo or climbing to the vantage point of the Park Guell it is obvious that Barcelona is a city of inspiration. (In fact rumour has it that the architecture of Gaudi in Barcelona

inspired George Lucas and the creation of the Storm Trooper helmets although this is not a confirmed story it underlines the lasting impression that this city can leave on visitors). In terms of wine some wineries in Terra Alta have architecture that was designed and built by Cesar Martinelli, a pupil of Gaudi. The Praktik hotel chain operating in Barcelona has certainly embraced this creative atmosphere with their Vinoteca hotel situated in the centre of the city. Within walking distance to just about everywhere the hotel is described as a wine boutique hotel. Praktik Vinoteca is a hotel with the theme of wine and yet the idea of a themed hotel does not do justice to the relaxed sophisticated style that greets the visitor. The hotel reception doubles as an impressive wine bar and it is common to find guests relaxing with a glass of wine amongst the walls lined with wine bottles or to see guests enjoying a private tasting with the hotels’ on site sommelier, Guillem Panisello Boet. Whilst wine tastings at a hotel may not seem unusual, the tastings at Praktik Vinoteca are not only unusual but remarkable. The wines

that are offered to guests are mostly Catalan but some Spanish wines with a different or unusual style are also served. The whole premise of the wine experience at this hotel is to allow the guests to experience wines in styles that are different from the big exporters of Spanish wine and the personalised wine experiences with a trained sommelier are a great way to look beyond the obvious in a relaxed atmosphere. Praktik’s hotel model is to showcase regionality and wines with stories. It would be possible to expand the principle further by offering guided tours to some of the vineyards and deepen the link for the tourists that flock to the city and for growers who would like to compare conditions and methods. Guillem became a Sommelier at the hotel in 2014. Having worked in the wine industry and vineyards since 1997 he can talk guests through the wines in six different languages. He explained: “I enjoy sharing knowledge of wine with people who have the same enthusiasm, wine is mixed with chemistry and history… with wine I feel alive with simple things; good company, good conversation, the smells and the flavours << that is my personal experience.”

Guillem Panisello Boet, sommelier at the Praktik Vinoteca hotel, Barcelona

Wine is like music: Taylor Swift and Katy Perry can be fun and enjoyable but do not need much attention to understand alternatively Bach, Straus, Vivaldi, Puccini with these you need to put in a lot of attention to understand all of the notes. 25

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The business grew as well as vines on a sunny, south-facing slope, and MVM has planted new vines every year since then, with the numbers in the Crouch Valley rising exponentially since the “gamechanging” 2018 harvest. Alongside the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes that did well even in 2021, the region has seen plantings of Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc, with MVM able to look after the whole operation, from bare field to harvest. Duncan is quick to recognise the support provided by others, not just CLE but his own team, including operations manager Umut Yesil and labour supervisor Rachel Leishman. Rachel heads up an in-house team of 22 manual labourers, including some home-grown employees, who work for MVM all year around. In another collaborative move, MVM will at the end of this year be supplying a team to help with turkey plucking at a local farm in November, the quietest month for work in the vineyards. Mikey Hollington, who was born in 1990 in Stow Maries, where his family runs two farming businesses, Caleb Rayner Ltd and Hollington Farms, studied agriculture at nearby Writtle University College before working on the family farm and around the world.

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While he gained a vast amount of experience in arable and livestock farming and developed a love of machinery, he knew very little about viticulture until 2016, when Duncan was planting vines at Upper Martins Lane, within eyesight of the family farm. That inspired his father Simon, Mikey himself and family members Debbie Reid and Millie Hurrell to jointly invest in Crows Lane Estate Vineyard, planting the eight acres that gave rise to the 106 Oe grapes two years later. Mikey bought specialist machinery to look after the vineyard, but the advice came from Duncan, who planted another 16 acres for the family in 2020. The two men got on well, and as Duncan found himself increasingly busy with the husbandry, he realised that the way forward was to take on CLE as his sole contractor for the machinery side of the business. It was the start of a collaboration that is already proving successful and has seen CLE invest in an impressive stable of kit. The company now runs four Fendt 211F tractors, supplied by R W Crawford, four Wanner sprayers, ERO canopy management equipment, a Geertech compost spreader, Perfect-Van Wamel mowers << and a range of inter-row and intervine cultivation equipment.

Michael Hollington

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<< His machinery operator and pruner James Pegram is ‘loaned out’ to MVM between November and April to help train new manual workers, while Lucy Wright has joined the team as an apprentice machinery operator, studying at Plumpton College while learning practical skills from her time with CLE. South & East Grape Harvesting, meanwhile, is going from strength to strength as growers struggling to recruit labour are realising how efficient the Braud is, cutting the cost of manual picking by about 50%. It can also improve the wine, too. “For

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grapes such as Bacchus, machine harvesting can be a good thing as it allows the juice to be in contact with the broken skins for longer, releasing beneficial thiols,” Duncan explained. “The Braud can help produce better wine at a lower cost, which is what the industry needs to sustain the growth in vineyards.” The 2023 harvest was the first at which the Braud was used, and it proved to be a headturner. “We picked up a lot of unplanned work during the season,” said Duncan. “People saw it in action and booked us in then and there. Given the issues with labour

at the moment, bringing in a machine can be the difference between picking and not picking. You can’t just keep planting vines without thinking about how you are going to get the grapes picked.” It may have been an unfamiliar sight this season, but it’s unlikely to be long before more of the bright blue harvesters appear on the slopes of the Crouch Valley. “At a guess there are fewer than ten in this country at the moment,” Mikey hazarded. “There are probably half a dozen in every village in some grape-growing regions in Germany.”

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mach@calebrayner.co.uk

Using the expertise of the businesses within Heathcote Holdings, we can offer a complete package for vineyards in the UK. Whether you’re looking to plant a new vineyard or expand a current one, install trackways, erect buildings, or improve drainage and aeration, our group of companies will be able to assist.

RESPONSIBLY GROWING RESOURCE > Land drainage & aeration for root longevity > Permanent access tracks & pathways > Groundworks & creation of buildings > Creation of wash down bays > Reservoir/lagoon construction > Rainwater harvesting systems

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Soil preparation: > Soil sampling & management plans > Supply & application of PAS100 compost or other amendments > Chemical & non-chemical soil preparation options > Primary cultivation & drilling of cover crops > Spading works > Final soil preparation prior to planting Temporary access trackway solutions

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37 37 M A R C H 2 0 2 4 | V I N E YA R D

Cher r y Con

THE VINE POST

Head of Reta il ble ta

Vine guard essentials

DESKTOP www.vine-works.com ENVELOPE sales@vine-works.com phone-alt 01273 891777 Vine guards are vital for protecting young vines against animal browsing, herbicide spraying and mechanical operations. The establishment of young vines is greatly increased by the use of vine guards – survival rates are higher, growth rate is accelerated and labour costs are reduced. Guards promote a microclimate effect which helps to reduce evapotranspiration.

Types of vine guards

There are myriad vine guard products on the market with multiple unique selling points and varying effectiveness. It can be difficult to gauge which manufacturer’s claims are offering the best option environmentally, sustainably and financially. There are a vast amount of different materials being used, from sheep’s wool, wood pulp and numerous types of plastic, some that are now produced include recycled content.

Second-hand guards

Whilst it may appear cost effective to reuse guards or purchase second-hand ones, it is important to consider the possibility of fungal spores being transferred to younger, more susceptible vines. Additionally, the majority of guards are designed to start degrading after three or four seasons, especially those with UV protection. Therefore, the use of second-hand guards can be counterproductive.

Removing vine guards

It is recommended to keep the guards protecting the vine until the trunk is sufficiently established; removing them too soon leaves the vine vulnerable and could undo the previous years’ benefits. The optimum time of year to remove vine

guards is late spring, after tying down has been completed and the ground is firm enough to support tractor operations, (some form of trailer makes transporting the guards out of the vineyard a lot quicker and easier). The physical removal of the guards will vary depending on the style. Many will require slitting with a pocketknife, allowing the guard to be carefully prised away from the vine without causing unnecessary damage to the trunk or new growth.

Recycling vine guards

Plastic shelters manufactured using recycled materials and recycled at end-of-life represent the most sustainable choice, as demonstrated by a recent Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) study presented at the Forest Working Plastics Group in November 2022. A major factor behind this is circularity in material use – one of the core foundations of sustainability in any industry. Whilst biodegradable shelters remain a viable sustainable option, they represent a single-use product. “Our results clearly indicate that recycling shelters…yield lower carbon emissions than disposing of shelters according to the current

UK waste treatment mix, which is a mix of landfill and incineration split.”1 Tubex invented the original tree shelter in 1985 and is continuously innovating across the forestry and agricultural industries. They are now leading the way with their Tree Shelter Collection and Recycling Scheme. With over 15 hubs across the UK in partnership with Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, it is possible to drop off any amount of guards to be recycled, completely free of charge. If it’s not feasible to transport the guards to a hub yourself, you can arrange a collection from your site for the cost of purchasing specific bulk collection bags from Tubex or one of their distributors.

Life aﬅer vine guard

What happens to the vine guards once they have been transported to a recycling hub? “Once the tubes are collected, they are washed and shredded into flake, then repelletised and returned to Tubex where it is fed back into the manufacturing process of our Tubex recyclable products. Currently, all recyclable Tubex products contain an average of 35% recycled polymer.” [Tubex] Alternative recycling possibilities include manufacturing bricks, park benches, furniture, etc. As all manufacturers work towards more effective, efficient, and circular processes, we will hopefully see a lot more ecological products introduced into our vineyards. At VineWorks, we work with our clients to ensure their vineyards are both financially and environmentally sustainable. That is why our team of viticulture experts are always looking for ways to achieve the best outcome for our customers one vine at a time.

C. Chau, A. Paulillo, N. Lu, et al., The Environmental Performance of Protecting Seedlings with Plastic Tree Shelters for Afforestation in Temperate Oceanic Regions: a UK Case Study, Science of the Total Environment (2021), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148239

Photos: Tubex

33 8

EDUCATION

Right place, right time When a space in Lewes’ charming boutique style landmark The Needlemakers (home to several specialist shops) became available, Plumpton College alumnus Sally Murphy knew that the time and place were right. Sally Murphy, her partner Harry, and their business partners Chris and Sam opened ‘unauthentically Italian’ eatery Squisito. With its expertly cooked, locally sourced menu, the wine list had to be special, and it delivers. Where Chris and Harry take the reigns in the kitchen, and Sam’s accountancy skills keep the business running behind the scenes, General Manager Sally shared how the skills she learned at Plumpton studying Wine Business helped her create Squisito’s exceptional wine menu. “I’d always worked in hospitality but I knew I still wanted to learn more, like on a university course. Once I’d started getting really into wine, going to more tastings, and finding it interesting, something clicked and Plumpton College just made sense. It was a natural progression from working in hospitality to studying Wine Business. I was doing something I loved. “We studied so much, putting together the ABCs of wine, right through WSET. Different regions, why certain wines taste the way they do, but also the business side of it as well. Half of it was business content, but it was all related to the wine industry, this made it so much easier to connect with the learning process because you were already so interested in the subject. “The fact that I went to Plumpton and studied Wine Business means I have great wine knowledge, and I’ve tried to make sure that we have a great wine list that we share with everyone. We want them to come and drink more wine!” A stone’s throw away from Plumpton College and the South Downs, Squisito have their pick of artisan suppliers and can showcase some of

the best food and wine in the UK. “Our local ethos has always been at the forefront of places we’ve worked (all four met working at The Small Holding, Kent), and Harry and I live on his parents' farm. It’s not just the meat we use that is local, the veg is from Laynes farm, which you can visit, see where it’s all grown, and get excited about fresh produce. There is something about knowing the provenance of what you’re eating. People can get excited about our ingredients, then buy them in Lewes Market on a Friday” This translates to their wine list too. The focus is on sustainable farming, organic, biodynamic, and small production wines. As well as Italian wines, they showcase English wines including local Everflyte, also alumni at Plumpton. “Lewes is such a strong community with lots of local focus and support. It’s been great to see the foodie scene growing. The more good restaurants there are, the more reasons people have to come. We all collaborate, support each other, share customers and recommend each other as well as supplying each other’s products.” We are very proud to count Sally amongst our notable alumni, and we wish her, Harry, Sam and Chris good luck with this exquisite (or as they say in Italian, squisito) business venture.

Still time to apply There’s still time to apply to study viticulture, oenology, wine business and production starting September 2024. Scan QR to visit our website

Visit Squisito Scan QR to visit the Squisito website

DESKTOP www.plumpton.ac.uk Envelope wine@plumpton.ac.uk INSTAGRAM @plumptonwine M A R C H 2 0 2 4 | V I N E YA R D

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DISEASES

Downy Mildew

It is impossible to overstate the devastation that grapevine diseases can cause. In 2023, Italy reported an overall decrease in wine production of 12% on the previous year. This was in part because of the extreme weather events experienced, but also thanks to the impact of downy mildew in the central and southern regions. The damage to yields caused by the fungus means that after nine years of holding the crown, Italy is no longer the world’s biggest wine producer. The world of disease management is a rapidly evolving one. Research into disease detection and protection measures is ongoing.

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adla nd

Chlorosis

H ra

An insight into grapevine diseases

La u

Climate change also has a role to play in throwing new challenges at winemakers worldwide. The prevalence of downy mildew in Italy last season was caused by notably increased rainfall, for example. This month, I take a look at the current state of disease detection as it relates to UK vineyards, including emerging threats and the cuttingedge technologies being employed to protect our crops.

Key pest and disease events in 2023

Despite being a bumper year for yield overall, July last year was a disappointing month with high rainfall and low light levels. This

2023 HARVEST REPORT: See pages 48-51 or go to winegb.co.uk for the full report

generated an increased risk from fungal diseases like grey mould and downy mildew. Traditional fungicides were limited in their effectiveness under these circumstances because they have a harvest interval of three to five weeks. Good canopy management was therefore vital to increase air movement and to expose the bunches to optimise the penetration of the limited number of spray applications where fungicides were used. There were also considerably more reports of Spotted Wing Drosophilia than in previous years. This has widely been attributed to lower levels of acidity in the grapes, particularly in black varieties. Stephen Skelton’s Harvest Report 2023 for Wine GB also notes that the “increased cropping area of red varieties such as Pinot Noir Precoce (Blauer Fruhburgunder) which was 30ha in 2017 and now (2022) stands at nearer to 100ha.” Some growers reported losing the full crop of some varieties due to SWD. Others were forced to pick early as sour rot set in.

Know your enemy

◆ Downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) – a fungal disease which

Specialist

Vineyard Agronomy From vineyard establishment through to post-harvest management, our dedicated agronomists are able to ensure that you maximise your yields of top quality fruit, whilst satisfying the ever more complex demands of legislation, protocols and consumer expectation. Contact us for more information.

“Working closely with our growers, we use integrated pest management to optimise fruit quality and yield.” Penny Meadmore

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can overwinter from one season to the next. The fungus thrives in damp conditions and regular heavy rain causes it to spread quickly. Early detection and treatment are vital to prevent the rapid development of downy mildew throughout the canopy. The primary infection manifests as a yellow oily spot on the top of the leaf. The secondary infection shows as white down on the corresponding underside. This infection causes shoots to brown and unprotected fruit can show white down and rachis. The berries will eventually turn necrotic. ◆ Grapevine trunk disease (GTD) – The name for a family of fungal diseases that can devastate a vineyard through decreasing vine quality and lowering yields. The fungi enter the vine through open wounds, normally pruning cuts. Pruning in dry conditions when spores are less likely to have been dispersed can help, as can late pruning when rising sap can help to displace spores on cuts. ◆ Grey mould (Botrytis cinerea) – The most virulent grapevine disease in the world. It tends to impact varieties with tight bunches and thick canopies that restrict airflow. Infected bunches get a layer of grey brown fungus which causes them to decay and drop. Leaves can also show signs of infection, with dull green patches that will eventually turn necrotic. New infections are primarily caused by the transfer of spores from old plant material, so winter pruning is particularly important to remove diseased material, which then needs to be properly disposed of. ◆ Insect pests – The likes of leafhoppers and cochylis vine moth can bring two waves of damage to vines. As well as directly impacting the plant, they can also transmit the pathogens which cause disease. For example, the leafhopper may nibble on leaves, leaving areas which cannot photosynthesise, eventually causing the leaf to drop. But they are also known vectors for infections like Flavescence dorée disease. Cochylis promotes the development of Botrytis. ◆ Powdery mildew (Erysiphe necator) – A fungal disease that infects green tissue and has a pale grey, powdery appearance. It can lead to crop loss, reduced fruit quality and off-flavours in wine. The severity of the infection depends upon the weather conditions, levels of inoculum carried from the previous year and << the control measures taken early in the season.

www.agrovista.co.uk 4 11 M A R C H 2 0 2 4 | V I N E YA R D

A grape leaf affected by grapevine leafroll virus disease

Advances in disease detection technologies

Technology is being applied to the fight against disease. Early detection and precision management of vineyard health are helping to keep losses to disease at a minimum around the world. Researchers in Southern California have used an airborne instrument that was developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for remote sensing to pick up signs of disease before the symptoms are detectable to the human eye. Their study looked at a viral disease named GLRaV-3 – grapevine leafroll-associated virus complex 3. It is spread by insects and results in reduced yields and sour fruit. The disease is estimated to cost the US wine industry around $3b in losses and damage each year. While GLRaV-3 is thought to occur in all wine-growing regions of the world, it is currently assessed as a moderately low risk on the UK Plant Health Risk Register because the UK distribution is very uncertain. Previously, detection required intensive examination of individual vines and molecular testing. The Airborne Visible/InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer is used in combination with machine learning to help identify early signs of infection. The Spectrometer’s optical sensor records the interaction of sunlight with chemical bonds, meaning that changes in the way sunlight interacts with the plant tissue could be detected well before visible signs of infection like discoloured foliage occur. The researchers were able to identify infected vines both before and after they displayed symptoms of the disease. The best-performing

models were accurate up to 87%. This early detection is thought to give growers up to a year’s warning to act. This sort of technology is likely to be trained to recognise the signs of other diseases in the future to give early warning of infection.

Genetic Approaches to disease resistance

Also in the United States, researchers have been looking at how genetic mapping could identify genes which could be introduced to grapevines to enhance their disease resistance. A Californian study into Xylella fastidiosa, which can infect many crops including grapevines, was begun after the research team found a wild grape species, Vitis arizonica, exhibits a rare natural resistance to Xylella. It is worth noting that Xylella has not yet been reported in the UK, and genetically modified foods for sale in this country must have a Food Standards Agency safety assessment. However, the exploitation of the genetic variability of individual plants and varieties has widely been employed in traditional plant breeding both in the UK and abroad. Now progress in scientific understanding is helping to move the breeding of desirable traits quicker than ever before. The availability of sequenced genomes has improved knowledge of virus resistance in grapevines. For example, the Riesling clone 29 was shown to have a natural resistance to GFLV strain 13. This resistance has been associated with a single recessive factor in chromosome 1, which happily means that “it is stable through transmission to offspring and << easy to use in breeding programs, despite being recessive.”

READ MORE: Scalable Early Detection of Grapevine Viral Infection with Airborne Imaging Spectroscopy – https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-01-23-0030-R

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READ MORE: Access the UK Plant Health Risk Register – https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/pests-and-diseases/uk-plant-health-risk-register/index.cfm

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READ MORE: www.soilnurture.co.uk

It seems likely that in years to come, more disease-resistant strains of popular varieties will begin to appear. There is an economic imperative to meet this need, particularly as some diseases are becoming more virulent where climate change is affecting weather patterns in wine-producing regions.

Integrated pest management strategies

Luke Boxall

The overall approach to managing diseases can be categorized as an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy. This might include any aspect of the holistic care that is taken to fight disease - right through from careful site selection when vines are planted, to minimise risks like high humidity for example, to the mechanical processes of removing diseased tissue when disease has already struck and its impact needs to be contained. A widely held aspiration amongst grape growers is to reduce the number and amount of chemical treatments being used on the vines. Many approaches can be taken to do this within the IPM. Some examples include: ◆ Growing cover crops – As well as offering additional nutrition and protecting the soil, cover crops can be an effective way of increasing biodiversity which encourages pest predators to thrive. ◆ Mechanical weeding – Instead of using herbicide to control weeds, mechanical methods can be employed during the growing season. At Danebury Ridge in Essex, they do this as well as allowing a flock of sheep to graze in the winter to provide weed control without soil compaction or risk to the vines. ◆ Canopy management – Leaf trimming, thinning and pruning out superfluous shoots can moderate the impact of infection or pest colonisation. Good management opens up the interior of the canopy to encourage the circulation of air and increase the exposure of the remaining leaves and any fruit to the light.

Vermicast

Some vineyards have been making use of vermicast to reduce the amount of chemical treatment required by their vines. Vermicast is created by earthworms and is a microbe-rich product that can improve vines' resistance to pests and disease as well as improve their uptake of nutrients and minerals from soil. I talked to Luke Boxall, a worm farmer and owner of Soil Nurture to find out more. "Vines are just like humans. The healthier they are, the more resistant they are to pests and diseases. A healthy vine has a strong interaction with the environment they are in. This can only be achieved through a healthy microbiome, full of beneficial microbes. Earthworms are key instruments in providing these beneficial microbes and have been doing so for over 200 million years. “By consuming organic matter, earthworms produce vermicast which has a rich and diverse population of beneficial microbes. Studies conducted on various plants, including vines, show that vermicast can READ MORE: GTD research www.vineyardmagazine.co.uk/grape-growing/when-fungus-attacks/ READ MORE: Multigenic resistance to Xylella fastidiosa in wild grapes (Vitis sps.) and its implications within a changing climate – www.nature.com/articles/s42003-023-04938-4

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READ MORE: Traditional Approaches and Emerging Biotechnologies in Grapevine Virology – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10142720/

DISEASES READ MORE: Detection of Flavescence dorée Grapevine Disease Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Multispectral Imagery – https://doi.org/10.3390/rs9040308 READ MORE: Automatic Detection of Flavescence Dorée Symptoms Across White Grapevine Varieties Using Deep Learning – https://doi.org/10.3389/frai.2020.564878

Grape leaf affected by flavescence dorée help these plants become more resistant to pests and diseases due to its microbial content. In the UK, we have seen how vines with vermicast are more resistant to mildews and botrytis, and on the occasions where the vines have been overwhelmed by the disease, the healthier vines with vermicast have recovered faster. This means that fewer chemicals have been used in the vineyard. “By adding vermicast to a vineyard, the beneficial microbes combined with high levels of fulvic and humic acid, plant hormones and plant-growth-regulating substances (including auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, ethylene, and abscisic acid), can help a vineyard reduce the amount of chemical inputs required. By reducing chemical inputs, the vineyard is able to increase the interaction of the vine with its environment, increase its local biodiversity and improve the quality of the wine produced, ensuring the complex and unique terroir of the vineyard is brought out in every glass of wine."

Emerging threats and future challenges

New challenges are continually emerging to test the vineyard manager. These often come in the form of new insect pests, which may be spread over long distances through the movement of infested plant material. DEFRA issued a UK pest alert for Flavescence dorée disease two years ago since it was known in the EU. Considered to be one of the most destructive phytoplasma diseases for vines, it is spread by the American grapevine leafhopper, which is a vector for the Candidatus Phytoplasma vitis organism. While the insect is a foreign invader, the Phytoplasma strain itself is native to Europe, arising in wild plants. The disease can also be spread by propagation. Flavescence dorée disease presents with colour change in leaves and

downward rolling edges, shoots that fail to lignify and interrupted fruit set with berry drop and brown, shrivelled bunches. Infection can also kill young plants. There is no known genetic resistance to the disease, although evidence suggests that some varieties are more susceptible than others. There is currently no effective treatment for Flavescence dorée disease, although management strategies to reduce the spread between vines and control the vector have met with some success on the continent. Efforts have been made to automate the detection of Flavescence dorée through the use of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing. Like the early detection of leafroll, this technology moves beyond imaging what is visible to the human eye and uses multispectral imagery as well. The spectral signatures of healthy and symptomatic plants were studied, producing a set of 20 variables computed from the UAV images. Initial studies obtained the best results with red varieties, but deep learning has been employed to train the computer models to better accurately map the disease in white varieties too. It is believed that spotted lanternfly has not yet reached the UK, but the native of northern China has been known as an invasive species in Korea since 2004 and the USA since 2014. This plant-hopper bug has had a significant impact on vineyards where large populations have affected fruit set in the following season as well as caused vine death. While the insect can live on almost any tree and lay eggs on any object, making it a prime candidate for accidental importation, it is not yet known how the pest might respond to the UK climate. Our summers may be currently too cool for the insect to complete its life cycle here, although climate change may impact this situation in the future.

READ MORE ON THE DEFRA WEBSITE https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/assets/factsheets/Lycorma-delicatula-Defra-fact-sheet-Revised2022.pdf

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EVENTS

First-ever Brighton Natural Wine Fair Visitors will be able to taste a variety of wines from over 10 South Coast natural wine producers. The inaugural Brighton Natural Wine Fair, is a new event to showcase natural wines from Sussex, Kent and Hampshire. Launching on 6 April, 2024, the fair organisers, Lizzy Kaplan, Jake Northcote-Green and Amy Brooke, hope the event will introduce a new audience to the joys of low-intervention wines. “We’re super-excited to be working with some amazing local winemakers to bring this fair to Brighton! With so many vineyards on our doorstep, this event is a celebration of incredible producers and fantastic wines,” said Lizzy Kaplan, hospitality consultant and former Managing Director of London’s Benk&Bo. Brighton and Sussex play host to many wine events, but despite the growing appetite for natural wine, none have ever focused exclusively on this sector, which champions pesticide-free production and simpler methods. Lizzy, Jake and Amy felt it was the right time to redress that and so the Brighton Natural Wine Fair was born.

Battle of the Secateurs 44 6

This year’s WineGB Pruning Competition, affectionately known as the Battle of the Secateurs, is taking place on 13 March. For 2024 this event has moved out of the South East region to a new venue: Langham Wine Estate in Dorset.

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“This sort of event wouldn’t have been possible 10 years ago, so we look forward with anticipation to what is to come in the next 10 years. We hope this event will, in some part, support and nurture future vignerons and producers,” added Jake Northcote-Green, hospitality consultant and former General Manager of Plateau in Brighton. More than 10 natural wine producers from Sussex, Kent and Hampshire will be participating, including Tillingham, Titch Hill, Quatro Mustachios, Sophie Evans, Westwell Wines, Saddle Goose, Oxney, Troupe, Traverse Wines, Les Caves de Pyrene, and Wines Under The Bonnet. Visitors will be able to taste a variety of natural

UPCOMING EVENTS

wines directly from the different winemakers, as well as take part in guided tastings, masterclasses, craft workshops, and more. Local food suppliers, including Neal’s Yard Dairy and Shrub, will be offering a range of meat, dairy and vegan platters. “We hope this is just the beginning. Our aim is to bring many more events to Brighton to celebrate our brilliant independents. Watch this space!” said Amy Brooke, journalist and founder of Brighton On The Inside. The first-ever Brighton Natural Wine Fair will take place on Saturday 6 April 2024 between 12:00 and 18:00 at inspiring coworking space Projects in the heart of Brighton’s historic Lanes. Tickets are now available.

Groundbreaking new conference and exhibition promises a step change The drinks industry is born from the environment and 2024 is expected to be a year of unprecedented developments. It is critical to unite and realise its responsibility and power. As a response to this, the inaugural Sustainability in Drinks (SID) launches in October 2024. The exhibition will be held at St Mary’s, Wyndham Pl, York St, London W1H 1PQ on Tuesday 15 October with a conference and informal dinner the previous afternoon and evening, supported by SID’s Founding Partners. It will be an unrivalled opportunity to hear from those working at the heart of sustainability in drinks from around the world. Organised by seasoned drinks event professionals Judy Kendrick and Janet Harrison, this will be a unique and a ‘much needed’ event series. SID aims to be the annual event on the sustainability calendar, bringing together producers, suppliers and thought leaders. It will be an unrivalled resource for products, advice and support, for all members of the drinks trade globally. The exhibition, free to attend for drinks trade and press only, will be split into four

areas, representing wine production; general drinks production (including beer and spirits); packaging and logistics and advisory bodies, including trade associations, funders and auditing services. A range of useful masterclasses will also take place during the day, which will seek to address many current issues. “Finding advice and products which meet current and future sustainability targets is difficult and spread across many different European events” commented Judy Kendrick, co-creator of SID The first-of-its kind event launches with a high calibre line up of influential sustainability professionals, signalling its gravitas and long term ambitions. SID will be underpinned by a select number of Founding Partners, who have invested in the concept and will play a central role in supporting the event series as well as contributing to debates on key industry topics, which will take place over the two days. Potential exhibitors and visitors can visit the website to find out more. ✉ hello@sustainabilityindrinks.com

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HARVEST REPORT

kelton M en S ph

2023 vineyard year

Stephen Skelton MW is the author of the WineGB 2023 Harvest Report and has given readers of Vineyard Magazine an insight into some of the highlights from this report allowing vineyards in England and Wales to benchmark their own performance and gain an overview of the industry as a whole. An expert in the English wine industry with many years experience Stephen has compiled comprehensive harvest reports since 2016. These historic harvest reports are available via the website www.englishwine.com The 2023 report is also available via www.winegb.co.uk.

2023 will undoubtedly be remembered as a near perfect year. There was little spring frost, text-book flowering weather in June and, after a generally wet and often dull summer (July and August), some very warm spells in September and October brought ripening on and most vineyards picked very large crops in good condition. Whilst crops were large, ripeness levels were lower than average, fine for sparkling wines, but not so good for still wines, although acids were lower than average, fine for still wines, but not so good for sparkling! The British climate always has a surprise to spring on vineyard owners.

Weather conditions for the year

The year started mildly with almost no frost and snow anywhere in Great Britain, and from the last week of January to the first week of March there was little in the way of rain in the southeast of the country. March started with some very cold days and nights and as the month proceeded, it became wetter and wetter with some parts of the country having much more than their usual rainfall. Cambridgeshire, usually a dry county, recorded 99mm of rain for the month, three times its average. England as

a whole had twice the LTA (1991-2020 Long Term Average) rainfall for March, making it one of the wettest ever recorded. As April finished and May started, the wet weather continued, making planting new vines problematic and some new vineyards did not get planted until mid-June. As May turned into June, the weather picked up and between 30 May and 30 June, temperatures of up to 32°C were recorded in some regions. The five days between 10 and 14 June all reached 30°C or higher, with 32.2°C being recorded on the 12 June. June 2023, with an average temperature of 15.8°C (2.5°C above the LTA), was the warmest June since records began to be collected in 1884 and almost a full 1°C warmer than 1940, the previous June record holder. This warm weather enabled flowering to get going on good sites and many varieties flowered between the 13 and 20 June, right in the middle of the hot spell. In general flowering went very well, with the warm weather in the middle of June allowing the rachis of the bunches to elongate and expand, something which goes some way to explain the above average bunch weights and heavy crops in many vineyards. This was the same as we saw in 2018, a record-breaking year, and 2023 looked like being another record-

breaker. On later sites, there was some coulure and millerandage, which had the opposite effect and reduced yields. The summer continued in stop-start mode, and whilst the southern half of Europe fried and in some places caught fire, July in Britain was generally cool with plenty of rain in some parts. August wasn’t much better and whilst a bit drier than July, was just as cool and nowhere in the country did the temperature rise above 30°C. As August turned into September the weather brightened up and despite some rain at the end of August, the beginning of September saw much higher temperatures, culminating with the highest temperature of the year on 10 September at Brogdale, near Faversham in Kent where 33.5°C was recorded. In the seven days between 4 and 10 September, somewhere in GB achieved a temperature of 30°C or higher, something that has only been seen in four previous Septembers. This mini-heatwave, which lasted until around the middle of the month, brought the grapes on and by the 16 September, all regions reported picking, albeit on early varieties and those with lighter crops. Storm Agnes swept in at the end of the month and brought quite a bit of wet and windy weather, although by the time it had reached the south and east of the country, its strength

2016-2023 Average yields – all varieties, all regions (T/active ha)

44 8

Vineyards 0.10 ha or larger and 4 years and older

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Average 2016-2023

Top yielding 25% of vineyards

8.8

9.6

10.5

9.6

7.6

9.1

8.8

15.6

10.0

Middle yielding 50% of vineyards

4.4

4.1

6.2

5.3

3.6

5.2

4.6

8.5

5.2

Bottom yielding 25% of vineyards

1.4

1.3

1.6

1.8

0.9

2.2

1.4

3.4

1.7

Average all varieties, all vineyards

4.5

4.7

7.1

5.9

4.2

5.4

5.0

9.6

5.8

Source: 2018-20, 2022-23 WineGB-ICCWS Yield Surveys. 2016-17 and 2021 S. Skelton industry estimates (averages not weighted by tonnes produced)

M A R C H 2 0 2 4 | V I N E YA R D

HARVEST REPORT 2023 top varieties, average yields T/active ha Chardonnay

Pinot Noir

Meunier

Bacchus

Averages all varieties

Top yielding 25% of vineyards

16.1

15.1

15.6

16.7

15.9

Middle yielding 50% of vineyards

9.4

8.7

9.1

8.9

9.0

Bottom yielding 25% of vineyards

3.6

3.9

3.2

3.6

Average all regions

9.8

9.0

9.4

9.8

9.5

Source: 2023 WineGB Yield Survey (averages not weighted by tonnes produced)

had diminished. September turned out to be one of the very warmest months since records began in 1884 (matched only by 2006) with an average temperature of 15.2°C, a full 2.2°C (or 17%) above the 1991-2020 LTA. Picking of the major varieties in the larger regions (and where the crops were heaviest) didn’t really get going until the beginning of October and continued for the first three weeks of the month. Some growers waited for sugar levels to rise as they were quite low when sampling started two to three weeks before the anticipated harvest dates and they hoped that by hanging on, these levels would rise. In fact they probably did rise but were in turn diluted by the rain which started around 13 October and then didn’t really stop until well after harvesting finished. The first ten days of October were glorious with 26.1°C being recorded on 11 October at East Malling, Kent, a full 8°C above normal. However, October as a whole was one of the wettest on record with England receiving 140% of normal average rainfall, the seventh wettest October on record. The majority of grapes were picked by the end

of the second week of October in the West region and the third week of October in the South East. For later varieties and later sites, picking continued throughout October and into November with the latest harvest date recorded by the survey as being 26 November. Growing Degree Days (April to October) across seven sites in Essex, Kent, the Sussexes, Hampshire, and Somerset averaged 1,017 which is just about the same as the average across the same sites for 2018-22, although almost 10% lower than was recorded in 2022.

Yields

Yields in 2023 were very high, undoubtedly the highest ever recorded in the history of modern viticulture in Great Britain. As we saw in 2018, the previous record-holder, an absence of spring frosts and ideal flowering weather are the keys to large yields. For the top 25 per cent of vineyards to record an average across all varieties of 15.60 tonnes-ha (6.31 tonnes-acre), which is almost 50% higher than the previous

record year (2018) is quite remarkable and double what is generally considered to be an economically sustainable yield for vineyards in GB. Even the lowest yielding vineyards managed 3.4 tonnes-ha (1.38 tonnes-acre), which is over twice their 2016-22 average yield. Chapel Down, GB’s largest producer, picked 3,811 tonnes off 304-ha, a yield of 12.54 tonnes-ha (5.07 tonnes-acre). To obtain this level of cropping over such a large area is a remarkable effort. Several exceptional growers averaged yields of 15.5 tonnes-ha (6.27 tonnes-acre) across a spread of varieties and sites. As might be expected in this year of miracles, the top four varieties, which account for almost 76% of the GB planted area (Wine Standards [WS] March 2023), performed amazingly well with the average of all vineyards almost reaching 10 tonnes-ha The top quartile exceeded all estimates with an average across the four varieties reaching 15.9 tonnes-ha (6.43 tonnes-acre). Such was the size of the crop, that even the bottom quartile produced twice its normal yield. <<

49 49

HARVEST REPORT Major varieties 2023 tonnes per active ha East

Midlands & North

South East

Thames & Chilterns

Wessex

West

Bacchus

7.71

No data

11.81

6.92

6.40

9.39

FrÜhburgunder, Blauer

8.16

No data

8.44

No data

3.85

6.71

Chardonnay

8.02

5.62

10.01

10.05

10.60

8.49

Meunier

16.90

No data

11.13

9.98

8.19

7.01

Pinot noir

10.13

2.41

9.46

10.39

8.65

8.48

Seyval blanc

21.00

5.90

5.91

8.41

No data

9.50

Averages

11.99

4.64

9.46

9.15

7.54

8.05

Source: 2023 WineGB Yield Survey (vineyards 0.10 ha or larger and 4 years and older – averages not weighted by tonnes produced)

Yields by region show considerable variation

As has been seen in previous years, yields varied considerably in the different regions of GB. Top region in 2023 was East Anglia, whose figures were bolstered by stellar performances from some Meunier and Seyval blanc, with the South East coming in second. If you look at the top four varieties only, East Anglia and the South East are marginally ahead of the pack, with the other three major regions producing lower, but still respectable yields. The Midlands and North, which grow a much wider spectrum of varieties than other regions including PIWIs and higher yielding minor varieties, performed much less well. This is undoubtedly due to a later flowering which took place in less-clement weather than the more southerly parts of the country.

Sugar and acid levels

Apart from the much higher than normal yields, the other unusual factors in 2023 were the sugar and acid levels of the grapes. Taking the six major varieties, for which we have reasonable data from all regions, the average levels of potential alcohol in percentage alcohol by volume (abv) were down by just over 0.50% abv, not huge, but showing a definite trend towards lower sugar levels and therefore less-ripe grapes. The reason for this dip in sugar levels was undoubtedly a combination of the high yields and the rainfall during harvest in some vineyards. Acidity levels on the other hand, which usually stubbornly hold up in years with heavy crops and a late-ish, cool harvest, were down by almost a full gramme per litre from the average, something rarely seen in GB vineyards. This was undoubtedly due to the wet weather, with grapes swelling and soaking up the rain in the early part of the harvest. A huge crop of course, takes time to pick and process, so allowing the grapes to hang longer than normal. What these two factors mean in terms of quality and longevity of the wines is, at this stage, something of an unknown, although winemakers are all saying that they are happy with their wines.

Future production of wine in GB

Major varieties 2023 Tonnes per active ha

55 0

East

10.69

Midlands & North

4.02

South East

10.60

Thames & Chilterns

9.33

Wessex

8.45

West

8.02

Average

8.52

M A R C H 2 0 2 4 | V I N E YA R D

Yields over the years have risen both because of more and more vines being planted, as well as higher yields. The planted area has risen from 1,438-ha in 2012 to 4,178-ha in 2023 , an almost trebling of the vineyard area . If this level of increase in plantings were to continue, GB would have around 8,500-ha by 2030 with annual yields nearer to 40 million 75 cl bottles. The average yields per hectare have also been rising, but not in a straight line. Large variability in annual yields is a fact of life in vineyards in all countries and probably more-so in marginal regions. The average yields per hectare over the last ten years (2014-23), including a conservative estimate for 2023, is 30.64 hectolitre per hectare (hl-ha), whilst for the previous ten years (2004-13) it was 20.70 hl-ha, a rise

Major varieties 2023 Average total acidityas tartaric g/l 2023

Averages 20162022

Bacchus

8.10

9.11

Chardonnay

10.90

13.08

Meunier

10.30

12.23

Pinot noir

10.30

11.30

Reichensteiner

8.50

9.05

Seyval blanc

10.05

11.47

Averages

9.77

11.04

Major varieties 2023 Average potential alcohol levels % abv 2023

Averages 2016-2022

Bacchus

8.62

9.18

Chardonnay

8.69

9.33

Meunier

8.47

9.13

Pinot noir

8.62

9.37

Reichensteiner

9.80

9.56

Seyval blanc

7.63

8.38

Averages

8.64

9.16

of 48%. This is due to several factors: the climate which continues to surprise with the GDDs rising all the time, plus better sited and better planted vineyards (higher vine densities), and better vine husbandry. Note: The data this report is based upon was collected via a voluntary survey to which 127 vineyard owners responded. Between them these producers grow 1,870-ha of vines with 1,640-ha of four year’s old or more and therefore in full production. This is around 50% of the anticipated national cropping area for 2023. It would be good to see more data from more growers, plus a little more data from Wales and the Midlands & North regions.

Plantings and yields 2012-2023 Year

Total planted ha

2012

1,438

2013

1,884

2014

Commercial vineyards

Ha in production

Not in production

% of total not in production

Yield HI-ha

No 75cl bottles (millions)

1,297

141

9.8%

5.98

1.03

1,738

1,375

509

19.3%

24.28

4.45

1,840

1,691

1,506

334

10.1%

31.50

6.32

2015

1,956

18,539

1,655

301

9.4%

22.95

5.06

2016

2,077

1,957

1,612

465

16.6%

19.30

4.15

2017

2,245

2,125

1,677

448

20.0%

23.60

5.28

2018

2,889

2,769

2,138

631

21.8%

45.97

13.11

2019

3,300

3,180

2,438

742

22.5%

32.24

10.48

2020

3,380

3,260

2,378

882

26.1%

27.80

8.81

2021

3,781

3,661

2,841

820

21.7%

23.62

8.95

2022

3,928

3,826

3,103

723

18.4%

29.43

12.18

2023

4,178

4,076

3,353

723

17.3%

50.00

22.35

Source: 2017-22 Wine Standards – FSA. 2023 industry estimate

5 11 M A R C H 2 0 2 4 | V I N E YA R D

Representing you Working in partnership with Vineyard magazine for a developing UK wine industry. WineGB is the national trade body representing the vine growers and winemakers of Great Britain from the largest producers to small hobbyists. Our members work together with the organisation to develop strategy, expertise and marketing opportunities for long-term, sustainable success.

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WineGB pruning competition This year’s WineGB Pruning Competition, affectionately known as the Battle of the Secateurs, is taking place on 13 March. For 2024, we have moved this event out of the South East region to a new venue: Langham Wine Estate in Dorset. Good grape-vine pruning is integral to the production of top-quality wine and maintaining vineyard health. We are keen to recognise the skill and know-how of the best pruners in the UK. Developed to encourage high standards in the vineyard and celebrate the art of pruning, this competition allows both teams and individuals to show off their snipping skills and battle it out to win the coveted title of Vine Pruner of the Year. Last year, the ‘Golden Secateurs Trophy’ was awarded to Gusbourne (Kent team), with Brenley (A team) in second place, and Ridgeview in third. In the individual competition, first place was awarded to Phil Harris, Vineyard Manager at Davenport Vineyards and Owner of Natalia Harris Vineyard, Naomi Solomon was awarded second place, while Jim Pritchard achieved third place. As before, entries are limited to 12 teams of three pruners and 12 individual pruners. Discounted entry fees are available for WineGB members. Each team or individual will prune a minimum of five vines in 10 minutes (pruner, cane puller, trimmer and tie). Cash prizes and pruning equipment will be awarded for first, second, and third place finishes in both competitions. Refreshments will be provided during the awards ceremony courtesy of Langham Wine Estate. Spectators are welcome. The entry forms and judging criteria are available on the WineGB website. Good luck!

Photo: Cat Wilder

WineGB in Scandinavia

We headed to Scandinavia during January for trade tastings in the British embassies in Copenhagen and Stockholm. Fifteen producers were represented at each tasting, including those with existing representation and those seeking distribution. A key part of our export support calendar, the tastings were

attended by key buyers and importers and are important avenues in securing increased market penetration and growth. Those attending the Copenhagen tasting were: Balfour, Chapel Down, Coates & Seely, Digby Fine English, Exton Park, Fitz, Gusbourne, Hattingley Valley, Hundred Hills, Knightor, Nyetimber, Rathfinny, Roebuck Estates, Sugrue

South Downs, and Simpsons Wine Estate. Those attending the Stockholm tasting were: Balfour, Black Chalk, Chapel Down, Coates & Seely, Danbury Ridge, Digby Fine English, Fitz, Gusbourne, Hattingley Valley, Hundred Hills, Knightor, Nyetimber, Rathfinny, Roebuck Estates, and Simpsons Wine Estate.

UPCOMING EVENTS & WORKSHOPS

A full list of industry events can be found on the WineGB website

13 March 2024

WineGB Pruning Competition Langham Wine Estate, Dorset

6 March 2024

Pinot Noir Unleashed

External: Lallemand, London

7 March 2024

Innovations in cool climate winemaking

External: Lallemand/Murphy & Son, London

10-12 March 2024

ProWein, Düsseldorf, Germany External: ProWein/Messe Düsseldorf

End of March

US Influencer Inbound Trip

16 April 2024

2 April 2024

WineGB Industry Conference

WSET Level 2 Course

External: Plumpton College, East Sussex

(please note that this event has been moved from March) Plumpton College AgriFood Centre, East Sussex

8 April 2024

22 April 2024

External: Plumpton College, East Sussex

House of Commons, London

Principles of Sparkling Wine Course

APPG Tasting

WineGB regional roadshows We are putting on a series of roadshows in each of the seven WineGB regions, giving our members the chance to come together to share information, network, and learn. The first roadshow (South East) will take place on 27 February at Oastbrook in East Sussex, from 10am to 3pm. At these roadshows, our CEO Nicola Bates will share the plans for the year and conduct a ‘policy focus group’ where members can tell us what matters most to them. We will shape this feedback into our manifesto for growth, which will be raised in conversations with the government. Provisional dates and venues for the remaining roadshows are as follows: ◆ 20 March (Wales) at White Castle Vineyard, Monmouthshire, from 10am to 3pm. ◆ 21 March (Midlands & North) at Halfpenny Green Wine Estate, Staffordshire, from 10am to 3pm. ◆ 22 March (West) at Wraxall Vineyard, Somerset, from 10:30am to 3pm.

◆ 27 March (Wessex)

at Bluestone Vineyard, Wiltshire, from 10am to 3pm. ◆ 28 March (Thames & Chilterns) at JoJo’s Vineyard, Oxfordshire, from 10am to 3pm.

WineGB East are finalising a venue for their event, and we will publish a date for this roadshow shortly. Any updates to these dates and times will be reflected on the WineGB website and the weekly newsletter.

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A behind the scenes look at Plumpton College.

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Contrasting styles

Variety performance

A knowledge of the past helps us move into the future. This was evident on a visit to Sandridge Barton, the home of Sharpham Wine.

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Shotley Vineyard is situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the county of Suffolk with distant views of the port of Felixstowe.

New Hall Wine Estate sits in the beautiful surroundings of the Crouch Valley in Essex.

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INSIDE Equipment hygiene in the winery – when is it too much or too little? Remarkable wines come to Matthew Jukes' attention when he least expects it

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Post-flowering vineyard management

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London Wine Fair review

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Talking yields and finding your own perfect balance

Stand out from the crowd, show your personality, and be brave says Matthew Jukes

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New Essex venture for Itasca Machinery in action

Potential invasive species alert

While there is undoubtedly an art to making wine, Artelium has gone further by putting art at the centre of its entire operation.

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Measure twice and cut once

A breakthrough frost protection product described as “an absolute gamechanger”

Expert advice for viticulture: • Site-finding • Sales & acquisitions • Planning applications • Environmental schemes & grants

21/06/2023 16:31

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Expert advice for viticulture: • Site-finding • Sales & acquisitions • Planning applications • Environmental schemes & grants

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19/07/2023 15:59

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Falling in love

Green Sussex fading into blue

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Courting unique excellence

A tale of tenacity

A fascinating visit at Riverview Crouch Valley Vineyard

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Heartenoak Vineyard is an inspiring story of adapting in the face of adversity

22 November 2023 Read our 40 page preview

Yotes Court in Kent is building for the future from the soil up.

Some things are so good that they simply demand to be shared, and that’s certainly true of the Weyborne Estate

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19/10/2023 18:23

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Kirkland UK has an outstanding reputation

The nature of protection

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15/11/2023 17:17

The evolution of wine retail

Opportunities and risks of climate change

Vineyard sensors make sense

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Vineyard & Winery Show: Bigger than ever

Refresh and refocus for VineWorks Pinot Noir: A grape in profile

Experiencing the Chardonnay harvest at Chartham Vineyard, Kent

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A family harvest

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Matthew Jukes reviews three excellent Bacchus wines

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MACHINERY ADVICE AND TIPS

Sey mou r Ltd

The debris is then spread in the vineyard and growers can choose whether or not they pass through with a pulveriser. If you are using something like the Perfect Van Wamel KK 150 with side chutes you will be able to create a finer mulch which will be spread directly under the vines. Removing and repositioning the fruiting wires only takes approximately six man-hours/ha and can be completed immediately after with minimal effort. According to ERO, a total of approx. 30 to 50 hours/ha can be potentially saved by using the ERO VITECO cane puller, meaning vineyards with over 35ha will see a return on investment in the first full season of use. To run the machine, growers need

Pruning is one of the most labourintensive parts of vineyard management. And while we’re always quick to consider the ways we can make lighter work of pruning, e.g. with electronic Felco secateurs and the Binger-ERO pre-pruner, it seems that the job of removing canes from the wires often gets overlooked. Each year after pruning, growers must go through the vineyard pulling all the cut canes from the wires. Physically, this is very strenuous, it’s at a time of year in the UK when the weather is usually pretty unpleasant, and it takes a considerable amount of time, too. The VITECO cane puller from ERO has been designed to strip and mulch canes simultaneously in one pass, minimising the manual labour required after pruning has been done. Depending on the grape variety, the time required for cane stripping accounts for 35 to 60 hours/ha. A considerable number of seasonal workers are needed, and as growers know all too well, this brings with it hidden costs in the form of admin, HR and the challenge of finding good people. Instead of employing 10 to 15 people for pulling out, you can have just three working with the ERO VITECO. One to walk ahead of the cane puller making sure pruning has been done correctly and unhooking the wire, one to drive the tractor and operate the machine, and one to walk behind repositioning wires into the right place. The ERO VITECO cane puller works by raising the movable bending wire and fruiting wires on the machine side of the trellis and guiding them to the machine head. The VITECO cane puller then strips all the woody shoots, tendrils and fruiting canes off the wires with almost nothing left behind. All of the canes wrapped around or tied to the wire are shredded while passing through the mulcher.

Pulling up to 50 hours/ha out of your pruning costs

Cla i re Sey m o

vineyards with rows at least 70 metres long with all wires on the side facing the pruner being removable. Compatible with all narrow tractors from 70hp upwards, the ERO VITECO cane puller also comes with the VITIpower 60 hydraulic system with a maximum PTO speed of 540 rpm = 60 l/min. Rated output at 200 bar working pressure and maximum litre output is 20 kW. The hydraulic oil filling amount is 80 litres. Claire Seymour from NP Seymour said, “We have sold several machines to larger growers in the UK and believe that more would benefit from investing in this indispensable tool that can save a great deal of manual labour costs.”

For more information on the ERO VITECO cane puller and how it can beneﬁt your vineyard, please contact the NP Seymour sales team on 01580 712200 or email sales@npseymour.co.uk

5 55

Vitifruit Equipment Sales and Hire

MM FAN SPRAYERS

LIPCO RECIRCULATION SPRAYERS

PROVITIS TRIMMERS

BOISSELET CULTIVATORS & STRIMMERS

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VENTIGEL FROST PROTECTION

www.vitifruitequipment.co.uk /vitifruitequipment

 vitifruitequipment@sky.com

 01732 866567

SPECIALISTS IN NEW AND USED FENDT TRACTORS, AND ESSENTIAL MACHINERY FOR VINE GROWERS.

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FROST PROTECTION EQUIPMENT NOW IN STOCK.

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Avon Works, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 2PT • 01580 712200 • sales@npseymour.co.uk • www.npseymour.co.uk

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MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic: Premium and Ultimate models now available Following the announcement of the arrival of the all-new Ranger XP Kinetic last year, Polaris has now announced that the first shipments of the Ultimate trim model have started. Ranger XP Kinetic is available as a three-seat model in Premium and Ultimate trim. The Premium trim contains a single 14.9 kWh lithium-ion battery that offers an estimated range of 45 miles (70 kilometres), whilst the Ultimate trim delivers double the battery capacity of 29.8 kWh with a higher estimated range of 80 miles (130 kilometres) – ideal for longer days spent hard at work. Convenient charging options are designed to fit specific customer needs and are as easy as plugging into a standard wall outlet. Whether customers are looking for an overnight charge, or a quick top off during the lunch hour, they are covered. XP Kinetic comes standard with a 1-phase EVSE that allows riders to charge from a 240V outlet. Factory-installed on-board charging rate is 3kW for the Premium trim – reaching full charge from 0% in five hours – and 6kW for the Ultimate trim – reaching full charge in 10 hours, which can be reduced to five hours with peak charging. Peak charging requires a three-phase (380V) outlet together with a three-phase WallBox EVSE accessory, and along with the available 3kW on-board charging system (sold separately), rates can be boosted to 6kW for Premium and 9kW for Ultimate for up to 50% faster charge times. Alongside all the premium features found in both model trims – like LED headlights, integrated dash switches and full-coverage front bumper fitted as standard – the Ultimate trim also offers a bright 18-centimetre (7-inch) touchscreen infotainment screen powered by Ride Command technology, which offers configurable gauges to monitor ride activity. Pair that with the Ultimate’s added front and rear camera, riders can then see a full view of their surroundings –

including other riders behind. Riders can also seamlessly pair the display via Bluetooth to wirelessly stream music and stay connected with call and text alerts. A feature also seen on the petrol-powered Ranger XP 1000 model, ‘Plow Mode’ activation on the XP Kinetic Ultimate makes snow removal even easier by automatically lowering the plow when shifting into low gear ratio, and automatically raising the plow when shifting into reverse. It also features a handy ‘Back Drag’ mode for pulling snow away from buildings.

Capabilities and performance

Manufactured at Polaris’ state-of-the-art facility in Opole, Poland, and engineered through Polaris’ exclusive 10-year partnership with Zero Motorcycles, the RANGER XP Kinetic features an all-electric powertrain that offers the most horsepower and torque ever found in a utility sideby-side. Not compromising on capability, the XP Kinetic can effortlessly tow up to 1,134kg and boasts an industry-best 680kg payload capacity, as well as a class-leading 35.5 centimetres of ground clearance and 25.4cm of suspension travel to confidently rise over obstacles and smooth out the bumps. With regenerative braking, electric power steering, on-demand all-wheel drive and VersaTrac Turf mode as standard, as well as three driving modes—ECO, Standard and Sport—riders are in complete control of their ride, depending on the terrain and task at hand.

Warranty

Thanks to being fully electric, the Ranger XP Kinetic features fewer moving parts for lower maintenance costs, and both Premium and Ultimate models are backed by a two-year total coverage warranty, three-year electric powertrain warranty, and five-year battery coverage.

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DESKTOP www.vitifruitequipment.co.uk phone-alt 01732 866567 ENVELOPE vitifruitequipment@sky.com

Fertiliser and compost spreaders come in a wide range of shapes and sizes to suit all tractors and budgets. Attached to the rear of the tractor and normally held up on the three point linkage the pto rotates the spinner or spinners which throw the fertiliser out sideways. The fertiliser can be broadcast across the complete soil surface or with the addition of a quick fit unit it can be directed at the feet of the vines to one side or if fitted with a double spreader attachment to both sides. The output can be simply adjusted and some spreaders can be used to apply seeds with others which also apply compost. For occasional use and small vineyards Vitifruit Equipment offers one for hire which both broadcasts or side spreads. Spreading organic pellets is also possible as is automated spreading where only areas

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Fertilising the vineyard

MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

VITIFRUIT EQUIPMENT

which need nutrients are treated. Applying compost however requires larger and heavier equipment and there are machines of various sizes some of which are multi functional and can both broadcast as well as side spread. www.gamberini.com / www.rink-spezial.com

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SALES

SERVICING

Sales and specialist servicing of KMS Rinklin, leading innovator and specialised produce of technology for viticulture and fruit cultivation for the last four decades Based in South Oxfordshire

www.amh-viticulture.co.uk

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07973 500752 | andy@amh-viticulture.co.uk

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Buy from stock. Visit us to collect or same day dispatch Buy from stock. us or same dispatch Buy stock. Visit Visit us to to collect collect or recycled same day dayIBC dispatch withfrom nationwide delivery. New and tanks. with nationwide delivery. New and recycled IBC tanks. with nationwide delivery. New and recycled IBC tanks. Plastic and steel drums. Water tanks & plenty of fittings. Plastic Plastic and and steel steel drums. drums. Water Water tanks tanks & & plenty plenty of of fittings. fittings.

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