Vineyard January 2023

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VINEYARD

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CONTENTS

Features

In conversation... It is now possible to sample English wine in a picturesque spot near to Canterbury Cathedral whilst enjoying excellent Kentish fare.

Past, present and future

Vineyard magazine visits The Grange Winery in Hampshire where the new winery was finished just in time for harvest.

An event buzzing with enthusiasm

For the second year running the Vineyard & Winery Show took place at the Kent Showground, Detling. Attended by all aspects of the industry the event built on the success of the inaugural event.

Keeping ahead of the game Kent-based specialist machinery supplier Kirkland has played a vital part in helping the growth of the viticulture industry.

From the editor

Prawn Cocktail, Chicken Kiev, Black Forest Gateaux

What do these things all have in common? They fell out of popularity for decades and yet they were all enjoyed by a large majority, they work and they taste good. Recently these items have been making their way back onto menus around the UK.

The point: If something works it works. Fashion cannot change the fact that the combination of chocolate and cherry taste good together.

Grape varieties and wine styles are not immune to the vagaries of fashion. Merlot, made unfashionable by one line in a film, its popularity fell off a cliff. Yet Merlot is used to make some of the best, most prestigious and not forgetting some of the most expensive wine in the world. This month Matthew Jukes finds himself hoping that Ortega, Solaris along with Dornfelder and Rondo are embraced by vineyards across the UK (see page 22) When this is applied to the idea of sparkling wine the example that springs to mind is the demi-Sec style. Long considered unfashionable but again it is a wine style that works for the majority and is pleasant on the palate. Many of those who are not overly keen on traditionally dry sparklers will happily join in and celebrate with demi-sec. It is therefore great to see these wines on the UK wine scene.

Looking to the future, will fashion continue to dictate that new grape varieties are ignored or that old varieties are left to languish rather than simply embracing anything that works and letting taste and enjoyment lead the way? Whilst trusting that English and Welsh wine will continue to defy convention and enjoying the above menu, I might stream one of those power ballads we all pretend we don’t like but secretly listen to.

First English wine to be sold in Packamama’s eco-flat format bottle

Cotswold Hills, the Royal Agricultural University’s award-winning wine and social enterprise based in Gloucestershire, has become the first UK vineyard to trial the use of Packamama’s multi-awardwinning flat wine bottles.

A small run of the 2021 English white wine will be available in the new sustainable eco-flat bottles as part of an ongoing, student-led, project undertaken at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) and a celebration of how collaboration in the English wine

industry can help create a more sustainable future.

A core premise of the project is to give students the opportunity to gain first-hand enterprise and employability skills, learning about vineyard management, grape varieties, wine production, marketing and finances.

Hugo Sain-Ley-Berry-Gray, the RAU’s student lead on the project who is studying for a degree in Applied Farm Management at the Cirencester university, said: “As students of food and agriculture, we are conscious of the

carbon footprint associated with the industry. For the wine sector, glass bottles account for a high percentage of these emissions.

“Eco-flat wine bottles offer Cotswold Hills a product that aligns with our sustainability objectives. Reducing the weight and changing the material of our bottles is a step in the right direction to solve an existing problem. As new entrants into the industry, this was an opportunity we were keen to explore.

“Packamama's eco-flat wine bottles provide an exciting opportunity to innovate and reduce the emissions of our product. Being the UK's first vineyard to trial this format is exciting and we hope to inspire others to explore this option.”

Keen to support the next generation of the UK wine industry, Packamama provided their Suffolk-produced, 100% recycled PET bottles for the project. Thanks to space, weight, and energy savings, Packamama’s innovative packaging format enables emissions savings of around 50% compared to typical, round, glass bottles.

Judith Candy, Business Development Manager at Packamama, said: “The students involved in this project at the RAU represent a generation of eco-conscious young people who will not accept high carbon footprint products given the climate crisis.

“As such, it has been a pleasure to support their endeavours in creating a local and sustainable product through supplying our lower carbon footprint bottles. As a British start-up, it is also very motivating to see our Packamama format used for an English wine for the first time and we hope it is the start of a long-lasting collaboration.”

Katherine Duke, Head of Enterprise & Employability at the RAU, said: “This is an incredible project and we, at the RAU, are really excited to be the first English wine producer to use these new eco-flat bottles.

“We are thrilled to be launching these in the run up to Christmas as, not only are these bottles better for the environment, their innovative flat design is ideal for online gift purchasing as they can be posted through a standard letterbox.”

Celebrating the UK’s best professional wine buyers

London Wine Fair (LWF) strive to recognise the UK wine buyers who are shaping and driving the industry with the decisions they make daily.

So in 2020 LWF launched the first-ever Wine Buyers Awards – a competition designed to identify and reward excellence in wine buying, across all sectors. After hosting these Awards digitally during the pandemic, they are excited to present the awards live at the London Wine Fair 2023.

The awards are centred around a robust and credible judging process, headed up by Chris Losh – former editor of Imbibe, founder of Sommelier Wine Awards, former

editor of Wine International, and shortlisted for Louis Roederer Feature Writer of the Year. He will be joined by a hand-picked panel of distinguished and experienced judges from the industry, including former senior group buyers.

By winning or being shortlisted you are demonstrating your career excellence, enhancing your venue, business, or store’s reputation, and helping to inspire the next generation of the industry.

The categories for 2023 are:

Supermarket and Multiple Awards

Independent Merchant Awards

Restaurant & Wine Bar Awards

Pub Awards

Rising Star Award

Online Specialist Award

Plus, new for 2023, LWF are also awarding the ultimate accolade of the 'Wine Buyer of the Year'. This will awarded to the stand out winner from any one of the award categories.

Deadline for entry is 20 January 2023. To enter the Wine Buyers Awards: http://brintex.liwf.co.uk/c/11C1cD3RudRq9uPumyL4O367GZ

WSET appoints Kirsten Grant Meikle to its Board of Trustees

WSET (the Wine & Spirit Education Trust) has announced that Kirsten Grant Meikle is to join its Board of Trustees, replacing Allen Gibbons as the Worshipful Company of Distillers’ representative. Allen is stepping down this month, having served as a WSET trustee for four years. Kirsten has spent more than twenty years in the wine and spirits business. After seven years at Matthew Clark where she began in sales and ended up as Wine Range Controller, she joined William Grant & Sons UK in 2011 as Head of On Premise Strategy, later becoming Director of Prestige. She then moved to the company’s US operation as Commercial Strategy Director and, subsequently, the Regional Manager for the State of Illinois. She is now back in the UK and working for the company in the Procurement team. Kirsten is a great champion of women in the spirits industry and, in particular, has made a huge impact in helping to shift the perception that whisky is a man’s drink. Kirsten holds the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines & Spirits.

Commenting on her appointment, Kirsten said: “I am delighted to be joining the WSET Board of Trustees. The formal qualifications WSET offers provide a pathway for talent in the wine and spirits industry to develop and

become the next generation of experts. I am an alumna myself and know first-hand how the resources provided are invaluable to individuals and businesses alike.”

WSET Chief Executive Michelle Brampton commented: “I would like to thank Allen for his important contribution over the last four years. I am very pleased to welcome Kirsten to the WSET Board of Trustees. Kirsten has

valuable skills and experience to bring to the table, especially in helping us to enhance our understanding of the spirits industry, grow the reach of our spirits qualifications and help us to shape our organisation for the future.”

WSET’s Board of Trustees is chaired by Simon McMurtrie. The other members are Miles Beale, Lulie Halstead, Dan Jago, Jo Locke MW, Jo Thornton and Sukhinder Singh.

Talk to us!

@VineyardMagGB vineyard.ed@kelsey.co.uk

Good point on “expensive” ENVELOPE

Dear editor,

I have just read your December opinion column – good point on “expensive”.

You might have seen articles on steps to create a type of standardised universal ‘environmental score’ for labelling on food products. This potentially might not be so difficult to do if universal benchmarks are used to create the algorithm and allocate the score. It is easy to imagine what this might mean if you consider all the 3 P’s, comparing say wine production in Chile with that of the UK e.g bottle weight , shipping distance, worker wages, water use in irrigation/production…

If this weighted score was part of a countries domestic labelling (Wine Standards Board!) it is not difficult to see what a kind of pictogram might convey and how domestic production would reflect its price appropriately. Inversely the ‘real’ unexposed environmental debt cost of the import would be seen in a starker light.

paper-plane

twitter

Wines of Great Britain @Wine_GB

Jonathan

Rodwell, Viticulturist

Royal Agricultural University

@RoyalAgUni

twitter

Our students were on duty at the Gloucester Quays Christmas Market over the weekend! Cotswold Hills, our awardwinning wine and social enterprise based in Gloucestershire, has become the first UK vineyard to trial the use of Packamama’s flat wine bottles.

plumptonwine

The Drinks Business Green Awards Shortlist 2022 has been announced and it is wonderful to see that Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (SWGB) and @ridgeviewwineuk have been shortlisted in two of the categories.

rowton_vineyard

Baby it’s cold outside. This weather makes for some pretty wonderful photos. And the vines are loving it too, they can now properly shut down and pull in all their reserves for the Winter, ready to wake up next Spring time #vineyard #Shropshire #EnglishWine #Wine #Shrewsbury #Solaris #PinkFizz #Winter #Frost #Snow #Winterwonderland

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Today has been a special day, (not least because of the snow) some of our third year students shared their 2022 placement presentations. This is when the students have been away working from June to November getting first hand career experience in the wine industry. This year they flew off to Germany, Canada and the USA as well as being here in the UK! Great job team #winecareer #wineeducation #wine #canada #USA #germany #UK #makewineyourcareer #global #success #proud

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sugruesouthdowns

We are delighted to announce Sugrue South Downs have joined forces with the UK's leading boutique hotelier, Robin Hutson OBE, co-founder of Hotel du Vin, Limewood and The Pig Hotels. Robin has invested in our small, acclaimed project which Dermot established in 2006 – and is now widely recognised as the UK's leading boutique English Sparkling Wine brand. After 16 years at the helm of Wiston Estate, which he helped Harry and Pip Goring establish, Dermot left earlier this year to focus fully on Sugrue South Downs with Ana and of course, Tara – the wonderdog.

#englishsparklingwine #sussex #wine #bubbles #investment #barrel #brightfuture #chardonnay #team

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Matt Strugz @Strugz Ta dah!

Taking discourse with a Master of wine ENVELOPE

Dear Editor,

After reading the well written article by Justin Howard-Sneyd MW I found myself wincing at certain points. I realise taking discourse with a Master of wine in Vineyard magazine may be as fruitful as an Englishman taking a penalty at a World Cup but none-the-less here I go.

I have very little experience in viticulture but have run an arable farm for twenty years and as far as I can tell it’s still sustainable, regenerative or whatever this week’s buzz word is. Farmers love a saying and “Live as though you’ll die tomorrow but farm as though you’ll live forever” by John Marsden can be heard across the Fens all the way to all Weatherspoons bar’s at 11.30 every Saturday night. It’s what we do.

Before I turn into the Harry Enfield character “you don’t want to do it like that, you want to do it like this” there were bunches of fruitful positivity from Mr MW’s article I agree with. We have to adapt as situations change economically and environmentally, however like a young vine’s development – balance must be the key. I also support the view that curiosity is the key for progress, and I’m amazed the UK doesn’t have more research stations and trial sites we could visit and see what to do and what not to do. What a showcase it could be for cool climate viticulture and could boost the UK’s productivity.

Now onto my face wincing moments like a Harry Kane spot kick. The idea that modern day farmers spend tens of thousands of pounds every year on agro-chemicals when nature could provide them for free is in stark contrast to every farmer I’ve met. We hate spending money, just look at every farmer’s boots and clothing. We spend money when there is a return possibility be it quality or quantity. The green revolution (introduction of synthetic fertilisers) in the 1960s has lifted millions of people out of starvation which must be one of humanity's best ever achievements. Other benefits such as less de-forestation and economic progress shouldn’t be rubbed out either. It wasn’t perfect, but don’t let perfection be the enemy of good.

Mr Howard-Sneyd’s comment that the “biodynamic and organic growers are ahead when it comes to avoiding the use of soil depleting chemicals” is as baffling as it is vague. Very few pesticides used in the vineyard are residual and therefore affecting the soil and ten-year registration period for a pesticide molecule from discovery to usage ensures all safety tests are carried out regarding human health. Again this hasn’t always been the case

back in the 60s and 70s but don’t let this tarnish human progression. The maritime climate ensures the UK will always be under disease pressure whether you’re producing wheat for Weetabix or grapes for a glass of Sussex and plant protection products can help. Quite how the use of heavy metals such as sulphur and copper are completely unregulated and considered organic is beyond me.

There is one area I’m genuinely confused about within the viticulture industry. Glyphosate. It’s the safest pesticide I’ve used in my time as a farmer yet it seems as scary as a French goalkeeper to a lot of people within the industry. There are no more tests to do to show how safe glyphosate is, they’ve all been done. It was originally designed as an antibiotic for human use, and has a very basic chemical structure (if that’s even a thing). However, like any antibiotics, if it’s over-used (see the USA) then issues can be raised. In the EU we use this spray rarely and at appropriate timings so we must be careful when phases like “can saturate them (soil organisms) with Roundup and kill all the competition” as it’s simply not true. It scares people reading this into avoiding a useful tool for viticulture and all agriculture. As with many discussions in society it is easy to knock things down but difficult to replace them. When glyphosate does get banned what is the alternative? Burning fuel, increasing soil compaction, releasing more carbon from the soil, increasing soil erosion and damaging vines are all a result of mechanical weeding? I’m not saying this isn’t a part of the answer but lets not try and have an all or nothing discussion here as they rarely end well or productively especially when using scare stories.

Some of the larger companies are starting to look at sourcing their ingredients from `regenerative` arable farms, but this doesn’t mean farmers are switching to `no-till` farming for this reason alone. These big companies are also looking at methods of cutting fertiliser usage, using inhibitors on urea, moving towards carbon neutral farming or growing more resistant varieties. In all these examples we are not compromising on quality, we are finding more efficient methods within the system which can also be called regenerative. The key point here is also to point out that these companies are willing to pay a premium if this achieved. This payment will cover the increase in costs for new machinery and new technology and can be paid to the farmer for the goods that go into the company’s produce. However currently I can see no method of increasing revenue from such schemes in UK

viticulture. All I can see is extra costs for the producer and supermarkets then taking any premium as they will demand this as their base line and offer no premium at all. Supermarkets are not the producer’s ally our customers are.

As an excited new entrant to the UK wine industry my primary target is how I can produce the highest quality product for my customers in the most environmentally and economically efficient way. We have many challenges regarding pests and diseases in the UK, and in my view we need to use all the crop inputs to ensure the quality of the final product. I would respectively urge all stakeholders to carefully choose their words especially when talking about products and inputs. If we ban products for the sake of it and force producers to spend money on a scheme not demanded for by our customers, we will not only have our penalty taking issues but we’ll have the referee against us as well and we all know how that’ll end. It’s painful enough to see the French beating us at football so lets give them a scare by producing some quality wine.

Tim Beaver, Rutland Vineyard

bluebellvineyard

The vineyard is looking particularly festive after last night's flurry of snow.

Bertie one of our resident dogs also seems to be enjoying the delights of a snow day!

#englishwine #wine #englishsparklingwine

#winelover #winetasting #vineyard

#englishvineyard #winegb #instawine

#sparklingwine #vineyardviews

#englishwinemovement #snowday

#dogsofinstagram #sussex #winelife

#viticulture #ukwinetourism #viticulture

#vineyards #england @winegb

Full organic status

SILCHESTER | HAMPSHIRE 40 ACRES, 6 ACRES UNDER VINE GUIDE PRICE: £2,500,000

An eleventh-hour decision by vineyard owner Peter Came has given the Calleva Vineyard on the Hampshire/Berkshire border a vital marketing advantage.

“The night before I was about to spray my new vines for the first time, I had second thoughts about drenching them in chemicals and the impact it would have on the ecosystem, insects and wildlife,” he recalled.

The next day, Peter rang his agronomist and asked him to take the chemicals away and replace them with natural products including seaweed, garlic and Epsom salts. “They were very understanding,” he said.

That decision means that by March 2023 the lovingly tended six-acre vineyard in Silchester –which is now up for sale – is expected to receive full organic status from the Soil Association.

Selling the site was not part of Peter and wife Corinne’s plan, something that will be obvious to anyone who looks at the quality of the winery on the site or the care that has been lavished on the vines, which are made up of 60% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Noir, 9% Pinot Meunier and 6% Rondo.

Always a country boy at heart, and with enviably green fingers, Peter bought Greenlands Farm in Silchester after selling his specialist insurance business and proceeded to buy an additional 20 acres of land from a neighbour.

It gave him a total of 40 acres of land which Peter was keen to put to good use. As Corinne explained: “Watching the fields being used to

make hay was a frustration for him as he felt we could be achieving so much more from them.”

After reading all he could about vines and wine, Peter received an unusual present for his next birthday; a short course at Plumpton College which saw him spend seven days over seven months studying, spending mornings in the classroom and the afternoons on practical skills. He finished the course with a distinction and his enthusiasm increased.

Advice and comments from leading industry figures confirmed that the site was ideal for growing grapes, and so in 2019 the couple went ahead and planted 9,000 vines. They are generously spaced, in Peter’s own words, “because it was going to be me driving the tractor, so I insisted on nice wide aisles and decent turning circles”.

The decision not to spray was prompted by the couple’s desire to create something special. “It was going to be hard to compete with the many other Hampshire vineyards without a decent USP (unique selling point), and since only about 10% of the country’s vineyards are organic, we decided that was the way forward,” he said.

It also reflected their plan to create an ‘experience destination’ that would make more of the site’s one-acre pond and the already abundant wildlife that they have encouraged and added to with wild flower planting, bat boxes and bee hives.

To enhance the experience, the couple built a winery which includes a tractor and machinery

store which is high enough to take wine tanks, a mezzanine floor for storing consumables and space for bonded wine. There is also a tasting room with a bar, kitchen and toilets, while the ground floor includes showers which are also useful for the workforce.

Reflecting the quality that runs through the whole venture, the oak bar and windowsills in the upstairs tasting room were handmade from a 300 year-old tree which fell four years ago. There is space for tables and chairs, and access to the balcony for summer lunches with stunning views of the vineyard and pond.

The name of the vineyard was taken from the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum, just half a mile from the site. “Silchester was the centre of the Iron Age kingdom of the Atrebates tribe and we wanted to make a connection with this historic place combined with the Roman love of fine wine,” Peter said. “Calleva was the obvious answer.”

Having made growing grapes a real labour of love, Peter recently suffered a health setback and was advised not to do anything too physical. “Given that I hate sitting and watching and always have to be out there in the thick of any job that needs doing, we made the reluctant decision to sell both Greenlands Farm and Calleva,” he said.

“It was never part of the plan, but whoever takes over will reap the benefits of a lot of hard work and attention to detail over the past few years. I look forward to toasting their success with a glass of their first vintage.”

In total, approx 40 acres, planted in 2019 with approx 6 acres under vines of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier & Rondo.

Due to be fully certified organic by the Soil Association in March 2023.

Fabulous 2 storey winery with commercial kitchen, tasting room, bar (with balcony to enjoy the wonderful views), w/c’s on both floors, staff kitchen, tractor & machinery store with room for bonded warehouse; completed in 2022

Approx 1 acre lake with fish including Koi

Separate on site agricultural barn under residential planning application, ideal for Manager. Main house for sale by separate negotiation.

Great potential for development of a ‘glamping’ site. Including south-facing land for additional vines

Gripple celebrates five wins

Gripple, the market leader in wire joiners and tensioners for agriculture, is celebrating five wins at the prestigious TMMX Manufacturing Awards.

The company beat off strong competition from manufacturers across the UK to win the following awards: Manufacturer of the year, Young Manufacturer of the Year, International Trade, Operational Excellence and Leadership and Strategy, after being shortlisted in 10 out of 11 categories.

Judges crowned Gripple ‘Manufacturer of the Year 2022’ due to its “growing, innovative, people-led, customer aware and focused business.”

The Young Manufacturer of the Year 2022 category was won by Natasha Lyth, Sustainability Manager at Gripple. Natasha joined Gripple in 2018 and now spearheads the company’s Net Zero strategy. The judging panel said “Natasha is fully committed to manufacturing, evidenced by her development plan. She sees her future in the sector.” Another panel member praised Natasha for the “continuous improvements she implements at Gripple.”

Gripple won the award for International Trade for the company’s commitment to expanding its international business. Judges commented on Gripple’s entry as “great, conveying a sense of strategy, illustrating innovation and strong market adaptation.”

The Operational Excellence award recognised Gripple’s effective use of lean methodologies and techniques to drive improvements across its operations. Gripple was praised by judges for its “Toyota-style thinking, which is testimony to how the company is actively achieving operational

excellence through adopting a lean approach to manufacturing.”

Gordon Macrae, Special Projects Manager at Gripple, explains: “This was a fantastic night for Gripple and for manufacturing in South Yorkshire! The TMMX Awards are the most prestigious manufacturing awards in the country, so it is a real honour for us to win five categories. The entry process and judging criteria are, quite rightly, rigorous and the judges really do put you to the test when they visit, but we are so pleased with the feedback we received and will use this to continually improve our operations. Well done team Gripple!”

He adds: “The TMMX awards are an opportunity to showcase the passion for excellence we have across our business which is driven by Gripple being an employee-owned business.”

Winery beats energy bills with community-funded solar panels

Prestigious winery, Rathfinny Wine Estate in Sussex, is set to insure itself against fluctuating energy bills by installing solar panels funded by the community. Rathfinny have partnered with Brighton Energy Coop (BEC), who will install solar panels on Rathfinny's roofs - at no cost to Rathfinny – and then sell the winery the electricity generated.

This means that the electricity used by Rathfinny is partly – around 50% – solar powered, and with solar electricity being much cheaper

than grid electricity, the winery is set to save handsomely. The solar electricity price is also fixed, meaning Rathfinny are insured against future energy price increases.

Local people are funding this impressive 1500-panel solar system by investing in Brighton Energy Co-op.

BEC currently works with 50 other local businesses like this, including Bolney Wine Estate in Sussex. Here BEC installed solar panels in 2018. As a guarantee against unpredicatable energy prices, the solar electricity saves Bolney thousands on their electricity bills each year, and significantly reduced the Estate's carbon emissions.

At Rathfinny, the reduced carbon savings are around 400 tonnes per year.

Brighton Energy's community-led approach to renewable energy is a great match with Rathfinny's sustainable ethos and their low intervention winemaking methods.

Mark & Sarah Driver of Rathfinny Wine Esate said: “Brighton Energy community solar is a great fit for us, as we’ve applied to gain the prestigious B-Corp status for our sustainable business.”

B Corp status is a certification of social and environmental performance. To become a B Corp, companies are required to incorporate social and environmental objectives into governing documents; well-known brands such as Patagonia, Ben & Jerry's, Nespresso and The Body Shop have all been certified as B Corps.

BEC's Matt Brown, Rathfinny owners Sarah and Mark Driver and Rathfinny's COO Jamie Everett

In conversation...

It

now possible to sample English wine in a picturesque spot near to Canterbury Cathedral whilst enjoying excellent Kentish fare. This month Vineyard magazine visits the newly opened premises of Corkk in Canterbury and chats to founder Jonathan Piggins and his business partner Clive Barlow MW about their wine shop that mixes the traditional with the truly unique...

How did Corkk come into existence as a wine business?

Clive responded “Jonathan is the founder and he came to have a chat with me about the idea. Jonathan told me that English wine was really going to go places and lots of people would soon come to love it and that we should get behind what is local. Jonathan had the marketing knowledge and the inspiration.” Jonathan humbly admitted that: “He enjoyed drinking wine but that he was looking for someone with wine expertise.” People suggested Clive Barlow and having bought some wine from Clive in the past Jonathan said: “It was lovely because it was as easy as sending an email saying would you be interested? We met and had a brief chat and Clive said yes I would love to help you. “It has been an easy and pleasant journey ever since,” they both agreed.

How do you feel about the wine that you are presenting?

“Very confident,” said Jonathan. I want to have the authority behind the wine we are showcasing and Clive knows such a lot not just about the quality of the wine but the story of the wine.”

When did Corkk begin operating?

Jonathan said: “We began online in 2019. At first we did a little bit with friends and family for market research and discovering the reaction and found that people really enjoyed the wines so the initial response was really positive.”

“People consistently said the wine was so much better than they expected,” Jonathan added with a smile. “In those early days it was the Oxney organic sparkling rosé that people got really excited about,” he concluded.

Can you describe something about the ethos of Corkk online?

“This was an offering to people who wanted to learn not just about Kent Wine but the English Wine scene with bespoke parcels going out every couple of months. So we would pick the wines and then send them out with the story behind the wine so that the drinker could really understand the background of the wine and then if they wanted to go direct they could. It was really about opening up English Wine to people,” said Clive.

Did lockdown affect the number of people that were coming to you for wine?

“It was too early to make any judgements specifically for our own business but it was interesting that prior to lockdown the vineyards were very much about cellar door activities. They had not done much relating to online sales and the number of people looking online for wine then increased dramatically,” said Jonathan.

How did you adapt your business during lockdown?

“We offered online tasting experiences,” said Jonathan.

How did that work?

“I was the compare,” said Jonathan. “It was a double act,” Clive added. On a serious note Jonathan said: “It was a good opportunity to see people’s reaction and it was the first time we had the ability to see that; it was really quite exciting.”

Clive explained that it actually works in two ways: “When you are selling only online you don’t get that immediate feedback but online live sessions with people, being able to directly answer questions… that was different and mainly a positive experience.”

What demographic did you have for the online tastings?

“It was a nice mix,” agreed Clive and Jonathan “probably an age range of late twenties to people in their seventies.”

“The younger age groups were a bit more experimental,” said Jonathan. “If you are less experienced in drinking wine you don’t have as many preconceptions about how a wine should be,” added Clive.

is

Enomatic machine

When entering the new premises at Corkk there are many things that are striking. The airy space has been beautifully renovated making a lovely connection between the old and the new.

Dating from 1790 the building is located near the world famous landmark of Canterbury Cathedral. Whilst the décor and colour scheme really showcase the different wine bottles and labels; it is hard to miss the enomatic machine in the centre of the space.

Corkk provide a card that can be loaded with a credit amount and this is then inserted into one of two machines that have a total of 16 wine bottles displayed. It is then possible to select a specific wine to try but the brilliant part is that the amount of wine dispensed starts at a 50ml tasting portion. The card is then debited a nominal fee of approximately £1, enabling the start of a brand new wine journey.

The enomatic machine offers three separate quantities, from the tasting sample to a full glass and the corresponding amount is deducted from the card. This is the perfect solution for a group of friends who each enjoy different wine styles or who perhaps want to experience various wines accompanied by great local food. A fun yet practical way to encourage an open minded approach to wine.

Do you have any experiences from those Zoom sessions?

Jonathan recounts: “On one occasion there were about 20 people on the screen and one participant took a sip and was instantly unimpressed but Clive was able to turn it into a positive experience for the whole group. Clive asked have you got any cheese? The participant was a good sport and went and had some cheese and tried the tasting again and his reaction was remarkable, he was so impressed with the wine he called it delicious. Without the live aspect of the tasting and Clive’s knowledge that could have been a bad experience for that person but actually it turned out to be a very positive experience not just for the one person but the whole group. They could see that by playing around with food pairings you can get a different experience from the wine you are drinking.”

After Lockdown how did you move the business forward?

“We had a pop-up shop in Fenwicks Canterbury during the Canterbury Wine Festival (which was founded by Clive) and the response was so good they asked us to stay throughout the summer. We still have a presence there now,” said Jonathan.

How do customers respond to the shop?

Jonathan answered: “We get two kinds of customers coming in. There are those who know their wines very well and are quite engaged in English Wine. (There is also a movement to natural and orange wines.) We also have customers who say English wine is not for me I like French wine etc… and some won’t change but some will have a try which is what the shop is all about. Showcasing English wines and wines from other countries so that people can just have a try and be adventurous without the risk of buying a bottle for £20-£30; you can have a taste for £1.” In conclusion Clive added that: “Traditional method sparkling is embraced by all and is a product they are familiar with but English still wine requires people to be open minded.”

You have a Wall of Kent Wine on offer what was the influence behind this?

“There is a strong tie in with the local residents in Kent; this is their wine. They can go to the vineyards themselves. I am a great believer in that sense of terroir. Really caring about the place where you live; supporting the nearby growers and winemakers. We are however, in a new market for wine so we need to feature other areas as well, so we don’t just showcase Kent wines,” said Clive. “We also have a food offering that is all locally sourced to continue the local experience,” Jonathan concluded.

You are based in a very beautiful part of Canterbury near the Cathedral how has that influenced the customer demographic?

We opened in November and have already seen a significant number of domestic tourists from London but also even in this short time we have seen visitors from Australia, Thailand, The Netherlands, Germany, France and the USA.

How many of your customers are international tourists?

“We have not had our first summer yet so that is maybe a question for the future,” said Jonathan. “We will be inviting the local vineyards into the shop to showcase their wines during the summer which will be a lovely experience.”

The shop has added context to Kentish Wine by also including other English Wines and you have added another layer to this context by including wines from across the world why is that?

“We carry Chardonnay from other places in the world and that means it is possible to compare across the continents and then you can see how good English wines are. I feel you should always have a holistic view of wine. The styles will be different but the intrinsic quality of the wine will be the same. They will be different expressions of certain grapes. We also wanted to show the variety of wine that is out there in the world. I have another location where I sell wine but there I am only allowed to showcase European wine so I enjoy showing excellent examples of other wines here at Corkk,” said Clive.

Where do you plan to go from here?

“One floor up,” was the instant response from Jonathan. “The building has two rooms upstairs with fantastic views of the Cathedral from the rear of the property.” (Jonathan showed me these rooms and the view is definitely inspiring between us we decided that it was worthy of a movie scene “Mary Poppins meets the Aristocats”).

“One of these rooms is already fitted out and Canterbury Wine School will host WSET courses on the premises starting in January. It will be a more conducive environment for learning about wine than a basic classroom,” Clive explained. “There will also be a Kentish wine workshop that will be a two hour experience for tourists. Alongside this there is also the opportunity for businesses and groups to benefit from the space with bespoke tastings and events.

Lastly what is your favourite wine style or grape variety and why?

Clive responded:“Pinot Noir because it is the most terroir expressive red grape in the world. It is sensual and speaks of its origins and fortunately we can grow it in England and here in Kent.” Whilst Jonathan explained: “It depends on the time of year but what can be done with Bacchus is quite exciting. It is a true expression of English Wine the smell of elderflower, the hedgerows I think in the summer it is a perfect English drink.”

Nearly 100 wines were entered WINEGB WEST ANNUAL COMPETITION

This year the competiton was held on 17 November at the fantastic setting of Sandridge Barton Wine Estate in Devon, writes WineGB West Secretary Jordan Guy.

Nearly 100 wines were entered over eight classes, sent in from vineyards and producers across the West of England –Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Herefordshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. The wines were tasted on the day by a judging panel made up of Rebecca Mitchell (Certified Sommelier & Wine Educator), Zoe Driver (Assistant Winemaker, Black Chalk), Phoebe French (WineGB and MW Student), Debbie Warner (Wild Wine School) and Yannick Loué (Founder of 'Le Vignoble'). The Sparkling White, Sparkling Rosé and Bacchus classes were the highlights of the competition. This was the first year that Bacchus wines were judged in their own class, and the judges were impressed both with the quality and the range of styles presented.

Rebecca Mitchell, Panel Chair, shared her thoughts on the competition: “We were impressed by the exceptional quality of wines being produced by WineGB members from right across the West of England. It was really encouraging to see the attention to detail and wine-making expertise producing some really interesting styles in this region. The stand-out flights were the two categories of Sparkling (White and Rosé) with some

real flair and talent being demonstrated.

The Bacchus flight was probably the most exciting for us to judge purely due to the diversity of styles within that category.”

The Member's Event was also a great success, held the following day with a tour of the winery and a lovely lunch in the Circa restaurant at Sandridge Barton. The event finished with a tasting of all the competition wines and the presentation of the trophies.

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Best Sparkling White

Pinot Meunier 2018, Langham (The Ray Palfrey Cup & South-West Wine of the Year)

◆ Best Sparkling Rosé

Pinot Noir Sparkling NV, Trevibban Mill (The Chairman’s Cup)

◆ Best Wine from Bacchus Grape Bacchus 2021, Three Choirs

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Best Dry White Wine

Dart Valley Reserve 2021, Sandridge Barton (WGBW Committee Cup)

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Best Rosé Wine

Charlotte May Rosé 2021, Whitehall (The Stewards Trophy)

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◆

Best Oaked White Wine

Constantine 2020, Trevibban Mill (WGBW Challenge Cup)

Best Non-Dry White Wine

Madeline May Chardonnay 2021, Whitehall (The Association Cup)

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Best Red Wine Pinot Noir 2019, Whitehall (The Sunnybank Trophy)

◆ Outstanding Contribution to WineGB West Charlie Brown, Sandridge Barton (Gillian Peakes Memorial Bowl)

Thank you to all members who entered wines and a big congratulations to the trophy winners.

Full competition results can be found at www.winegbwest.uk

The three trophy winners –Left to right: Tommy Grimshaw (Langham), Duncan Schwab (Sandridge Barton) and Charlie Brown (Sandridge Barton)

New year, new wines

Celebrating changes that have passed me by.

I contemplated writing a New Year’s resolutions piece this month, but this is a somewhat outdated concept, and, as we know, no one keeps to their promises a couple of weeks into January anyway.

Some of my past resolutions have come true, like, for example, Hambledon moving out of clear glass and into green for their sparkling rosé, so I am hopeful for the future.

I trust that our Great British wineries continue to celebrate Ortega, Solaris, Dornfelder and Rondo, among other less fashionable varieties, as well as pushing forward with increased momentum into the still wine realm where I believe Great British riches lie.

So, this January, instead of wishing for change, I have decided to take a new tack – to celebrate changes that have already occurred but have passed me by. My quest for newness of understanding and openness of the mind has led me to the equation, New year = New wines. To this end, I have found three wines that have impressed me and that I have never written up before in Vineyard magazine or, indeed, in any publication, including www.matthewjukes.com.

While this trio is new to me, I am sure that many others will be familiar with these wines. If you are, please seek out more wines unique to you in order to expand your vinous horizons and welcome in 2023 with new and exciting experiences and flavours. There is little to be found by looking over one’s shoulder these days. The wreckage of 2022 is best left alone, while the squeaky new 2023 vintage is unwrapped with glee. Here’s to a new and fascinating year full to the brim with energetic wines and enthusiastic winemakers.

2021 Shotley Vineyard, Bacchus, Suffolk Approx. £17.00 per bottle or £90.00 for a case of 6 bottles www.shotleyvineyard.co.uk www.suffolkfoodhall.co.uk www.bonitaswholefoods.com www.theenglishvine.co.uk

Just over 2,000 bottles of this wine were made from the Shotley Vineyard in Suffolk, and it was produced by the experienced team at Bolney.

Charlotte Davitt-Mills and her husband purchased a four-acre vineyard in 2017 after falling in love with this beautiful setting. They now manage 16 acres and launched their first wine in 2020.

With some older vine fruit (1997, 1998 and 2003 plantings) blending neatly with younger vines, this is an impressive Bacchus with a super-tangy citrus theme and impressive length.

I tasted it for the first time last month and, after skipping through a decent number of Bacchi (is this an accepted plural?), I felt that this cheeky number was head and shoulders above the rest. Vital, cleansing and perky, it ticks the expected boxes immediately, but it is the persistence of fruit and volume of flavour that trails on for minutes that make this already delicious creation into a must-taste wine.

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

Made from 100% Pinot Gris, this is the first PG release from Yotes Court, and it is already a winner. As we all know, the 2021 vintage was a challenging one, and much of the Pinot Gris fruit was made into sparkling wine because it was felt that the crop wasn’t going to ripen enough and with sufficient quality to make a large quantity of still wine. A very small amount was handharvested to make Loose Rein, and I am thrilled that this decision was taken because there is a hand-made, artisan feel about this sumptuous white wine. Some 25% of the whole was fermented in seasoned French oak barriques, adding a glorious texture to this mildly exotic wine. Gastronomes need to look no further because the result is a heady white wine with stunning freshness balanced by an indulgent texture. I hope they recreated this wine in 2022 – one suspects it would have been a little easier to find the perfect fruit!

Pattingham Vineyard was born in 2018, so I am not too late for this particular party! The site is perfect with south-facing slopes, free-draining topsoil and a history of being used for pasture land, so nothing ugly lurks beneath the surface. And do you know what? This Solaris tastes like it is made from happy, content and positive-thinking grapes!

This 2021 is the first significant harvest, with 30,000 bottles produced across various styles. Still wine specialists (hurrah), I feel that this estate, with its lovely labels and focussed, dynamic flavours, is set to be a star. Solaris can often taste a little loose-knit and creamy, but this wine is silky, clean, hauntingly fruity and, crucially, edgy and dry on the finish. It is a new discovery for me, and I hope it is a new find for you, too. I imagine we will all be hearing much more about Pattingham in 2023 and the years to come.

Past, present and future

The Grange Winery in Hampshire is a place where past, present and future are inextricably linked.

Family connections were the motivation behind the establishment of the winery.

Zam Baring explained that he and his siblings Mark, Lucy and Rose all had families that had loved and enjoyed spending time on the land that had been in the family for generations. This was the basis for a project that would connect the extended family to each other and the land for both present family members and for generations to come.

Zam manages the vineyard and winery day to day but all the siblings get together to discuss the big decisions. No matter how far the family may travel from their roots or each other there is always something tangible they can hold onto. The Grange wines and the new winery are something that will connect them back to each other and their family history. The award winning wines from Burges field are something to be celebrated and something to celebrate with together. Wine from the ground to the glass will lead the family into the future.

Family connections may be very useful when it comes to exporting The Grange wines. Zam explained that one of his sisters has a business that already has an international presence including the USA which is a potential export

market for the brand. “Every year we have sold out,” said Zam. So for The Grange to be looking at stockists and new markets for the wines is an exciting glimpse into what the future may hold as production scales up.

The Grange currently have two wines. The Grange Classic contains 46% Chardonnay, 23% Pinot Meunier, 26% Pinot Noir and 5% reserve wine. The blend also has a portion of malolactic conversion and utilises a small amount of neutral oak. The other wine currently available is the Grange Pink containing 60% Pinot Meunier and 40% Pinot Noir. Both wines spend 33 months on lees and have won a plethora of awards in 2022 including Gold at WineGB Awards 2022, Silver at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards. The 2016 Classic Magnum also won Gold at The 2022 Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships. “The wines are typically non vintage partly because over time I want to build up enough reserve wines so that we are not producing vintages,” said Zam, but it was exciting to learn that The Grange will soon release a 100% Pinot Meunier which is based on the 2018 Vintage and has spent 36 months on lees.

The magnificent new winery building is just the beginning of the future vision for The

Grange. Zam explained that there will be a laboratory and tasting room with a courtyard making the most of the fantastic view. This whole visit has made me want a time machine. Whilst the present for this vineyard is very exciting it is only a part of a long and detailed journey. With a little imagination it is possible to picture some of what will be achievable at this vineyard in the future and imagine what may have been done in the past. I would love to be able to actually go back two centuries and fast forward several years to see what it becomes.

Zam talks about the idea of regenerative agriculture stating that “it is a complicated process as the whole idea is to restore the soil to health.” Talking about Burges Field before the vines were planted he stated: “The first time it was ploughed was probably in the 18th Century.” It would have benefitted from the water meadows below. "The sheep were out on the water meadows during the day and moved to the lower side of the valley at night. They provided natural fertiliser for the fields, bringing the lushness of the meadow grass to the drier chalky slopes,” Zam added.

In the vineyard Samuel Phillpott the

vineyard manager showed us the amazing vines that produce these award winning wines; a mixture of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Having come from Bordeaux Samuel describes the differences he has experienced since arriving at The Grange in 2018. “In Bordeaux we used machine harvesters and also harvested noble rot that makes it quite a different experience,” said Samuel. “I think full bunches picked by hand make a difference even if the machines are very precise, because as soon as you take the berry off the stalk there is oxidisation,” he explained. As testament to the care and precision that Samuel shows in the vineyard are the many grapes left behind that were simply not good enough at harvest, highlighting how only the very best grapes make it into the award winning wines produced at The Grange.

“This year the harvest has been good,” he exclaimed before going on to explain that the vines suffered from frost early in the season and some buds were lost. There was also an impact on inflorescence from the weather the previous year “even if we had buds some had no flowers or only one flower but even so we have achieved a good average,” said Samuel. “On ten hectares the harvest has been 85 tonnes. If there had been more than that it would have been too much stress for the vines and we would probably have had to have undertaken a green harvest which is an additional cost,” he added. “We have performed a green harvest in the past; the last time was in 2019 when the grapes were struggling to ripen due to the poor weather.”

To ensure the winery team are provided with accurate details of what to expect “there is a plan for the entire harvest and we try to stick to it, so we are in contact with the winery everyday,” said Samuel. Estimates are provided by counting bunches per clone so that it becomes quite precise “the tricky bit is the bunch weight, knowing what that will be, because every year is different. Bunches are weighed at veraison and this has proved very consistent,” concluded Samuel. <<

<<

On the subject of frost, Samuel said there is a 4-6 degree difference between the top and bottom of the vineyard, so this poses a significant risk when temperatures drop. “In early April this year it dropped to -7 degrees and even if the buds had not burst they did burn.” To mitigate frost, the vineyard currently uses 250 candles per hectare (which is a lot of candles to light) although alternative remedies are being thought about for the future. “We have a team of locals that are on frost watch,” said Claire Hunt who works in sales and marketing for The Grange winery but also takes her share of frost watch. “Sometimes at two in the morning you will get the call,” she added. “Often it is two in the morning,” said Samuel with a smile. They agree that: “When you are on duty even if you are not called you are always slightly alert.” Samuel explained that he has been in trouble with his team for not telling them they can stand down and they are not needed. In the morning after the candles have been lit another team called the “snuffers” are called on to extinguish the candles, preventing waste. Reviewing future methods of frost protection, Samuel explains that whilst there are many options out there not all are suitable for every site. “As The Grange is in a valley this brings unique challenges,” explained Samuel. “The problem with the candles is that the wax comes from palm oil.” They had thought of heated wires but Samuel explained this does not suit the system of pruning because the bud is too far from the wire to make the option viable. Instead they are looking at a system using sprinklers.

John Buchan AGRONOMY LTD

The canopy management was all done by hand but there is now a leaf stripping machine. After the mechanical process the team still go through the vineyard to “check on the quality of work,” he said. “This year we had an issue with the berries drying out and I think the reason was that it has been very dry and the stems were not tough enough and may have been dried out by the machine. It was not a problem in the Pinots which were fine but it was definitely a problem in the Chardonnay,” concluded Samuel.

The vineyard does not really struggle to keep the bird population under control although a small section was netted this year as an experiment to look at the effects of extending the length of time the grapes can remain on the vine. This is one of many experiments that take place at The Grange as they work hard to fine tune every aspect of their production.

The main problem they face is a physical one; holes created by ground animals such as badgers. Not only does this impede the progress of tractors and other machinery but it also poses a risk to the vineyard workers.

Like most of agriculture in the UK it can be a struggle to get enough workers to cover all the work that needs to be done in the vineyard and so Samuel explained that they have local volunteers. “For example, at pruning a team of about 10-15 local people are trained. They may not always be as quick as agency staff but that makes it easier for us to control the quality of their work,” he explained. It is true that speed is definitely not the only thing that is important in vineyard work otherwise the team would not go through the vineyard after the mechanical leaf strippers have been through. It is clear from our conversation that Samuel values the local volunteers who take part in frost watch and who work with him at pruning. Pruning is a job that begins at the end of November. The prunings are weighed because “this is a very good indicator of which way the vines are going, details are recorded using Sectormentor to give historic data,” added Samuel. Recording and historic data are things that Samuel wants to implement further in the future. In a familiar theme of looking to the future, Samuel points to implementing worm counts as a target for the vineyard.

The growth between the vines is no longer sprayed, as regenerative agriculture methods are being adopted, so a Boisselet machine is used during the growing season. A small parcel of 20 rows has been the

Samuel Phillpott

subject of a two year trial that stopped any cultivation under vine but this has resulted in a drop in yield for these vines. “By design these vines will be used to produce the still rosé,” Zam said.

Samuel finds that leaf testing is a good way of finding what the vines may need. The deep seam of chalk at The Grange is only a few inches below the surface which locks many minerals away from the vines

meaning additional applications of magnesium and iron are required. Zam is passionate about reducing spray and additives but pointing out that it is a marathon and not a sprint he said: “The soil is quite thin and the fertility is naturally quite low so the regenerative journey is complicated. I am sure the vines can handle it if we get it right. I am confident that we can build the soil biology back but it is a long slow process. On different soils where you have two or three feet of nice clay loam it is a different ball game. Somewhere between 10% and 40% of the carbs that any plant produces through photosynthesis are exuded through the roots into the soil biologically and if plants are doing that they must be doing it for a reason, presumably the reason is that the bugs and organisms that <<

<< with the construction of the new winery. The harvest process was overseen by Samuel alongside Will Francis who is the apprentice in the vineyard. Will is not available on the day of my visit because he is attending college as part of his apprenticeship. The theme of the future is again evident as this apprenticeship is helping the next generation of vineyard mangers enter the industry. Sustainability is also only possible if an industry can sustain itself with trained and skilled workers. Samuel is very pleased to be working with Will.

are using those carbs are providing the trace nutrients that are there in the soil but that can’t be received by the plant without help.”

The soil type, a small layer of gravelly soil over deep chalk, limits the choices that can be made in the vineyard and the rootstocks are therefore 41b and fercal and there is a mix of champagne and burgundy clones. It is at this point that the new winery makes its impact on the future of this vineyard and gives exciting prospects. Samuel said: “Individual clones were harvested in small plots and it was important to make sure that the grapes were not being mixed in the vineyard when they were collected.” It was only possible to pick this way because of the new winery building that was “literally finished days before harvest began,” said Claire. During the visit it became apparent just how many options have been opened up at The Grange

Samuel describes Will as enthusiastic whilst admitting that it takes time and effort to help the next generation he said: “It is definitely worth it although I have sacrificed some of the experimentation I would like to have done.”

There is however, a touch of sadness in his tone when he describes how not everyone is willing

to make the most of the opportunities they are given. This conversation made me think about the industry as a whole; how many times I have been told about people who have encouraged a new business to be brave and start something new or have willingly given their time to help a struggling vineyard make improvements –attitudes that are important for our industry. I find myself hoping that as the industry in the UK grows, collectively we don’t drop these attitudes to enable us to climb the ladder with greater ease as we may reach the top but accompanied by an armful of regrets.

In the winery we meet Harry Pickering who has been appointed the Head Winemaker at The Grange winery. Harry spent several years working at Gusbourne and has been instrumental in the process of developing the winery into a bespoke space with attention paid

Harry Pickering

Zam Baring

to every detail. The whole process of the build has been planned taking into account future expansion, with space for 500,000 bottles in the store. Harry and I try to imagine what 500,000 bottles would look like in the store. Both Harry and Zam joke that in the future when the bottle store is full they have spoken about “lights that switch on in a gradual procession from the front to the back in the futuristic style of a sci-fi movie.” This highlighted that whilst The Grange is very serious about the wines they produce from the grapes they grow from the land that has been in the family for generations there is still an atmosphere of fun which can only serve to make it an amazing place to both work and visit. (For further evidence of this sense of fun visit the fantastic blog entitled The Wine Widow on the winery’s website.)

The process flow of the winery is striking; the wine takes one fluid journey on its route through the winery from wet to dry process. The rooms have been designed for future capacity which at the moment means there is a feeling of space, but again with imagination in five years’ time these rooms will be fully utilised. There will be no backward moves.

The planning meant that the kit was ordered before Christmas several months before ground was even broken on the site (which happened in February 2022) so the whole process from the ground breaking to the winery taking its first harvest was remarkably just a matter of months. The final tanks were delivered a few weeks before harvest. Harry put this incredible achievement down to the planning. Ordering everything in advance of the building meant that the tanks and equipment were exactly what the winery required.

Of the new winery facilities the first thing that Harry said was: “We are really pleased

with how everything worked and it is a case of scaling up from here.

“It will not be until blending in the new year that the true expression of the vintage will be felt however. Currently the wines are in an awkward place going through malolactic conversion and it is not until you come back after Christmas that you get a sense of what has worked and what hasn’t worked as well.” Talking about the choice of malolactic conversion a portion of the wine was kept back from this process. Harry explained: “We are one of the latest sites in the UK to ripen which is why we choose malolactic conversion to get rid of that green austere acidity. It is more about softening the acidity, I see it as a foundation rather than a fine tuning.”

Harry wants to take this, his first vintage at The Grange and his first vintage as head winemaker, and find out what the site can do and what the fruit can do. “What has been great this year is that we have not had any contract fruit. Going forward we are going to take contract fruit but this year we have been able to keep all of the components separate for as long as possible and come blending we will have more options. We try and keep the clones separate however we might actually bring select clones of Pinot Noir together but we want to make sure that they are the right ones; ripeness is the key. It is basically making sure we have as many components as possible come blending.” Currently held at Hattingley “there is a solera system that goes all the way back to the vintage of 2015,” said Zam. “Going forward we have been able to keep each

clone and vinify it separately, I think that means you can explore what the vineyard is producing, that is what I am looking forward to; really digging down and seeing which clones sing,” added Zam.

The new winery means that there is both control and capacity so there will be a library of wines. An off the cuff remark from Harry sums up the forward vision in the winery he said: “This year the winery is the experiment but each year we want to try new things and in winemaking there are so many variables you have to be careful not to change everything at once.

“What we are trying to do at The Grange is reflect what the land, Burges Field, can bring to the wines. We are keen to be as non interventionist as possible, but that will not come at the expense of the characteristics of the fruit,” said Harry.

The oak that is used is old oak burgundy and it is not used to impart flavour but just to let oxygen into the wine. There is a tank component and a blending component for each of the clones giving a total of 24 different blending components for the finished wines.

The winery has therefore provided so many new options; when Harry uses the word control he is not exaggerating! There is “one barrel of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier that we have let naturally ferment, we will see if we want to do that again next year,” he laughed.

Talking about limitless possibilities he said: “The longer you can preserve those possibilities, and not shut any doors until ultimately it goes into the bottle

the

“We are one of the latest sites in the UK to ripen which is why we choose malolactic conversion to get rid of that green austere acidity.

Zam Baring showing a place where visitors can touch the chalk better.” Harry points to the Meunier from Burges Field as producing very exciting red fruit characters whilst the Chardonnay has great minerality and length. “As each year passes

I hope to build on this picture and I am sure in five years’ time we will be able to identify patterns and each vintage will be different,” he added. The idea of what is possible in two, five and ten years follows us as we travel through this stunning new winery space.

Sustainability is literally built into the fabric of the building with the external walls of the barrel room being 180mm thick and the internal ones 150mm. This room has state of the art temperature control because not only can it be used for barrel fermentation but it can also be used for secondary fermentation in the bottle. Harry described it as “intensive care for the wines” designed to ensure that nothing interferes with the secondary fermentation process. The lees aged wine will be stored at between 10-12 degrees but the ideal temperature post tirage is 15 degrees “and it is best to do anything you can do to make sure that during the first 50 days post tirage the wines are well looked after because the environment for the yeasts is quite inhospitable. For example, the dissolved CO2 creates pressure which the yeasts don’t like, you have high acidity that the yeasts don’t like, and you have a certain amount of sulphur from the wine making process that they don’t like, if you combine all that and put them

into a cold room they don’t like that either so do anything you can to make the wines as happy as possible,” said Harry.

The bottle store is again built with sustainability at its core. A gabion retaining wall means that half the building is subterranean some 4m below ground; the temperature is constantly 10 degrees with very little need for electrical control measures. Outside there is an opening in the retaining wall making a part of this subterranean chalk accessible. It is possible to touch the chalk that is the foundation of the vines, wines and new winery. The idea that visitors can physically connect with the chalk that makes these wines what they are and is even involved in the temperature controlled storage of the finished bottles is very appealing and something I am sure visitors will enjoy. The principle of sustainability will carry through the winery with plans for solar panels and a waste water tank system that will be fed through reed beds and will be clean when it is returned to the chalk. This system is planned to be up and running for spring.

The Grange came into existence as the result of a connection to the land on which it stands and everyone who works with the land and its produce is very keen to let these elements combine and speak for themselves to all who open a bottle. In a sense it is clear that every bottle with The Grange label is offering a piece of Burges field making this 10 hectare plot

in Hampshire part of celebrations across the country and beyond. This attitude is reflected in both the vineyard and the winery where there is nothing that is overly automated and every bottle has been through a hands on experience.

Harry explained that every January the wines are assessed with a fresh attitude and the wines will not be released until they are ready. “It may be that the 2022 are ready before the 2021 wines because it was a warmer year,” he explained.

The winery has a capacity of 200 tonnes and a third of this capacity will be used for The Grange wines. This means that there is scope for the winery to provide much needed contract services to other vineyards. Harry explained that

To mitigate frost, the vineyard currently uses 250 candles per hectare

they: “Are willing to work with vineyards across the UK. Looking to collaborate with boutique producers that have a similar ethos and work in a similar way. This will lengthen the harvest window. It might be difficult if the whole of Hampshire descended on us in one week.”

In conclusion I ask Harry if it was scary to be in charge of his first harvest in this new facility? “I think it is good to get scared but in the planning as opposed to the doing. In my mind fear in winemaking doesn’t make for good wine. You need to have the plans in place for harvest, if you don’t have a plan there is too much to work it all out on the spot. You do

have to work some things out on the spot. You can allow your brain say 5% of ad lib decisions as harvest is going but you want it to stay at 5% instead of 50%. There is an element of creative thought at harvest but you have got to have an overarching view; an adaptive plan.”

Zam finished by saying: “We are building our brand.” With the Burges field and the vines as the foundation the new winery will literally be building for the future. The Grange Winery still has so much to accomplish. Anyone who visits will be looking into the past, present and future and hoping like me to celebrate each new brick in the construction.

Pinot PRO F LO WERING by Vineus is a range of

specifically

An event buzzing with enthusiasm

For the second year running the Vineyard & Winery Show took place at the Kent Showground, Detling. Attended by all aspects of the industry the event on the 23 November 2022 built on the success of the inaugural event writes Rebecca Farmer, Vineyard editor.

The free to attend event attracted almost 2,000 visitors, a significant increase on the attendees from the first event held in 2021 and even the torrential rain could not dampen the atmosphere for those inside the exhibition halls. Everyone commented on the marvellous energy and buzz that was felt throughout the show and it was great to see the industry get together. Everywhere you looked people were happily chatting to customers, friends and those they had not seen for some time. Thanks to sponsors Rankin Bros every visitor was greeted with a cork and cotton gift bag containing their beautifully branded complimentary tasting glass that was sponsored and supplied by Urban Bar along with their visitor show guide that outlined all that there

was to see during the day. The event included a packed seminar programme, over 100 exhibitor stands to visit as well as a structured wine tasting of six wines hosted by globally recognised wine writer Matthew Jukes. The event showcased some of the latest innovations for both vineyards and wineries and truly targeted the whole industry literally under one roof. The tasting hub, promoting over 100 wines from producers across England and Wales was once again a prominent feature of the show.

Seminars

The welcome speech given by Simon Thorpe WineGB CEO was slightly delayed due to significant traffic issues but it was not long before a packed crowd gathered for the welcome breakfast. This was to be the start of

things to come as it remained difficult to get a seat in the seminar marquee for most of the day. Indeed, during the first seminar of the afternoon, chaired by Matt Strugnell, titled the great British Varietal debate it was even difficult to achieve standing room close enough to hear the proceedings.

Matthew Jukes

The hour long structured tasting from Matthew Jukes was enjoyed by all those who had been able to secure a ticket to the sold out event. The money from the ticket price raising some £2,000 for Matthew’s chosen Charity The Drinks Trust. All the wines were superb but it was heartening to see so many appreciate the red wine of Halfpenny Green. There was audible approval as Matthew talked

We were delighted to be at The Vineyard & Winery Show. Lots of CONTACTS, many curious about our products. This is a very good show and we hope to be there next year!"

"Thank you for your show. It was the BEST SHOW about vines and wine in UK. Congratulations. I think I’ll be there next year."

Quentin Joly, Biopythos

Charles Collet, Pépiniéres Guillaume

Matthew Jukes

Photos:

through the Penny Red and in a poll it was almost universally enjoyed; high praise from a discerning audience.

The wines for the tasting included:

◆ 2021 Penny Red, Halfpenny Green Wine Estate

◆ 2021 Vagabond Rosé, Yew Tree Vineyard

◆ 21 Kin, Kinsbrook

Alongside this selection of still wines were three very special sparkling wines:

◆ 2018 Blanc de Noirs, Gusbourne

◆ 2015 Cuvée Boz, Blanc de Blancs, Sugrue South Downs

◆ 2014 Blancs de Noirs, Wiston.

A word from our President

Show President Julian Barnes commented: “How amazing to be a part of the second Vineyard & Winery Show, a day that brought together a part of agriculture that is independently in charge of its journey from vineyard to consumer. A full day of conversation and explanation around everything you would need for viticulture in the UK, plant and machinery, seminars and wine tastings all rounded off with an evening of food and entertainment. It was a pleasure to be joined by so many people, some new and some that have grown up through the industry and become such good friends.”

Sponsors

The show would of course not be possible without the headline sponsors and Vineyard magazine would like to take this opportunity to thank Core Equipment, berlin packaging, Hutchinsons, Vitifruit and Royston Labels.

Exhibitors

On the back of a positive first event, the 2022 show saw an amazing 40% increase in exhibitors, taking the total number of trades on show to 114. As you will see from this review, many reported that much business and interest was generated, with one of the topics of the day focusing on whether the show should be a two day event in future.

It was a pleasure to meet many of the exhibitors who were returning for a second year. Among these were the team at the Rebschule Freytag. Keen to taste wines made from PIWI grapes I visited the stand during the show but found it swamped with people all looking at the possibilities offered by these vines. At the end of the day however Marina Pohl from the Rebschule Freytag team asked me if I would now like to try some of their wines. There are obvious benefits for growing these varieties in a cool climate such as disease resistance ensuring the vines produce clean fruit and the possible reduction in inputs that would be good for regenerative agricultural objectives as well as having cost implications. All the varieties on the stand were suitable for the UK climate and there were some particularly interesting wines. Two that stood out to me were Sauvignac for the white wine and from the red varieties Marina said: “The Cabaret Noir had been popular all day.” It was easy to see why the wine was beautifully balanced, interesting and very drinkable (in fact I wanted to take one home and drink it by the fire whilst the rain lashed down outside). This thick skinned variety it goes through veraison early and I could certainly see why it proved popular. Those vineyards in the UK who may have already planted some of these vines were able to taste the possibilities and those looking at future planting had plenty of opportunity to approach this area with an open mind. My thanks go to Marina for making sure I did not miss out on the opportunity to try something new.

Bottling and Packaging Solutions for the wine industry

Best Trade Stand

The best trade stands at this year's Vineyard & Winery Show were awarded with six bottles of UK wines with packaging supplied by WH Skinner (Packaging).

The winner of Best Small Trade Stand was Royston Labels Ltd and Bevtech Ltd won Best Open Space Stand.

From the eyes of an exhibitor

As a veteran exhibitor and a frequent attender of vineyard trade shows, VineWorks is in a unique position to provide an ‘insider’s view’ of this event.

How do we think the show went?

The event was well organised from start to finish with visitors arriving as soon as the doors opened. Stalls were well spaced, which kept congestion to a minimum, and there was ample space to display large equipment and vehicles.

The range of seminars was excellent. We were particularly pleased with the reception Sam Middleton received for his research exploring PIWI, (disease-resistant) grape varieties, which was sponsored by VineWorks.

What did we talk about with visitors?

At the VineWorks stand, we were busy all day fielding lots of enquiries from people thinking about planting or considering using our consultancy packages.

We also had a number of existing clients drop by to initiate discussions around expansion – suggesting that investment within the sector is strong.

Our new VineWorks branding was a big topic of conservation. After 16 years in the business, we decided it was time for a refresh. We worked with leading designers, CookChick, to come up with a new logo inspired by aerial views of vineyards.

What was our most popular feature?

Our fresh coffee, biscuits and comfy chairs went down a treat!

We invited some of our suppliers (Bekaert, Gripple, Mapman, Metos) to join our stand which gave them a chance to speak directly with clients and demonstrate their products.

Our display of trellising materials attracted a number of enquiries about the vineyard supplies available to purchase from our online VineWorks’ shop.

Final thoughts

“The Vineyard & Winery Show is the best industry trade show in the UK. Vineyard owners and viticulture professionals can meet face-toface, hear the latest research, and explore services, all in the space of a day,” enthuses James Dodson, CEO.

This year’s show demonstrated that the UK wine industry remains strong and vibrant with new investment, research, technology and service providers continuously developing.

VineWorks is the UK’s leading vineyard services provider having established over 300 vineyards since 2006. Expertise from experience. One vine at a time. www.vine-works.com

Thought-provoking seminar programme

Once again WineGB’s seminar programme at this year’s Vineyard & Winery Show brought plenty of thought-provoking themes delivered by a top-class line-up of speakers.

Kicking off the seminar programme was Mitchel Fowler of Ferovinum, sponsors of the seminar theatre, setting out some salutary points on ‘weathering the coming storm’ with plenty of thoughtprovoking points for any business, large or small, in the light of the challenging economic climate.

The programme’s key note speaker, Ian Harris MBE was the recently retired Chief Executive of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. Ian’s five-decade career in the wine & spirits industry provided plenty of experience to speak fluently about ‘survival of the fittest’. With focus on the English & Welsh wine category,

he provided plenty of insight in this emerging industry in the global wine landscape. These introductions provided a neat segway into the business-focused first session which concentrated on consumer behaviour in a challenging economic environment, with expert perspectives from the wine trade: the retailer, represented by Waitrose, and the on-trade focus was shared by Luke Harbor, head sommelier at The Pig Hotel group. This well-attended session attracted plenty of questions from the wider audience representing all sizes of producer.

The ‘making a career in the GB wine industry’ session was introduced by Dr Greg Dunn, head

of the wine division at Plumpton College, and featured four case studies presented by alumni who have each forged very different career paths: Sam Williams, Assistant Winemaker at Henners Vineyard; Daria Ershova, Data analyst at Liv-Ex; Paul Harrison, Vineyard Manager at Saffron Grange Vineyard and Penny Meadmore, Viticultural Consultant for Agrovista UK. Each one delivered so fluently on how they came to find their current careers – illustrating to the audience just some of the scope of opportunities there are in this fastgrowing industry.

The viticulture session in the afternoon attracted a full house of attendees (some 150).

The Great British Varietal Debate brought in a discussion between three viticulture experts, each making their case for the different varietal options in the UK today: Sam Middleton, Vineyard Assistant at Black Chalk in Hampshire, also the winner of the Vine-Works Vinegrower of the Year Award, outlined the case for PiWis, an area of viticulture that is attracting global interest in the changing climate. Jon Pollard, Chief Vineyard Manager at Gusbourne represented the ‘Classics’ – Chardonnay and Pinots that make up the majority of current plantings. The third speaker presented a convincing case for the ‘Vanguards’ – those varieties that have by and large lost some appeal but nonetheless formed the backbone of the industry and are still proving to deliver in regions around the UK. This is a discussion between all three options that will no doubt continue, but the platform at the Vineyard Show certainly got the conversation started. The session was chaired by Matt Strugnell, Vineyard Manager at Ridgeview and Chair of WineGB’s Viticulture working group.

The final session brought a sustainability focus into the winery of the future – with four different angles for producers to consider. The session was steered by Chair of the winemaking group on Sustainable Wines of Great Britain, Sarah Midgley (Winemaker at Plumpton College), the session comprised four speakers: Tony Milanowski (Rathfinny) who explored improving sustainability in winery practices; Henry Sugden from Defined Wine outlining important areas of consideration in winery design and sustainability; Jack Makin (Ridgeview) provided an all-important focus on community and employee engagement in sustainable practices and Kristina Studzinski of Off The Line Vineyard brought in a focus on sustainable wine production from a boutique producer perspective.

Speakers reported a very positive response from visitors to the content across the day, as well as engaging questions and thought-provoking discussion. In turn some great feedback was given on the quality of the speakers by audience members, and comments were also relayed that visitors found the seminar sessions to be a great initiative. WineGB was out in force this year with their stand positioned near to the seminar tent, allowing visitors to follow up and find out more.

All the presentations are available on the WineGB website. These taster topics will no doubt roll out into wider and more detailed sessions in the fullness of time.

For WineGB’s part it was a pleasure to be part of such a busy and focused show.

twitter @UPL_UK

Last week our team attended the @VineyardMagGB event. It was great to attend a growing event within a fast growing UK industry. This event was a great opportunity for us to launch our NPP products, and our VIVAFLOR biostimulant sparked many conversations. #viticulture

Innovative bott ling and packaging equipment

Fantastic day - all the better for seeing some of our fellow women in wine –Lucy @newhallwines Cynthia from @gallowhillfarm Katie from @cobblehillwine Zoe @blackchalkwine plus others! Dad enjoyed the trip too! #womeninwine #englishwine #vineyardshow #tasting #winetasting #supportlocal

With 17 years experience in delivering bespoke packaging line solutions Evolution BPS are recognised for their expertise in providing state of the art bottling and packaging machinery combined with first class customer service.

Evolution BPS understand your passion for the unique qualities of your Wine. In particular, bottling represents a critical stage in the life cycle of Wine, and for this reason it must be managed with competence and accuracy. Evolution provide quality, innovative machinery for all parts of wine bottling lines, expertly minimising oxygen pick up and maintaining product integrity at every stage, and in particular during the delicate stage of filling.

Evolution were particularly pleased to bring the latest innovation from their partner MBF SpA to The Vineyard and Winery Show. MBF, already world-renowned for developing innovative bottling solutions for medium and large-sized wine producers, has extended its market to smaller wineries with the creation of the new Miniblock.

AGW's Rob George was at the #VineyardShow in #Kent last week. V well attended. Huge interest in #EnglishWines and a LOT of interest our new Certifi ed Regenerative by AGW programme among vineyards & advisors! Exciting time ahead...

#RegenerativeFarming

@VineyardMagGB @Wine_GB

Evolution works in partnership with MBF for rinsing, filling and capping machines. MBF are renowned experts in the careful management of delicate products through the filling process. In addition the Evolution portfolio includes TMG for depalletisers, palletisers, case-packing machines and all end of line machinery; Robino & Galandrino for all capsuling and wirehooding machines; P.E. Labellers for types of labelling machines; Logics & Controls highly advanced inspection systems for fill level, label, empty bottle and closure inspection.

Evolution Business Development Manager, Dylan Bradshaw, commented “We have had great feedback on our portfolio from visitors to The Vineyard & Winery Show. We have enjoyed particular interest in MBFs unique filling technology adopted in Miniblock, their approach to managing the product and minimising oxygen pick up is market leading, and now available in a cost effective, efficient bottling line for speeds of up to 3,000 bph.”

In partnership with their suppliers, Evolution provide quality, innovative equipment to secure the correct solution for any project, creating a proposition that can offer full line turnkey solutions or individual machines for all your bottling and packaging needs. Their equipment is installed, commissioned and maintained by their UK based team of Field Service Engineers, complemented and supported by their manufacturers every step of the way. www.evolutionbps.co.uk

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"I just wanted to thank you for a very SUCCESSFUL event. We were busy from beginning to end with many ENQUIRES for our products."

Matt Foster, Voen

It was busy all day on the social media channels –lots of Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook posts

twitter @AGreenerWorldUK

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twitter @NewForestFruit

Busy day at #vineyardshow today, great to catch up @AgrovistaFruit @ProTechFuture @npseymour and many more…

Exciting new venture #englishwine @VineyardMagGB

Positive experience

Orchard Cooling returned to the Vineyard & Winery Show for a second year. Four members of the Orchard Cooling team were available on the day to field enquiries sharing their expert knowledge and experience with attendees. Paul Kennet who only managed to attend the show for a brief time in 2021 said: “It was a good show condensed into one day.”

Orchard cooling specialise in chilled and controlled atmosphere storage solutions. Alongside the installation of new facilities nationwide the team at Orchard Cooling also provide ongoing customer support for their many clients giving peace of mind at

what can be critical points throughout the season.

As well as catching up with existing clients the team fielded many enquiries throughout the day regarding storage solutions for stillage etc Paul said: “We were busy all day and some of the initial enquiries have now progressed with site visits planned in the near future.” For the whole team it was a positive experience. “It is good to be part of an industry that is experiencing such growth. There was a very positive atmosphere,” said Paul. “It was a worthwhile show and we will be back again next year,” he concluded. www.orchardcooling.co.uk

Great turn out at the @vineyardmaggb show. Packed full of avid viticulturists and growers looking at our range of composts, mulches and soil improvers along with our specially adapted spreaders. #vineyardshow #viticulture #englishwines #vineyardsofkent #compost #spreading

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"We had a very good show indeed, thank you for the GREAT organisation!"

Thomas Pointurier, Pépiniéres Guillaume

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Enjoying the show #vineyardshow – at Kent County Show.

facebook The Rutland Vineyard Lovely day out at the UK vineyard show run by Vineyard Magazine in Kent. Loads of energy and enthusiasm and a few more ideas in the making!

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Reducing plastic

The team at Grown Green had a great time at the recent Vineyard & Winery show, speaking to many visitors and exhibitors – all of whom shared a desire to reduce the amount of plastic used in the industry.

Grown Green know that ultimately you are planting vines to make magnificent wine, however a very happy biproduct of your vineyard is that you’re also removing CO2 from the atmosphere! Don’t undo the environmental positives by planting your Vines with a plastic guard!

Luckily Grown Green are able to help; with a range of Grown Green guards that are environmentally friendly, naturally biodegradable and 100% compostable. With Carbon Footprint also being at the forefront of people’s mind, Grown Green offer a zero-waste guard which is manufactured at their carbon neutral, UK based factory.

Not only are the guards environmentally friendly but they are also extremely portable – planters being able to hold a pack of 50 comfortably under one arm making them a very cost-efficient guard to plant with – after all, time is money.

The Grown Green guards also save money at the end of their lives, simply falling to the ground when they have done their job – ready for the mower to run over them turning them into bio rich plant food. There is no need to collect them in as you would a plastic guard – a cost rarely considered at the planning stage. Grown Green manufacture tree, hedge and vine guards in the UK. If you have any questions just call on 01225 413415 or email contact@growngreen.co.uk

@certis_belchim

Vineyard & Winery Show, attended supporting distributing. Well attended by established and future growers, creating a good vibe to the event, creating a great platform to discuss new and existing CB products developed specifically for the industry. #vineyardshow #englishwine

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Did you catch VineWorks at this year’s Vineyard and Winery Show yesterday?

Brought to you by Vineyard Magazine , we had an incredible time talking all things viticulture and launching our brand new logo.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and to all the organisers involved Bekaert

Great narrow tractor

Packed seminar session for the Great British Varietal Debate at The Vineyard & Winery Show! #VineyardShow

This was Bale Baron’s second year attending the Vineyard & Winery show and they were very pleased by the increase in visitor numbers. This was definitely helped by the great selection of well presented stands including plenty of wine tasting!

Everyone they spoke to was excited by the direction in which the industry is heading and looking forward to the future. With lots of plans for expansion and development, it’s a really exciting time in the vineyard and wine industry.

results. With its 4-cylinder 4087cc CRDi engine, 12x12 synchro shuttle gearbox with creeper gears, oil immersed brakes and 2,500kg lift capacity it’s a fantastic and affordable option for both big and small vineyards. Bale Baron UK also offers the option of a front linkage, autosteer, ISOBUS connection and a wide range of implements. They also offer compact tractors such as the 26hp model. With optional cab, front loader and again a wide range of implements. These are versatile and agile tractors perfect for tighter areas in vineyards.

Give it up for the Vineyard and Winery Show 2022! Sponsored by @vineyardmaggb it was a fabulous way to spend a Wednesday in November.

As well as sampling most of the wines on offer, Andy and I joined @matthewjukes for his wine tasting, which was fun and enlightening.

And consider putting a British wine or several on your holiday shopping list. These bottles make great presents as well as accompaniments to your celebrations. Cheers #britishwine

Bale Baron UK were displaying a range of narrow vineyard and compact tractors which were very well received. The Solis 75N is a great narrow tractor, competitively priced and designed for use in vineyards at just 1465mm wide. There are four currently in use at one of the biggest top fruit farms in the UK with great

Their attendance at the Vineyard & Winery Show has directly resulted in lots of good enquiries making the show very worthwhile and a great success.

Bale Baron UK are looking forward to continued success when they return in 2023! www.balebaronuk.com

"The show was good we met a lot of people, not everyone we knew got to see us because it was very BUSY and I had quite a few messages from clients over the following days to apologise for not getting to see us but all in all it was a good day."

Wayne Russell, WR Services

INSTAGRAM lori_worley_winewoman

twitter

twitter @Wine_GB

Cracking day out yesterday with The Wine Cellar Company at The Vineyard and Winery Show Detling Hill Showground hosted by Vineyard Magazine

Top 100 UK wines, wine tasting session with #matthewjukes followed by a FREE bar!

The true meaning of Wonky Wednesday! #winetasting #winelovers #wonkywednesday #winetastingevent

Quality enquiries

INSTAGRAM when_in_doubt_wine

On Wednesday I was lucky enough to go to the Vineyard Show. This is a show for people in wine – mostly viticulturalists and production – to create contacts and talk to supplier and vendors to help their own vineyards.

There were several seminars and a tasting as well, where I got to try some new and interesting English wine and was pleasantly surprised by some of them, particularly the red from @halfpennygreenwineestate

I do fi nd going to these things useful as it helps my knowledge in that area so if I get asked I can talk about it, but also it’s great for networking as contacts in any sector of the wine industry can help.

Talking about the Vineyard & Winery Show experience Richard Smith of Haynes said: “We had a complete mixture of current customers and new entrants to the industry. I spoke to people who were about to plant and those who had just planted their first vines.”

On display at the Haynes stand was The New Holland T4 120F. This is the top of the range model but the tractor is available in three working widths. Also on display was undervine leaf treatment equipment from Clemens. “People were surprised and pleased to see that we are dealing with Clemens who are a relatively new supplier,” said Richard.

The New Holland Braud 9060 L grape harvester parked near the entrance to the show created “a few conversations around

where the industry is going with machine harvesting,” said Richard. “This high capacity grape harvester with integrated destemmer is recognised as an industry leading bit of kit because of the way it delicately conveys fruit to the tanks,” he added.

Richard said: “We were really pleased with the day at the Vineyard & Winery Show the quality of enquiries was better this year than last year and it was good last year.”

He made one comment about next year: “I only managed to walk through the middle of the show and didn’t taste a drop of wine all day. It is lovely to be busy on the stand but next year I plan to make some time to be able to visit the wine hub and taste some of the excellent wines that are produced in England and Wales using the machines we supply.” www.haynes-agri.co.uk

facebook Natalie Larmour is with Paul Bettsworth

New Quantum V/F Series refi ned to enhance efficiency

The Case IH Quantum tractor range, which includes fruit, vineyard and speciality versions, has been revised and extended in response to customer feedback for enhanced efficiency, with the launch of a broader line of models. Not only do they meet Stage V emissions regulations, but they also include a new quiet cabin with new interior features and better operator protection level, a fully updated transmission, new hydraulic options, and new hitch and pto arrangements both front and rear.

New flagship model extends power range

The new Quantum V/F series now has five models delivering more power to pull demanding implements and help customers complete work in tight weather windows. The series begins with the 74hp Quantum 80 and is headed by the new Quantum 120, with a rated output of 120hp. All are equipped as standard with operator cab and 4wd, and are powered by FPT F5C four-cylinder engines. The smallest model features a 3.4 litre unit with two valves per cylinder, incorporating a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and diesel particulate filter (DPF), but with no diesel exhaust fluid (DEF/AdBlue) requirement. All other models use a 3.6 litre F5C engine incorporating four valves per cylinder, with DOC and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems.

All after-treatment elements are installed beneath the hood, ensuring good visibility. The newly-styled hood is lower than on the previous generation of Quantum tractors, which also improves forward sightlines. It incorporates a new LED lighting arrangement for safer, more accurate work at night.

New quiet cab and operator features for greater comfort

Narrow tractor customers are increasingly demanding the same levels of comfort and operating ease they find in conventional tractors. Key among multiple features of the new cab which is part of the latest Case IH Quantum is Category 4 filtration of air for operator ventilation. This protects the driver not only against dust and aerosols, but also vapours such as spray mist. The simple to use patented solution is integrated into the cab roof. The new cab also features a flat deck floor for full comfort and easy access, with a floor-to-roof windscreen combined with the four-pillar design providing unimpeded visibility, whilst the suspended front axle minimises shocks and vibrations. Together, these upgrades have helped cut in-cab noise levels to 71 decibels, the lowest in this segment.

A new A pillar-mounted data display, controlled via an encoder dial on the right-hand operator console, provides simple access to greater levels of information, and simplifies adjustment of settings for key operating functions. New Quantum tractors are also fully compatible with Case IH AFS solution technologies, giving customers full fleet control and agronomic data management capabilities. Externally, rear linkage and pto controls are integrated into the rear mudguard fender to aid safe hitching. Front linkage options include both factory-installed and after-market alternatives.

Unveiled by Ernest Doe for the fi rst time in the UK at the Vineyard & Winery Show, their new fl agship tractor offers 120hp rated power output.

New transmission and hydraulic circuit improvements

New Case IH Quantum tractors feature a revised 32F/16R Active Drive2™ transmission or optional 44F/16R with creep speeds for slow applications. Both feature Powerclutch, and a true 40kph top speed is achievable with all tyre combinations, from 24” tyre rim diameter and above. Minimum speeds are 0.7km/h with the standard transmission or 0.17kph with the creep option. An integral transmission parking lock is optional.

The redesigned driveline includes a wet clutch with electrohydraulically engaged pto. This gives the operator full control of both the power shuttle and pto to tailor operation to the application in hand, thanks to a new adjustable pto engagement feature which offers soft/medium/hard settings to match the implement and task. The result is greater machine reliability and enhanced operator comfort, qualities enhanced by the configurable power shuttle with adjustable responsiveness.

Further transmission developments include a new electrohydraulic diff-lock on the suspended front axle, which allows engagement of front and rear differential locks to be managed separately to match conditions and requirements. As an example, when working uphill with full engine power, it is possible to disengage the rear axle differential lock but keep the front engaged for an optimal turning radius.

Maximum hydraulic output is 64 litres/min, with an 80 litres/min option, while up to ten rear-mounted and eight mid-mounted remote valves can be specified, all electrohydraulically operated. Further hydraulics specification includes load-sensing rear hitch and Power Beyond capabilities, benefiting fuel consumption and oil preservation. The tractors can be ordered with/without front linkage and pto.

“The new Case IH Quantum Stage V is a more comfortable and higher-specification fruit, vineyard and specialty tractor range,” says Federico Condini, Case IH product specialist for Quantum tractors. “The new Quantum models offer multiple size configurations, comfort enhancements, mechanical and electrohydraulic remote valve options and driveline improvements that mean they meet the requirements and demands of professional orchard and vineyard farmers and specialist customers, bringing the benefits of greater performance and technology and lower cost of ownership to their businesses.”

What fun was had by all at this year’s vineyard and winery show!!

So incredible to see, and taste (yum yum,) so many wonderful wines from the exciting UK producers.

Some big shiny tractors there too!

#vineyardshow #detlingshowground

#ukvineyards #englishwines

#welshwine #farmequipment

#winetime #wineismylife

#vineyardandwineryshow22

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After a busy week we are fi nally getting round to looking through all of the info we picked up at the Vineyard Show earlier this week. What a great day that was!

Inspirational and forward-thinking

Established in 2000, the JD Cooling Group has grown organically through local employment, word-of-mouth referrals, repeat business and above all, reputation. Now formed of JD Cooling Ltd, JD Cooling Systems Ltd, JD Cooling South East Ltd, and JD Controlled Atmosphere Technologies Ltd, they are named one of the top 1,000 inspirational and forward-thinking businesses in the UK by the London Stock Exchange, and now employ more than 130 people with a £30m turnover. They are looking to expand in Ireland and won the first contract there earlier this year.

The UK’s leading independent supplier of cooling, HVAC, facilities support and service and maintenance across several sectors, the company is currently working towards Net-Zero and reducing their carbon footprint, alongside wider long term group strategies. Trying to achieve Net-Zero when operating in a service

industry presents significant challenges, with much of our internal carbon creation being through an extensive team of on the road engineering personnel. JD Cooling are focussing both on reducing their direct impact, but also identifying and recording where they are helping reduce customers, and the global, carbon footprint. Sustainability is a major part of the strategy and vision for a greener future. With their ability to offer turnkey solutions to many sectors, combined with an in-house design capability, they can help reduce carbon footprints through employing greener cooling and heating solutions, optimising plant operations, maximising yield, and in turn minimising energy costs.

Team JD is on hand to discuss customers’ requirements and demonstrate how they can take businesses forward towards an efficient and sustainable future within the viticulture industry. www.jdcooling.com

INSTAGRAM growingkentmedway

There was a great buzz at the Vineyard show today - interesting speakers, new technology and of course lots of British wines to try. #vineyardshow #britishwine #viticulture

NEXT YEAR'S SHOW 22nd

Students visit Vinitech in Bordeaux

This month we hear from Tom Newham (Vineyard Instructor), and Dona Frost (Programme Manager), who accompanied Wine students on a trip to Vinitech in Bordeaux.

It has become something of a tradition at Plumpton College that there are no classes during the last week of November so that we can make the bi-annual pilgrimage to Vinitech in the beautiful French city of Bordeaux. Vinitech, which runs on alternate years with Sitevi in Montpellier, is Europe’s largest trade show for the viticulture and winemaking industry.

Plumpton College students have been attending Vinitech for over thirty years, a particular highlight for the new students and this year was no exception. Around thirty students from all academic years and all courses from Wine Production, Wine Business to MSc students attended the show.

The show had over 900 exhibitors; upon

entering the building from the tram stop, we faced a multitude of vineyard machines. As we progressed into the show, we entered the winemaking section and saw many tanks, presses, barrels and other winemaking kit. There was a combination of the tried and tested, new innovations and the bizarre (I have been attending for over twenty years now, and I still came across equipment that I had no idea about).

We took some students on a tour of the available under-vine weeding/cultivation equipment. This equipment is not new within the organic sector, but with the reduction in herbicides in vineyards across Europe, the use of under-vine cultivators, blades, rollhackes and finger weeders has increased, and this was evident by the high number of suppliers manufacturing this equipment. Another point of interest for the students was vineyard equipment not seen in the UK, such as over-the-row tractors.

Innovation is always a part of Vinitech, and this year was no exception, with a handful of exhibitors displaying robotic technology. The Vitibot Bakus, a 100% electric and autonomous vineyard robot, was worth a look. The recent change in the French AOC rules allowing a certain percentage of Interspecific crossings (Piwi) to be permitted in vineyard plantings, and the blends, of many AOC regions from 2023 were also big talking points. Many of the nursery exhibitors were offering tastings of some new varieties, including Voltis for use in Champagne and Floreal in Bordeaux white wine.

DESKTOP www.plumpton.ac.uk ENVELOPE wine@plumpton.ac.uk INSTAGRAM @plumptonwine

First year and second year Wine students meeting up with the familiar face of Stephen Skelton at Vinitech

Tom Newham and Dona Frost checking out some of the vineyard equipment at Vinitech

Preventing modern slavery in viticulture

As an industry, we are reliant on skilled vineyard workers all year round for pruning, harvesting and the myriad of annual tasks in between.

“The landscape of sourcing and retaining labour has changed dramatically in the 17 years since I started VineWorks,” comments James Dodson, CEO. “Whilst there is a move towards introducing more mechanisation in the vineyard, there will always be a need for trained, experienced workers. Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic have altered the availability of seasonal workers and there are many more challenges we face in ensuring our industry remains a viable, sustainable and dynamic career option. However, at the heart of all employment is the necessity to ensure our staff are happy, healthy and abiding by all the legal requirements.”

All labour providers must comply with the Gangmasters & Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) rules and guidelines, ensuring their staff work in a safe environment. Unfortunately, modern slavery still exists today. The government estimates that there are thousands of people in modern slavery in the UK – it’s all around us, often hidden in plain sight.

Some employers and labour providers do not always recognise the signs of third-party labour exploitation within their business or know how to deal with it once it is uncovered. Sadly, some will unintentionally allow recruitment or supervisory models to exist that permit such exploitation to flourish.

Forced labour is the most common form of slavery in the UK, being present in every industry. The number of people identified as victims has been rising year on year with over 10,000 people referred to authorities in 2019. In 2022, that number is estimated at 13,000 people held in slavery in the UK.

There are many signs that someone may be in slavery, including but by no means limited to:

◆ not having personal identification on them

◆ not being able to communicate or move around freely

◆ appearing frightened, withdrawn or showing signs of physical or psychological abuse

◆ being dropped off and collected from work by unknown persons at unusual times

The GLAA, Stronger Together, and the Association of Labour Providers (ALP) are all working hard to provide businesses with support and training to navigate through this challenging environment.

◆ The GLAA is an intelligence and investigative Non Departmental Public Body (NDPB) for labour exploitation in the UK. They operate a licensing scheme to regulate businesses that provide workers.

◆ Stronger Together is a not-for-profit organisation providing businesses with practical training, resources and collaborative programmes.

◆ The ALP is a not-for-profit trade association promoting responsible recruitment so that labour provision is recognised as a model of sustainable good practice.

We highly recommend visiting their websites which are full of useful practical advice and links to the training and support packages they offer.

As a company, we ensure our employees are all correctly verified and that their paperwork is up-to-date with all the government requirements for the right to work in the UK. This includes checking original travel documents, (such as passports or ID cards) seasonal worker visas or share codes for settled or pre-settled status.

All employers need to understand their

workforce, make work more flexible and secure, and improve access to training and support. They must make sure their employees are treated fairly and have access to the necessary HR support, training and personal protective equipment before starting work in the vineyards. Everyone must be provided with a safe working environment that does not put their health at risk, whether in an office, working with machinery or outdoors in the vineyards.

For vineyard owners using a labour provider, it is important to recognise your responsibilities as well. It is essential you comply with the relevant health and safety laws, including providing the workers with sufficient toilet facilities, running drinking water and covered shelter for break times.

“At VineWorks, our vineyard team members are not just ‘seasonal workers’. We connect personally with our workforce by providing the best conditions we can through regular visits and listening to them to find ways to improve and work better together,” James emphasised.

By ensuring everyone is aware of their responsibilities, the legal requirements for hiring a labour workforce and the potential red flags to look out for, we can all work together to maintain happy vineyard staff who take pride in their job and excel through expertise and experience.

One vine at a time. One employee at a time.

DESKTOP www.vine-works.com ENVELOPE sales@vine-works.com phone-alt 01273 891777

The government estimates that there are thousands of people in modern slavery in the UK.

The aesthetics of effervescence

With the new year fast approaching the time for celebrating with bubbles is nearly here, whether celebrating with friends or family bring Christmas cheer by pouring some English and Welsh fizz!

The foam from pouring is acutely judged by all that drink sparkling wine. A defined and attractive foam mousse and collar is something that adds to the ambience and majesty of celebratory sparkling wine drinking. In fact beyond my personal comments, foam is seen as a critically important aspect of sparkling wine by wine critics and collar stability is graded at competitions such as the ‘Effervescence du Monde’. There is a lot of physics and biochemistry occurring in the foam portion of the glass and herein I explain some of the mechanisms and also how certain products and winemaking techniques may enhance this aspect of wine drinking.

Foam is defined as a colloidal dispersion where gas is distributed in a continuous liquid phase. A pre-requisite of foam production is for the liquid to be supersaturated with CO2, the prise de Mousse, a process whereby 24g/l of sugar is added to English Sparkling Wine for a secondary fermentation, produces approximately 11.8g/l of carbon dioxide and

the foam itself forms following a change in air pressure inside the bottle, either after opening or pouring.

Bubbles rise to the surface in bubble trains – the size and flow rate of bubbles will determine the degree of foam formation – a slow effervescence featuring small bubbles and a narrow gap between bubbles in the train is preferred. Bubbles initiate in the wine from what is termed a nucleation point, Bubble nucleation is broken down into different types; Nucleation (l.c n) type class I and II occur independently of any pre-existing cavity and can form on smooth surfaces. Type III occurs on a pre-existing gas bubble in the glass that is small enough to allow phase change. Type IV nucleation sites cause bubbles to form from existing gas cavities that have large enough curvature (critical radius) to allow the energy of the CO2 to overcome the energy barrier required to form a bubble. Sparkling wine is seen as having a weak level of dissolved CO2 so type IV is the most common source of nucleation point. It has been shown that exogenous cellulose fibres from drying with a dish cloth typically form a type IV nucleation site (figure 1) but acid etching glasses is more common and produces a more regular

bubble train (these glasses are used in the Effervescence du Monde competions) and are more commonly seen in pint glass for Export Largers.

When first pouring a glass of sparkling wine, a large foam head can be observed, the height of which depends on from what height and how quickly the wine is poured. The foam then collapses to leave the wine with a foam collar along the outside edge of the glass that persists as long as the bubbles nucleate in the glass and there are appropriate organic compounds to assist foam stabilisation. Bubble size at the surface can vary depending on serving size and pour number. Once the bubble reaches the surface it ruptures releasing a liquid jet and the droplets return to the surface. This also has an olfactory sensation on consumers as it has been shown that the process releases aroma compound. The manner in which the wine is poured has been shown to have a significant effect on loss of CO2 from the liquid.

Proteins, peptides, amino acids and polysaccharides are all thought to have a tensioactive effect on the formation of the foam and stability to varying degrees. Presence of these arise from the secondary

Figure 1: Type IV Nucleation point with a critical radius large enough to overcome the energy barrier for bubble formation, diagrams adapted from photographs by Liger-Belair, (2014)

Dedicated to the aesthetics of sparkling drinks: ◆ Restores natural foaming properties ◆ Contributes to tartaric stablisation ◆ Refi nes bubble size to ensure their elegance ◆ More persistent bubbles at the glass surface ◆ Collerette is thicker and more harmonious ◆ Collerette is more stable over time

fermentation and autolysis of yeast cells. In particular proteins are of critical importance in maintaining bubble structure. The hydrophobic tail and hydrophilic heads arrange themselves around the bubble to provide support. Polysaccharides have also been identified as effective in maintaining foam, though there are some conflicts in the literature and the results of different studies into the effects of polysaccharides do not always concur. An interesting observation in studies on Cava, a traditional method wine, have shown desirable foam behaviour reaches an optimum level at 18 months postbottling, after which degradation of proteins and polysaccharides lead to decreases in foamability and stability.

Doses and usage recommendations:

Liquid product ◆ Available in 1l and 10l ◆ Pure mannoproteins, 100% soluble ◆ Recommended dose: 100ml/hl ◆ Add to the mixture during tirage bott ling ◆ Add to expedition liquor during disgorging

CO2

Maintaining proteins, the main source being the autolysis during secondary fermentation, is critical to good foam formation. An exciting new product from Laffort, identifying a specific type of mannoprotein that can be added to wines that may have lost some of their proteins due to bentonite fining process or ageing process, can enhance the aesthetic of the foam.

CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 Wine surface Dissolved carbon dioxide Bubble

with a combination of hydrophobic and electrostatic forces as well as hydrogen and covalent bonding maintaining the linkage.

Protein

Gas bubble

Gas bubble Wine

Figure 2.4 Behaviour of a foam collar in ESW (diagram ada pted from Blasco, Viñas and Villa, (2011)

Wine Lamella

Figure 3: Behaviour of a foam collar in ESW. Diagram adapted from Blasco, Viñas and Villa, (2011)

Figure 2: Bubble train ascending to the surface from a nucleation point, increasing in size as CO2 dissolves into the bubble and collecting at the surface forming foam. Adapted from Liger-Belair, (2013)

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.

Join WineGB in 2023

Make 2023 the year you decide to join Wines of Great Britain. With 60 new members in 2022, we are a growing organisation which now represents around 80% of wine production in the UK.

Benefits of WineGB membership include: discounts and free consultations from our community of sponsors; admission to our online Members’ Area with a searchable ‘Knowledge’ bank; access to our programme and library of webinars, regular communications including a weekly newsletter and an email forum; and our publications including The Green Book (a guide to UK-approved plant protection products) and The Grape Press, our biannual magazine, featuring the latest industry data, trends, advice, technical research and other useful information.

As a WineGB member, you will also be able to view our Commercial Database (a list of industry suppliers and service providers), join Sustainable Wines of Great Britain, enter The WineGB Awards and exhibit at our annual Trade Tasting, and get involved with the running of our organisation. The full list of member benefits can be found on our website.

If you are interested in wine production in the UK find out more about WineGB and join us. Visit our website www.winegb.co.uk

As the key government liaison body for our industry, WineGB has the responsibility and remit to lobby the authorities to ensure legislation is up-to-date and relevant and your views are represented. We are currently undertaking a review of the PDO and PGI schemes as well as lobbying for GB wine producers to be included in the Small Producers’ Relief Scheme, or a version which works for both producers and the government. We benefit from government support in our export activities, and this year, through funding from the Department for International Trade, our members will be taking trips to Tokyo, Oslo and ProWein in Germany.

Join us today and help shape the future of the GB wine industry. Apply online via our website: www.winegb.co.uk/join-us

DATES FOR THE DIARY

26 January 2023

Sustainable Wines of Great Britain AGM, Denbies Wine Estate, 10am-4pm

6 March 2023

WineGB Industry Conference, Location TBC

Join us for a multi-faceted one-day conference, aimed at bringing the Great British wine-producing industry together for a day of talks and workshops on winemaking, viticulture, sustainability business & marketing.

14 March 2023

English & Welsh Wine half-day symposium

Sheffield Hallam University

19-21 March 2023

ProWein, Düsseldorf

WineGB will be returning to Messe Düsseldorf with our largest space and highest number of exhibitors ever.

15-17 May 2023

London Wine Fair, Olympia London

5-8 June 2023

WineGB Awards 2023 Judging Week

June TBC 2023

Welsh Wine Week

17-24 June 2023

English Wine Week

14 July 2023

2023 WineGB Awards

Lunch & Trophy Presentations, London

17 July 2023

WineGB One Day Wine School London

Our day-long focus tasting event is primarily aimed at sommeliers and key trade buyers, allowing us to host in-depth tutored tastings, using winners in the WineGB Awards to illustrate the range of wines produced in Britain.

5 September 2023

WineGB Trade & Press Tasting London

Following the success of our 2022 Trade Tasting at Lindley Hall, we will be returning to London on Tuesday 5 September for our Trade and Press Tasting. Exhibitor and visitor numbers at this year's show were the highest ever and the strong interest already indicates we will once again break records in 2023!

22 November 2023

Vineyard & Winery Show

Membership of WineGB entitles you to a free 15-minute consultation with legal fi rm and WineGB Partner Paris Smith.

Keeping ahead of the game

Kent-based specialist machinery supplier has played a vital part in helping the growth of the viticulture industry.

While the rise and rise of wine making in the UK has seen many companies rush to take advantage of the new opportunities in this exciting industry, others have supported its growth from the beginning.

One such is Kirkland UK, the Kent-based specialist machinery supplier that has played a vital part in helping the growth of the viticulture industry in this country and continues to lead the way in ensuring growers have the best tools for the job.

From the simplest trailer to the £275,000 state-of-the-art Gregoire grape harvester now sitting in the yard outside Maidstone, Kirkland UK researches, supplies and provides a quality after care service for everything a vineyard owner could need.

The research is vital, ensuring Kirkland UK can advise growers not just on the best machine for each job but on the manufacturer best suited to the application

in hand. It involves visiting numerous trade shows all over Europe each year – and inevitably coming back with another new product.

“We are committed to keeping ahead of the game and knowing what’s up and coming in the word of viticulture,” explained company director Scott Worsley. We go to all the shows, we talk to people, we do plenty of research and we pride ourselves on knowing what’s out there.

“It means that when one of our customers says to us: 'I need a bit of kit that can do this particular task', we can give them reliable advice on what they need and the manufacturer we think they should be looking at.”

Scott and sales manager Ben Devine understand their customers so well, and have such confidence in the industry, that they let Vineyard into a secret. “We don’t have

a customer lined up for the grape harvester outside, but it’s such an amazing machine that we are confident it won’t take long to sell,” said Scott.

“It’s a remarkable bit of kit, it’s the future of harvesting and we know that it won’t take long for growers to realise how much it will improve their efficiency and reduce their reliance on manpower, which is an increasingly difficult area at the moment. As the UK importer we are also confident that we can get hold of more machines in time for next year’s harvest if growers want to take advantage of this outstanding technology.”

The ongoing search for the best equipment in Europe means that Kirkland UK now supplies – and is in many cases the sole UK importer for – machinery including tractors from Antonio Carraro, Friuli sprayers, Hol Spraying Systems, Krolik, Olmi, Giant, Ilmer and Corvus.

It’s an impressive line-up and reflects the company’s long involvement with the industry. “When you have worked alongside vineyard owners for this many years you inevitably get to know the kind of machinery that meets their exacting requirements and the features that will make their lives easier,” said Scott.

Kirkland UK’s relationship with the viticulture industry goes back to the mid-1990s, when the company, which then also supplied agricultural machinery, provided equipment – initially sundries – to vineyards including Barnsole at Staple, near Canterbury, and East Sutton Vine Garden, not far from the company’s current base.

“It means we have 25 or so years’ experience in dealing with vineyards and it has given us a really useful knowledge base when supporting both existing customers and new entrants to this growing industry,” Ben added.

Kirkland UK’s commitment to the customer is reflected in the fact that Scott and Ben are the only two ‘salesmen’ in the company, and even that isn’t really the right word for what they do.

“We don’t really sell; we just advise customers on what we think would work best for them in terms of the job they are trying to do,” said Ben. “We don’t put pressure on anyone and we never wash our hands of a customer once the deal is done. If something isn’t quite right, or we need to change or modify something, then we will do it.

“We don’t believe in selling somebody something that will not turn out to be absolutely the right machine for the job. We aim for a longterm relationship with all our customers and we will do whatever we need to do to make sure they are happy with their decision.”

That focus on getting it right is reinforced by the fact that while Kirkland UK has only two salesmen, it has five in its after sales team. Service Team head Dave Allen is backed up by four engineers who make sure that machinery is kept in top working order.

“Any machine is only as good as its backup, and at Kirkland UK we make sure that is second to none,” Scott pointed out. “And we don’t let anyone else sell because we rely on relationships rather than on a more traditional sales approach.”

Also playing a vital part in keeping things running at Kirkland UK’s home at Griffins Farm, Pleasure House Lane, Maidstone are full-time parts specialists Ben Short and Michael Lark. What growers also <<

Ben Devine and Scott Worsley

find reassuring is that the team provides a comprehensive 24/7 harvest back up service, ensuring that customers aren’t left waiting for support during their busiest time of year.

In recent years Kirkland has shifted its focus from agriculture in its broadest sense to vineyards and top fruit, two areas in which it has developed particular expertise. “We still supply machinery to farms, but six years ago we took the decision to play to our strengths, and it has paid dividends,” Scott explained.

“We regularly prove by the attention we give to individual customers that expert knowledge is hard-won and very valuable and so we focus on what we know best.”

That high level support is reflected in Kirkland UK’s customer database, which includes household names such as Nyetimber, Chapel Down, Simpsons Wine Estate, Gusborne, Albury and Camel Valley.

The company’s approach is based on providing “machinery solutions” rather

than simply machinery, a subtle difference that reflects not just Scott and Ben’s determination to find the right machine for any given solution, but on their willingness and ability to modify it if necessary.

“On many occasions we adapt existing machinery in the workshop so that what was nearly the right tool for the job becomes a spot on, made-to-measure solution to the task in hand,” said Scott.

As well as adapting machinery – tweaking sprayers so they suit a particular leaf canopy, for instance – Kirkland UK has fabrication experience and expertise that can be used to make more fundamental modifications or even make items from scratch.

An eye for innovation and adaptation is at the heart of what Scott refers to as Kirkland UK’s “solutions mentality” and reflects the proud history of the business.

The story began in the mid 1800s when Scott’s great, great, great grandfather Nathaniel set up Worsley Carriage Builders in Yalding, Kent, specialising in carriages for all types of transportation. The successful company later began building carriages for farming, fruit growing and vineyards as well as for general use.

While that provided the engineering background that is still reflected in the company’s current ethos, it was Scott’s grandfather David who provided the horticultural links when he set up a fruit farm

in Ashley, Kent in 1953.

In 1966 Scott's father Philip joined Barrett's as an apprentice, working mainly on commercial vehicles before starting his own car repair business in 1975, later moving into machinery hire and used machinery and founding Agricare in 1995.

The Kirkland brand began in 2005 as a range of specialist machinery and became a company in its own right in 2012, since then it has grown to be one of the country's leading suppliers of specialist equipment for vineyards and orchards. Agricare is now run by Scott’s brothers Garth and Ross, while another brother, Ewan, runs Plantex, a specialist irrigation company that also used to be part of the family business.

When it comes to modifying machines, Scott and Ben also rely on their first-hand knowledge of what the originals are capable of. “We do lots of testing of machinery and we do our best to try the kit out in a range of environments,” said Ben. “We make sure we know not only what we are selling, but how it works and what it’s capable of.”

While the Maidstone base is ideal for the fruit and vine-growing areas across the south east of the country, Ben and Scott are regularly out on the road, and not just to visit European trade fairs. With customers as far afield as Scotland and Cornwall, they ensure that the Kirkland UK reach is truly nationwide.

Impressive pedigree

Vineyard owners looking for a guide to the best machinery available could do worse than flick through the pages of a Kirkland UK product catalogue, where many of the best names in viticulture are listed.

At the heart of the Kirkland’s machinery offering is the Antonio Carraro tractor range, a brand director Scott Worsley said he was “passionate” about.

Like Kirkland UK itself, the Antonio Carraro brand has an impressive pedigree, with a 110 year history of making tractors specifically for orchards and vineyards.

“While most manufacturers now make smaller models to support the fruit and vineyard industries, Antonio Carraro has only ever made tractors with that specific market in mind – hence they are the best available in our view,” said Scott.

The range goes from 26hp to 110hp, with a minimum width of 985mm, while the machines have a low centre of gravity that allows them to cope easily with sloping vineyard sites. Their tight steering radius and low compaction as a result of their even weight distribution also makes them ideally

suited to working in rows and avoiding root damage.

Antonio Carraro was the first manufacturer in the world to introduce its unique reversible driving system, as long ago as 1970. Turning the seat, steering wheel, dash and pedal assembly through 180 degrees allows the operator to have optimal vision whether using rear or front mounted attachments.

Adding to a range that already includes the unique and impressive Quadtrac, Antonio Carraro has now introduced the Tony V, a more conventionally styled tractor with larger rear wheels and continuously variable transmission. “It’s a very exciting development for the range and will be available for demonstration early next year,” said sales manager Ben Devine.

The range includes an articulated model for even greater manoeuvrability, while all

models include a generous number of spool valves to support multiple implements.

Friuli is a family business that not only manufacturers class-leading sprayers but has its own vineyard, allowing the family to test their equipment under real-world conditions.

The range of Friuli Drift Recovery Sprayers is an outstanding product that offers a huge reduction in the amount of wasted spray. The impressive Friuli two-row sprayer captures and recirculates unused product, saving money and making spraying more sustainable and efficient.

Calculations show that around 80% of spray is recirculated at the beginning of the season and around 20% to 25% is saved on the last treatments, with the seasonal average saving calculated at around 50%. The Friuli range also includes small, trailed sprayers as well as larger machines.

Antonio Carraro pride themselves on producing versatile and compact tractors for specialised agriculture. Focusing on the importance of having a compact build, low centre of gravity & equal wheel distribution ensuring the operator has increased stability, comfort and tractionespecially on rough terrain and steep slopes.

Head Office : Kirkland UK | Griffins Farm, Pleasure House Lane, Sutton Valence, Maidstone, ME17 3NW Email info@kirklanduk.com

Another family firm is the Polish trailer and hydraulic platform manufacturer Krolik, which displayed its versatility when it was asked to copy a Kirkland UK modification to make a number of trailers with a swinging axle, aimed at delivering a softer ride.

Turning heads amongst those who are in the market for utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) at the moment is the new range of Corvus side-by-sides, with TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson said to be the proud owner of one of the vehicles.

Available with diesel and electric powerplants, Corvus are considered by the Kirkland UK team to be one of the most robust UTV ranges on the market, with an abundance of cabin space and generous payload and towing capabilities.

The new Terrain EX4 is an electric UTV capable of tackling the toughest off-road

jobs and able to reach 40km/25mph. It can also be driven on roads, making it ideal for a quiet, non-polluting everyday work vehicle with a high load capacity, lower maintenance and high durability.

Corvus claims that with less maintenance and no fuel costs, UTV electric vehicles are significantly more affordable and costeffective than the alternatives. All Terrain EX4 models are equipped with automotive safety windshield glass, three-point belts, indicators, headlamps and brake lights, horn, mirrors and windshield wipers.

Kirkland UK believes that the Gregoire GL 7.4 grape harvester currently in its yard near Maidstone is the first of many that will soon be appearing in fields across the country as growers take advantage of the benefits of machine harvesting.

“It really is a phenomenal bit of kit,”

commented Ben Devine. “We looked carefully at the options before signing up as the UK distributor for Gregoire and we are convinced that this is the best model for UK growers."

The Gregoire has a central cab which makes it more comfortable for the operator, while there are self-propelled and trailed options to cope with different sizes of vineyard. “Mechanical harvesting is a major topic of conversation at the moment and is clearly a more efficient way of doing the job, particularly given the problems with recruiting labour, so we are confident that this machine will be a winner,” added Scott. “It also has great ergonomics and is simple to use.

The Gregoire is a multipurpose machine that can be fitted with other attachments as well as being used for harvesting. “It can be used to carry Gregoire’s own sprayers in either standard or recycling versions <<

plus other implements from Naotec including trimmers, pre pruners, deleafers and cultivation equipment,” Scott said.

Kirkland UK is also the exclusive supplier of Terreco frost protection machines, which offer a robust and efficient way of protecting vines. The Silverhand Estate is one of the first of the company’s customers to have placed an order for these impressive machines.

One of the most exciting developments in viticulture, and certainly a head-turner at this year’s National Fruit Show, was the UK’s first ever driverless sprayer, the AgBot from Hol

Spraying Systems (HSS).

Again with the cost and availability of labour in mind, the AgBot is set to revolutionise the industry, using cutting edge technology to save up to 80% in labour costs and saving 33% on fuel when compared with a tractor.

The sprayer mounted on the AgBot can be equipped with innovative technologies such as wind control, variable rate application and chlorophyll sensors that detect foliage for optimal coverage. It can also be attached to a mower, mulcher or weeder and needs just

6m free space when turning on headlands.

“The unique Intelligent Spray Application on the AgBot means less wastage, as the detection sensors on each side of the spray tower ensure any area with no leaf larger than 10cm will not be sprayed,” said Scott. “As well as fuel, labour and time, the system saves water, crop protection products and fertilisers – and because it doesn’t need a driver it can even be used at night, if that happens to be the optimum spraying window.”

<< <<

For user-friendly inter-row mechanical cultivation, Kirkland UK relies on Italian

The service team

manufacturer Orizzonti, which supplies single and double row cultivators.

“With over 20 tool heads to choose from, you can tailor the machine to your needs, your soil type and ultimately your desired finished result,” explained Ben. “The frames are easy to maintain, which helps to keep down the cost of running these machines as well as reducing the need for herbicides.

“What we particularly like is that the tools are simple to use but robust and adaptable, while the frames can be front, rear or mid-mounted.”

Also hailing from Italy is Ilmer, which manufactures robust mowing equipment which is ideal for vineyards and is available in variable widths. “The Italians know their vineyards and it’s a reliable source for quality equipment,” Ben added.

Olmi’s leaf removal technology is renowned the world over and its air pulse technology can be used early in the season to ‘clean up’ vines and help protect against Botrytis as well as being used for deleafing ahead of the harvest.

Kirkland UK’s first choice for telehandlers and wheeled loaders is Giant, which offers an impressive range that runs from compact skid steer and pivot steer wheel loaders through to larger, four-wheel steer machines.

High performance and easy handling are matched by superb manoeuvrability and a huge range of no fewer than 150 attachments which make light work of a range of vineyard tasks. “They can be used throughout the year for many different jobs – and they even come with an unlimited choice of colours, so you can match your loader to your label,” Scott commented.

K2-D forklift

FR-Evo inter-row line mower

LMG – the power pack

Winemakers perspective on vineyard agronomy

As the New Year approaches, this month Hutchinsons agronomist Rob Saunders sits down with head winemaker at Defined Wines, Nick Lane, to get a winemaker’s

Being engaged in the whole winemaking process from vine to bottle and understanding the subtle impacts agronomy practices have on wine quality is fundamental to successful businesses, according to Nick Lane.

From a winemaking perspective, he said that in our marginal climate, he saw a strong correlation between quantity and quality, so growers and winemakers should agree targets on ripeness, disease and quantity early on, allowing crops to be managed to meet these goals.

“Climate and getting crops ripe is the most challenging factor in the UK. Growers often run into trouble with big crops delaying ripeness and compromising maturity. If a large crop is expected, the associated risks must be managed,” he added.

“Bigger crops generally require more time to ripen, so are harvested later, which implies lower temperatures at the end of ripening and greater disease risk, notably from Botrytis.

“You are far more likely to suffer the ravages of Botrytis harvesting in late October than the beginning, purely because grapes are on the vine for three to four weeks longer.”

Tight-bunch Pinot varieties are at particular risk due to the propensity for berries in the centre of the bunch to burst and start rotting. He agreed with Rob Saunders’s suggestion that products like Regalis (prohexadione) may help mitigate risk by improving skin robustness and reducing the number of berries set.

Knowing when to pick

Deciding when to pick crops is probably the single biggest decision to make, so Nick said: “Accurately assessing maturity and quality is key.

“It’s really a winemaking decision because there is a strong correlation between when you pick, the kind of wine produced, and how good it is.”

He encouraged growers to have their own refractometer kit for measuring sugar (Brix) levels, or at the very least, send samples from every block to the winemaker before picking.

“I prefer bunch sampling, but you have to press every berry. Sample at least two rows from every block, sampling from every side, and at least a dozen bunches for every sample,” said Nick.

Acid evaluations are more tricky to do on-farm, but measuring disease, notably Botrytis infection, with visual assessments provides valuable information. Laboratory analysis of gluconic acid of a grape sample will provide a more measurable indicator of fruit degradation and the ramifications for winemaking.

Useful management practices

Good canopy management throughout the season, supported by appropriate leaf thinning where required was very important for ensuring ripening, said Nick.

Good disease management and plant nutrition is also fundamental, both for growing healthy, productive canopies with good yield potential, and for ensuring sufficient yeast-available nitrogen for fermentation.

Nick recognised in-season tissue sampling can help highlight potential issues in time for nutritional programmes to be adjusted, and believed this was where there could be greater collaboration between growers and winemakers.

On sites with potential nutritional issues, Rob recommended leaf petiole analysis at early flowering to help optimise plant nutrition and manage the canopy, followed by leaf blade sampling at veraison, the results from which would help fine-tune plant nutrition and influence juice parameters, such as yeast-available nitrogen and potassium.

Working together

As a contract-only winery, Defined Wines is keen to work with growers to ensure vine agronomy produces the best quality wine possible.

As part of this, it runs regular client webinars throughout the season, featuring talks by Rob Saunders and industry expert Peter Hayes. They also hold an annual trade tasting event to build links further along the supply chain.

“We want growers to get engaged in the whole winemaking process to create successful businesses and good quality wines,” said Nick.

He believed environmental sustainability was becoming increasingly important for wine producers and said the most tangible impact was the development of hybrid disease resistant varieties.

While hybrids offered exciting prospects for disease resistance, he acknowledged it was early days, and time would tell how they fared in terms of wine quality.

“Hybrid grape varieties perhaps look a little more promising for still wines, whereas for sparkling wines it’s slightly more challenging as I’ve not yet seen any hybrids that can challenge traditional champagne varieties.”

In conclusion Nick said: “To increase the chances of producing the best wine and selling it for as much as possible, there are two kinds of grapes we like; ripe and clean, clean and ripe.

“The best thing for a crop is the shadow of the grower. It’s about being interested enough to spot issues early and take steps to rectify them.”

DESKTOP www.hlhltd.co.uk ENVELOPE information@hlhltd.co.uk phone-alt 01945 461177

take on the management practices that will drive wine quality in the season ahead

Vario transmission key to organic vineyard’s investment

Silverhand Estate, one of the largest vineyards in the UK with 230ha of vines in the ground, has run Fendt 200 series tractors for around four years.

Machinery manager Bruce Osborne said there is nothing else on the market at this size that can offer the smoothness of drive compared to a Vario transmission.

“Our vines are planted on some steep hills, which makes some of the tractor work quite awkward and requires experienced operators and smooth movements to prevent accidents. I’m a firm believer that if we had a jerky drive engagement from changing gear via a clutch, our operators wouldn’t feel as comfortable turning on the steep headlands as they do with the Vario transmission,” said Bruce.

A quartet of newer 210V and 210F tractors arrived this year and were purchased through NP Seymour of Cranbrook, Kent, who provide backup to the farm when required.

One of the benefits of the Vario transmission is that Bruce can set the

forward speed independently of the pto rpm via the TMS, which allows tasks to be completed at a comfortable speed.

“With the TMS, the tractors will have the power required while reducing engine revs to keep fuel use to a minimum. This is noticeable as the 200 series tractors are compact, so the fuel tanks aren’t huge. Every extra saving we can make helps us go a little further.”

All the tractors are Profi spec, with four 210 models benefiting from additional front axle suspension and the Fendt One user interface.

The modern workstation has won a lot of praise from operators at Silverhand Estate, who feel that they would struggle to go back to the old tractors. Bruce said the new interface has made his life easier when setting up machines for operators with limited experience.

“We have a variety of operators, from those with decades of experience driving tractors to some that have only driven them a handful of times. The Fendt One system allows me to easily set up an implement on a tractor, so it only requires two buttons to start and stop the operation.

Fendt 211V model

A Vario transmission and the potential for all tractors to be connected via the latest telematics technology are just two of the reasons that one of the largest wine producers in the UK has equipped its machinery fleet with eight Fendt 200 series tractors.

Older 209V model

This has reduced the time it takes me to train operators to do the job, and, running a fleet that is the same, means the controls in each tractor are familiar to them,” he explained.

Bruce also said that the newer models are easier to maintain, as the relocation of ancillary parts has improved access. “The newer models are better laid out, with easier access to regular maintenance points. Fendt has thought about it from an operator’s point of view – the air conditioning unit has been relocated to the engine bay for easy servicing.”

Due to the continual planting of new vines, the workload for the tractors on an organic vineyard of this scale is growing considerably and there are plans to implement a smart vineyard.

The four older 209V tractors that are still in the fleet are due for replacement soon, and they are likely to have the Profi Plus specification and carry a front linkage to carry out two jobs at once.

“When we are mowing and inter-row weeding, these jobs can be done

in one pass with a front linkage to maximise efficiencies and cut down on the number of passes we make. We also want to introduce GPS guidance for increased accuracy, as negotiating tight rows for over 12 hours a day requires a lot of operator concentration.

To be a fully connected farm, the data from each machine will feedback into a central platform via Fendt One’s off-board technology, which is why we are looking at Profi Plus. I will also be able to send jobs directly to operators in the field and recording completed works will be much easier.”

Bruce believes that Fendt tractors offer him the best blend of reliability and increased functionality across a varied and growing workload, and helps his operators feel comfortable, no matter their experience.

For more information on the Fendt 200 series tractors, as well as the other vineyard machinery and equipment NP Seymour offers, please phone the office on 01580 712200 or email sales@npseymour.co.uk.

UV flashes reduce the reliance on fungicides

VITIFRUIT EQUIPMENT

This innovative technology comes as a result of research at the University of Avignon where they discovered that UV flashes increased the resistance of plants to various pathogens. The plant's defence mechanism is triggered even before the appearance of a pathogen and damage is thereby reduced. As regulatory restrictions have become increasingly strict in recent years UV Boosting aims to considerably reduce growers dependence on fungicides. Using UV flashes the vines become more resistant to diseases such as powdery and downy mildew enabling a reduction in the use of fungicides.

Unlike conventional fungicides the procedure

is not affected by wind or rain enabling treatment to continue whatever the weather. As the technology is clean it leaves no residue either on the vine or on the soil and there is no drift to pollute the air, water or soil. Although there are no machines in the UK as yet David Sayell of Vitifruit Equipment is promoting the product and further details are available. See also www.uvboosting.com