Vineyard August 2020

VINEYARD for viticulturists in Great Britain ™

AUGUST 2020

EDITOR’S VISIT Big plans for family land

MATTHEW JUKES WINE REVIEW Running a wine club

VITI-CULTURE LIVE! Round up of some of the highlights

READY AND LABEL

The tips and trends for labelling in 2020

VINEYARD CONSULTANTS • Planning Applications

• Site Finding

• Site Aquisition

• Leases

• Grants •

Matthew Berryman 07710 765323 matthew@c-l-m.co.uk

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VINEYARD for viticulturists in Great Britain

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NEWS 8

Wine merchant pledges to become UK’s greenest

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Businesses lose work worth more than £20,000

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An update on the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain Certification Mark

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Around the world

www.vineyardmagazine.co.uk VINEYARD Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL 01959 541444 EDITORIAL Editor: Rebecca Chaplin vineyard.ed@kelsey.co.uk Studio Manager: Jo Legg jo.legg@kelsey.co.uk Graphic Designer: James Pitchford james.pitchford@kelsey.co.uk ADVERTISEMENT SALES Simon Hyland Talk Media Sales Ltd 01732 445327 Simon.Hyland@talkmediasales.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHER Martin Apps www.countrywidephotographic.co.uk MANAGEMENT CHIEF EXECUTIVE: Steve Wright CHIEF OPERATING Officer: Phil Weeden MANAGING DIRECTOR: Kevin McCormick PUBLISHER: Jamie McGrorty RETAIL DIRECTOR: Steve Brown RENEWALS AND PROJECTS MANAGER: Andy Cotton SENIOR SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING MANAGER: Nick McIntosh SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING DIRECTOR: Gill Lambert SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING MANAGER: Kate Chamberlain SENIOR PRINT PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER: Georgina Harris PRINT PRODUCTION CONTROLLER: Kelly Orriss DISTRIBUTION Distribution in Great Britain: Marketforce (UK) 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP Tel: 020 3148 5000

REGULARS 22

Matthew Jukes

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The agronomy diary

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The vine post

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Representing you

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Crop protection

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UK harvest 2020

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Viti-Culture LIVE!

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Machinery

PRINTING Precision Colour Print Kelsey Media 2020 © all rights reserved. Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles submitted for consideration by the editor must be the original work of the author and not previously published.

Where photographs are included, which are not the property of the contributor, permission to reproduce them must have been obtained from the owner of the copyright. The editor cannot guarantee a personal response to all letters and emails received. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher. Kelsey Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for products and services offered by third parties.

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The art of running a successful wine club and the ones to join.

Controlling Spotted Wing Drosophila.

Trellis installation takes a step into the future!

Updates from the industry’s membership organisation.

Bolney Wine Estate tell us how they protect their vines from pests and diseases.

High quality yeasts and nutrients that can help speed up the process and reduce time while maximising the yield.

The first virtual event for the UK wine industry. Here we round up some of the highlights.

Versatility and innovation.

Front cover image: Wayfarer labels designed by Tom Boucher Design

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vineyard.ed@kelsey.co.uk @VineyardMagGB VineyardMagGB

CONTENTS Features

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Oz Clarke We’re the newest new world wine country.

In conversation Marien Rodriguez, English and Welsh wine buyer at Waitrose, shares her enthusiasm for Great British wines and what she’s looking forward to in the future.

Editor’s Visit Joe Beckett from Kinsbrook Vineyard has some big plans for his family land in West Sussex. We find out what’s in store.

Labelling What will your next labels look like?

We speak to three companies working on the outside aesthetics for their advice.

Re b

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From the editor

Precious time.

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Timing is everything. Although we can’t guarantee it’s perfect timing when we first choose to do it – we can certainly make an informed decision – and the end result will soon show how right or wrong we were.

This month has really been one of those periods that hammered that home. The Viti-Culture LIVE! event had a very wide range of speakers but at the very base of each seminar there were some very solid lessons about planning and timing. It felt like every talk had its foundations in the time you act and the result you’ll get.

Fortunately, for those who haven’t had a chance to visit the show yet, these seminars are still available to view online. As plenty of people were tweeting on the day, this fits in perfectly with this new ‘work from home’ schedule. Speaking with Joe Beckett, of Kinsbrook Vineyard in West Sussex, he was desperate to keep learning and visiting other vineyards to spark ideas. But Joe, like many of you, struggles to find the time when there are so many other jobs to do. Having been to visit Kinsbrook the week before Viti-Culture LIVE! it struck me how useful this will be to so many.

Richard Bampfield, Stephen Skelton and Matt Strugnell’s headline seminar gave a great insight into how your location affects your yield, and how you can improve it. It offered an interesting insight into the timing changes over the last 10 years due to different weather implications.

However, we often think about the work starting in the vineyard, but Mike Paul’s seminar on routes to market is an eye opener about critical timing in those early planning stages. Thinking about your product, how you’ll market and sell it before anything else will hopefully leave you running out of stock rather than running around trying to sell it.

Timing, was one of the questions for Oz Clarke this month too, as I couldn’t quite believe the fortuitous timing of his book release. Ok, no, he hadn’t somehow anticipated the industry would need the fires stoking in May but he did know it needed this push – and the date was brought forward to add further support to the English and Welsh wines making headlines.

But his point is that we need to keep this momentum going. Although English and Welsh wines have definitely been on a high recently, as announcements about Brexit are released it’s going to keep local produce on the agenda, and he knows we need to push these wines to the fore.

What it does mean, is that there is still a lot to do, so remember that time is precious, it is of the essence, and it is now vineyards and winemakers in England and Wales should make the most of.

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AU G U S T 2020 | V I N E YA R D

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NEWS

St Ives wine merchant pledges to become UK’s greenest St Ives-based wine merchant Scarlet Wines has diversified rapidly over the last few months, using the complete break from normality to adapt its business model and refocus on core principles.

From a merchant which sold mainly to the on-trade (the restaurants, pubs, cafes and bars of bustling St Ives, Cornwall) with a small retail shop, Scarlet Wines became a wine delivery service supported 100% by private customers who received welcome packages to their doors during lockdown.

However, for owner Jon Keast simply adapting wasn’t enough. He decided this was an opportunity to become a more environmentally friendly business in preparation for a greener post-lockdown world.

Keast invested in an electric bike (a Riese and Muller Load 75 e-cargo bike which can carry about 60 bottles at a time) for deliveries in town, and an electric van for transporting wine further afield. Scarlet Wines is now thought to be the only wholesaler in the South West with a fully electric transport system.

With all Scarlet Wines premises using Ecotricity (a 100% green energy supplier) these carbon-neutral wine deliveries have become a matter of pride and joy for Jon’s customers – especially as the bike can continue to operate when St Ives town is closed to vehicles to ease congestion and enable social distancing in the busy streets between 11am and 4pm every day.

Following the success of Scarlet Wines’ lockdown service and pleas from customers, private deliveries will continue alongside the restaurant trade, which has boomed again since the hospitality industry reopened on 4 July.

Coupled with a portfolio increasingly dominated by organic and biodynamic wines – many of which are also vegan – Scarlet Wines has adeptly become one of the UK’s greenest wine merchants in recent months.

Keast, who is an active campaigner on climate change, is even dropping many non-European wines – unless they have a really strong case to be included – in order to save carbon from their long-haul journeys.

He explains: “A cool climate Riesling from Tasmania has to have a discernible character and quality which can’t be found in an Austrian or German counterpart to make it onto the list.

“We need to think carefully about all kinds of consumption, and that includes wine. As a wine merchant it’s my job to create a portfolio with a green conscience, and to deliver that wine with as little environmental impact as possible.”

He added: “It’s sometimes hard to know where to start with sustainability improvements, but I think the key thing is to do just that - start! We all have a responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible.”

Locals love Mereworth Wines range of new products Kent winery Mereworth Wines is offering a newly expanded range of drinks which has fuelled local residents through the Covid-19 lockdown.

Mereworth Wines have recently released the first vintage of their exceptional English Sparkling Wine. Keeping it local, the grapes are grown in their Wateringbury vineyard before being transported a mere two miles up the road to their winery at Brewers Hall for pressing, fermentation, clarification and aging. The result is receiving rave reviews, putting it in the mix with the most

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renowned English Sparkling Wines in the area.

Based at Brewers Hall in Mereworth, the team at Mereworth Wines are delighted by the support they have received from the local community for the drinks, which are being made right on their doorstep.

Mereworth Wines also offers its popular Marourde Spritz, a refreshing honey wine spritz infused with botanicals. The original Spritz bursts with citrus and honey flavours, complemented by woody undertones, and its sister Rosé Spritz explodes with flavours of honeyed hedgerow black fruits, with delicate infusions of elderflower and elderberry.

To complete the Mereworth family, there is '7 Mile’ Gin, an extremely smooth gin infused with local botanicals inspired by the fields around Mereworth, and ‘Budburst Brewing’, which boasts an IPA and a Kentish cider.

Will Boscawen, director of Mereworth Wines, said: “It seems now, more than ever, that people like to know where their products have come from. They love being able to trace the journey of our drinks from start to finish and there is a pride in knowing that everything is intrinsically local, giving the products significantly more relevance to them.”

He added: “As the world starts to reopen again, we are proud to have customers still returning to us and appreciating the quality and satisfaction which comes with buying local.”

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NEWS

Offbeat Wines partners with Wines Under the Bonnet Having settled into their new small sustainable winery on a biodynamic vineyard in Wiltshire, Offbeat Wines have released three new wines and partnered with Wines Under the Bonnet for future distribution.

Daniel Ham, Offbeat’s winemaker, said: “With their focus on natural wines from smaller producers, this was a natural fit for Offbeat and we are proud to become part of their family alongside other producers that we really respect and can learn from.”

Just 2,000 bottles were released this year, across three styles. Fruit was sourced from small growers who take a considerate approach in the vineyard, avoiding the use of synthetic chemicals and doing most of the work by hand.

The journey from grape to glass was also kept as simple as possible, with spontaneous fermentations and nothing added. The wines are all vegan and were not fined or filtered. Keeping sustainability at the core, lightweight bottles and 100% recycled material labels were used, and wines were packaged in cardboard and recycled paper tape.

The vibrant and provocative labels were designed by Stephanie Leighton, who has recently graduated from Manchester School of Art. Stephanie was given the names and asked to forget that these were wines, but to let her imagination run wild.

She said “I was absolutely delighted to design the labels for Offbeat and I had so much fun

creating them. My aim was to create energetic drawings embodying a sort of buzz that reflected the liveliness and fizziness of the wines.”

Mind Over Matter 2019 is a textural, aromatic pet nat made from a field blend of Siegerrebe and Solaris, with the grapes partially foot trodden and naturally settled before being racked into an amphora. The fruit used for this wine was grown by Kathy Archer at her vineyard just outside Ottery Saint Mary in Devon. Kathy is an organic grower (uncertified) and eschews the use of pesticides and herbicides entirely, relying on hard work and spending time amongst the vines to produce grapes of extraordinary quality.

Wild Juice Chase 2019 is a crunchy red pet nat that is packed full of bright red fruit with a fine acid line, made from 100% Triomphe d’Alsace from a small plot of 35-year-old vines grown on clay over chalk in the Test Valley, Hampshire. A relaxed, lutte raisonée management approach is adopted and the vines grow with little human manipulation.

Skinny Dip 2018 is an English amber wine made with an eye on the past, that is both thought provoking and robust. Golden, ripe Solaris grapes from Kathy Archer’s Devon vineyard were destemmed into an 800-litre amphora and left to naturally ferment. Following three months of

maceration, the grape skins were pressed, and the press wine added back to the free run. The wine then rested on lees in stainless steel vats for a further ten months before being bottled via gravity.

Now that the winery is fully set up and ready for the 2020 harvest, Offbeat are planning to increase the range of wine styles for future vintages.

Utilising the traditional Coquard basket press and some barrel ageing, future releases will include skin contact whites and traditional method sparkling wines, as well as an early drinking red.

It is hoped that volumes produced under the label will increase to 10,000 bottles a year.

Small food and drink businesses each lose work worth more than £20,000

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The impact of coronavirus to small businesses operating in the food and beverage sector will exceed £21,586 each in lost work, earnings and loan repayments, with well over half (55%) at risk of permanently closing, according to a new report.

Analysis of over 250 small businesses operating in food and beverage, within the hospitality industry, released by small business insurer Simply Business, reveals that well over a half (54%) are also very concerned about the future of their business. The figures come as the hospitality sector began to emerge from the crisis with many opening their doors on Saturday (4th July).

Not only this, but more than half (55%) of small business owners in food and beverage fear their business is at risk of permanently closing due to the pandemic. Almost one in five (19%) believe they’re likely to close within three to six months, 15% within six months to a year, and another 14% within the next three months.

Looking ahead, the study also revealed how SMEs within food and beverage feel about life after coronavirus, with just over half (52%) worrying

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about losing customers and their jobs from the pandemic.

Worryingly, one third (35%) of small business owners operating in food and beverage are also concerned about running out of money, with 32% admitting they have had to borrow money from friends and family to keep afloat.

However, one fifth (20%) are concerned about being able to pay back the money borrowed and 18% SME owners are worried about going completely bankrupt.

The study also found that over two thirds (71%) of SME’s within the food and beverage sector were able to apply for government grants, loans and schemes and well over a third (36%) have felt particularly supported. Only one quarter (24%) feel fully supported and just over the same amount (28%) have felt no support at all. When looking at improvements, two in every five (39%) business owners also felt there could have been greater communication and transparency from the government about the impact on small businesses and the self-employed.

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NEWS

WineGB prepares to announce the first sustainable producers to be accredited Wines of Great Britain (WineGB) has announced that their industry Environmental Sustainability Scheme is now underway and the first accredited producers will be announced soon.

The scheme recognises the industry’s shared responsibility to minimise its impact on the environment and maximise its contribution to conservation and biodiversity. Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (SWGB) will soon be announcing the first vineyards and wineries to have gone through the formal accreditation process and bear the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain Certification Mark.

At launch, 30 founder member wine producers signed up to the scheme of all different sizes of operation, including both leading brands and boutique operations.

Between them, this already represents some 40% of the total hectarage under vine in the UK, with a production capability of around 6.8m bottles.

The introduction of the Scheme comes at a pivotal moment for Great Britain’s wine industry, with viticulture now one of the UK’s fastest-growing agricultural sectors and WineGB predicting a significant increase in wine production over the coming two decades.

A dedicated industry working group is behind the development and implementation of SWGB. Chaired by Chris Foss, founder of Plumpton College Wine Division, the group comprises grape growers and winemakers, together with key suppliers to the industry and retailers Waitrose and Marks & Spencer.

The Scheme has also attracted generous sponsorship from external suppliers and supporters to enable its implementation.

The Scheme’s sustainability objectives are promoted through guidelines, which set best practice, minimum standards, and prohibit certain practices in both the vineyard and winery. As it develops, the Scheme will set new guidelines and standards annually, creating a culture of continuous improvement.

SWGB has already developed a carbon calculating tool unique to the GB wine industry, providing a first step for vineyards and winemakers who want to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, through enabling them to calculate their carbon footprint in the vineyard and winery. This advanced new tool has been hailed by independent experts as ‘highly innovative in supporting the sustainable aims of the UK wine industry’.

Sustainable credentials are an increasing driver to consumer purchase decisions. Other competing wine producing regions, such as New Zealand, Oregon and Champagne, already have their own sustainability schemes, and routes to market will increasingly require producers to demonstrate environmentally sustainable values. WineGB will be highlighting its own shared values through its website, a series of blogs, and its messaging on social media, including regular weekly posts using #SustainabilitySunday.

Simon Robinson, chairman of WineGB, said: “Great Britain is a wine producing region that is growing exponentially, and we recognise that the industry has a responsibility to our environment, from vineyard to the end product. Our vision is that sustainability lies at the very heart of the wine industry of Great Britain.”

SWGB chair Chris Foss says: “Whilst we are just at the beginning of this process, we are making a promise to the future, as custodians of the land and its precious resources. Through working with key members of our industry, plus retail giants and suppliers, we are developing something meaningful and lasting.”

He adds: “Our key ambition is to get most, if not all, of the UK vineyards and wine producers signed up to the scheme, so that the industry as a whole will be perceived to be more sustainable by government, trade and consumers. When you see the SWGB Certification Mark on a bottle of wine, you can be assured that the producer is striving for environmental sustainability by implementing the Sustainable WineGB Scheme Guidelines.”

Vine-Works appointed Hadley exclusive distributor

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Hadley Group, the global cold rollforming manufacturer, is pleased to appoint VineWorks as the exclusive distributor of its vine post products.

Hadley Group’s exclusive partnership with VineWorks will make its cold rollformed vine posts readily available to both small businesses and major wine producers across Great Britain.

As a result of extensive product development and its expertise in the production of cold rolled steel, Hadley Group’s range of steel vine posts are designed to meet the specific wire support needs of fruit growers and wine producers around the world. Manufactured using Hadley Groups’ innovative UltraSTEEL process, the vine posts offer a unique combination of durability, performance and value.

By undergoing the UltraSTEEL process, the vine posts outperform traditional wooden vine pickets or alternative metal vine supports on a number

of levels. The posts provide high strength and rigidity for exceptional load-carrying strength and also offer greater grip and stability in the ground.

The disease resistant steel also helps to produce a healthier crop and guarantees corrosionresistance for up to 25 years, requiring minimal maintenance.

Gemma Steadman, regional sales director at Hadley Group, said: “After a long-standing trade relationship, we’re really pleased that Vine-Works are now our exclusive vine post distributor, here in GB. It’s a great opportunity to further support the vineyard market and to deliver our cold

AU G U S T 2020 | V I N E YA R D

rollforming products and expertise throughout the country. We’re really looking forward to working with Vine-Works in this new position.”

Vine-Works directors James Dodson and Darcy Gander are pleased to be working exclusively with the UK based manufacturer.

Dodson said: "We have been a big supporter of Hadley vine posts since they first entered the market in 2010. Throughout our relationship Vine-Works has been allowed to participate in design features and improvements along the way, resulting in a first-class Vine post for the UK, and international markets.”

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NEWS

Around the world Champagne dodges new US tariff to hit French exports A trade dispute between the US and EU has led to new 25% tariffs on French luxury goods. However, campaigning from the US Wine Trade Alliance has seen Champagne spared from this.

The issue arose when France said it would be adding a 3% tax to companies that provide digital services to French users, but only large companies over a certain size. This made the US Trade Representative (USTR) think the tax was

particularly aimed at American firms Google, Facebook and Amazon.

In January, the USTR announced that it was planning to add this 25% tax to certain French goods. It seems the comments submitted to them requesting that ‘sparkling wine made from grapes’ be left off the list made a difference, as the US three-tier system of alcohol distribution would see importers, distributors and restaurants feel the pain of the added tariff.

Lahofer Winery completed in Moravian countryside

Top 50 best vineyards announced

Architects and designers Ondřej Chybík and Michal Krištof have completed construction of the Lahofer Winery in the Czech Republic.

Nestled in the Moravian countryside, the Lahofer Winery fuses the region’s longstanding wine tradition with a contemporary design in constant dialogue with the surrounding vines. Reflective of modern wine-making processes, the building brings together three distinct interconnected structures – a wine-making facility, the winery’s administrative base, and a visitor centre along with an adjoining tasting room. Emulating archetypal wine cellars of the region, the vault of the winery rests on a grid of arched beams. Acting as a mirror of this shape, an undulant roof serves as an amphitheatre for cultural events open to both locals and visitors, merging the winery into the ground – and the culture – on which it rests.

On its exterior side, draping the winery, an undulant roof acts as an inclined open-air amphitheatre and venue. Towered by the concave roof of the amphitheatre, the space unfolds into a vast cellar, embracing the design of archetypal Czech wineries defined by the exposed rib construction of the arches. Each reinforced concrete arch is individually designed to fit a specific angle of the ceiling, while the distance between the arches is determined by that between the vine rows.

Each module rises from a vine row and runs through the space, achieving perfect visual symmetry and guiding the viewer’s gaze across the grapevines. Enclosed in a glass façade and facing south, the visitor centre draws abundant light as the windows act as concealed separation from the exterior vine rows. Inspired by the ambient nature, the visitor centre invites guests to fully experience its produce in the barrique cellar and the adjoining tasting room.

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World’s Best Vineyards has revealed the 50 best wine tourism destinations in the world in the first-ever virtual vineyard awards on 13 July with Argentina’s Zuccardi Valle de Uco taking the top spot for the second year running.

Bodega Garzón in Uruguay came in second place for a consecutive year and Domäne Wachau in Austria jumped 16 places to take the third spot. The 2020 Top 50 vineyards represented 18 countries and included first-time winners from India, Bulgaria and Japan.

The World’s Best Vineyards list seeks to raise the profile of wine tourism and despite the difficult circumstances that the travel industry has faced this year, the organiser William Reed and 2020 host partner Sonoma County Winegrowers wanted to recognise the efforts of wineries around the globe. The announcement of the Top 50 hopes to encourage travel to these outstanding destinations as doors begin to open again to visitors.

In an opening speech during the virtual ceremony, founder Andrew Reed praised the wine industry for its quick adaptability to current restrictions on travel: “It is testament to this amazing community of winemakers and wineries that your flexibility and speed of response has allowed you to adapt your business model to survive, and even thrive!”

The World’s Best Vineyards list also seeks to recognise the diversity across established and emerging wine tourism destinations. Overall, there were 17 new destinations in this year’s Top 50. Château Mercian Mariko Winery marked a first-time entry for Japan coming in at number 30 and Best Vineyard in Asia. Other continent winners included Zuccardi Valle de Uco (First and Best Vineyard in South America); Domäne Wachau in the Wachau region of Austria (3rd and Best Vineyard in Europe); Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa, California (5th and Best Vineyard in North America); Rippon in New Zealand (13th and Best Vineyard in Australasia); Delaire Graff Estate in South Africa (14th and Best Vineyard in Africa).

Karissa Kruse, President of Sonoma County Winegrowers shared: “We were looking forward to welcoming guests to Sonoma County, the most sustainable winemaking region in the world, but we were thrilled to be able to carry on with the unveiling of the Top 50. This year’s virtual announcement is a reflection of the ways in which wineries around the world, and not least our own here in Sonoma Country, have so skilfully adapted to the current situation.

Many wineries in Sonoma County are once again opening their doors to visitors and we look forward to another great season.”

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AWARDS

2020 SOMMELIER WINE AWARDS

East Sussex boutique sparkling wine producer named one of the best in world

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Mayfield-based English sparkling wine producer Fox & Fox has been named the second best sparkling wine producer in the world.

Having been awarded three gold medals in the 2020 Sommelier Wine Awards (SWA), Fox & Fox was also named the runner-up sparkling wine producer of the year in the SWA’s Producer of the Year Awards.

It is the first time in the competition’s history that an English wine producer has featured in the Producer of the Year Awards.

Out of thousands of producers from across the globe who entered the 14th annual competition, Fox & Fox was one of only seven to be recognised in the SWA Producer of the Year Awards for “their outstanding performance in this year’s competition”.

Described as “a producer to watch”, in the sparkling wine category, Fox & Fox was up against 24 other gold-medal-winning fizz producers from Champagne, England, Prosecco, Spain, and further afield.

The UK’s only on-trade wine competition, the Sommelier Wine Awards are judged by a carefully selected team of Master Sommeliers and Masters of Wine. With the industry’s best palates judging the wines, it is not surprising that it is notoriously difficult to pick up one gold medal in the SWA, let alone for one producer to receive three in the same year.

Boutique grower-producer Fox & Fox was awarded three gold medals for its limited-edition cuvée, Chairman’s Vat Brut 2014, its Mosaic Rosé Brut 2015 and its Meunier Blanc de Noirs Brut 2014.

Since the vineyard was planted in Mayfield, East Sussex in 2004, owners Jonica and Gerard Fox have adopted a careful and imaginative attitude to viticulture and winemaking, ensuring that each vintage English sparkling wine is respectful and reflective of both the season and place.

Jonica Fox said: “We were already so honoured to have been awarded an unprecedented three gold medals in such a widely respected global competition; this is the icing on the cake. To have been chosen from such an enormous and impressive list of wine producers and named as the secondbest sparkling wine producer in the world is a great tribute to our team. Both Gerard and I are incredibly proud of all the wines we produce and recognition like this makes the hard work which goes into growing grapes and creating exciting wines in England’s marginal climate all worthwhile.”

AU G U S T 2020 | V I N E YA R D

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> Ginetta George and Dan Black, Detail Design Consultants, with Albury Vineyard wines and vineyard in the background

DBA DESIGN EFFECTIVENESS AWARDS

Albury Vineyard scoops silver award for its brand and website design Albury Vineyard and Detail Design Consultants has scooped a Silver Award for its brand and website design for Albury Vineyard in the prestigious DBA Design Effectiveness Awards.

These annual awards, run by the Design Business Association (DBA), celebrate and prove how powerful partnerships between clients and designers can be. Crucially, the awards are evidence-based and the impact of design measured and verified.

Detail Design Consultants worked closely with Albury Vineyard to help rebrand their business. This included defining their brand strategy and designing new bottle labelling and packaging, as well as a new e-commerce website, all reflecting the company’s quality wine and heritage.

As a result, sales direct to consumers leapt by 120%, increasing the profit margin on each bottle of wine sold. The rebrand had an impact on the profitability of the company as the website saw a 1,600% leap in sales while overall wine sales increased 40% in 18 months.

When the website launched, it took more sales in two months than it did in the entire previous year. With only 12 acres, production capacity is limited, but Detail Design Consultants’ work opened up other profitable business opportunities such as vineyard events, tours and wine club membership providing year-round income and bringing in over 2,500 visitors a year Nick Wenman, owner of Albury Vineyard, said: “Working with Detail Design Consultants has been a total pleasure. They spent time listening to us talk about our passion for the vineyard and designed a beautiful new brand which we love and are extremely proud of. They also developed a website which is user-friendly for both us and the customer. Online sales have increased dramatically as a result of this.”

Ginetta George, managing director of Detail Design Consultants, says: “We are delighted to have won this award jointly with Albury Vineyard. We saw the potential that the rebrand could bring ensuring that every touch point echoed the passion, integrity and quality of the vineyard. As a result of this complete revamp, Albury Vineyard has been clearly established as a premium wine producer.”

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AU G U S T 2020 | V I N E YA R D

17

SALES AND MARKETING

Oz Clarke: We’re the newest new world wine country

Oz C

ke ar

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Oz Clarke talks to Vineyard Magazine about his lifelong love affair with the British countryside and how now was the time to write a book on our vineyards, people and the wine produced.

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Oz Clarke’s new book English Wine: From Still to Sparkling, has been making its way to vineyards this month. It guides the reader through the world of winemaking in this country, from the process, the varieties and changing climate to the people and the places in all regions.

Clarke admits, this book was an opportunity to write about his love affair with the British countryside and passion for English and Welsh wines. With such a rise in popularity and recognition for the wines, he knew it was not only a passion project but a book that was needed to keep the momentum.

“The book I’ve written, to be honest, some of the time you’d think is this supposed to be a love affair with the English countryside?” he said. “I can’t divorce one from the other.

“I realised when it came to a popular book there were none. Stephen Skelton has written a few wonderful ones, which I used as source material and I’m sure all the rest of us do in the English wine industry.

“Of course, with the 2018 vintage year, that was the year that the floodgates broke with the biggest vintage ever, the warmest, ripest vintage with good wine being made. Suddenly the figures were so remarkable and the summer was so memorable we managed to get out of just the wine pages in the media and onto the front page. I just thought I’ve got to write this book.”

He explained: “I said we’ve got to keep this momentum going. I wanted to write a book that everyone would find enjoyable.

“You’ll notice it’s not a book about tasting notes; I might just jot one down if I think it’s interesting. On the whole, I’m not trying to tell you why Biddenham is different from Simpsons, which is different from somebody else. It’s not that sort of book.

“It’s a book about the heart of our beautiful country, and how the vineyard is moving closer to being the lifeblood of our rural economy, society and community. I’m also trying to say to people: 'Support your local businesses because that’s why

you love living where you live.'"

This love affair with English wine began very early on for Clarke, before most people realised it was even worth loving. Having grown up in the heart of it he’s wanted to keep his finger on the pulse of the industry ever since.

“I grew up in Kent, so I was aware right early on.

My mother was interested in all things, she was chair of her local Women's Institute and all that kind of thing, so she was involved in all country activities, and she took me to my first ever vineyard, which was Staple St James just near Wingham,” he said.

“I remember standing there looking out over the wind-swept fields and not a serious amount of sun to see, thinking these straggly vines – how on earth could they grow grapes?

“Then of course, good old Bill Ash comes out with a glass and it was astonishing.

It was quite acid in those days but it was pretty much dry and it absolutely reeked of cool beginnings of summer in the English countryside. Years and years later I still remember that wine because I hadn’t come across anything like it.

“I then started tasting more wines produced around Kent before going off to be an actor, singer and God-knows-what. But I always kept an eye on Kent and even some of the first wine articles I wrote were about English wine in the old Wine & Spirit magazine.

“When I then left the theatre and went to work at the Sunday Express, one of the first things we did was a best of British. They said we’ll have a best distillery, cheesemaker, brewer and cider maker and I said: 'Best winery'. They said don’t be ridiculous but I said we needed to have a best winery.

“I could see the editor thinking: “But we don’t make wine?” Of course, I took them down to

AU G U S T 2020 | V I N E YA R D

Breaky Bottom and told them it was the best winery in Britain. There weren’t many alternatives at the time but Peter Hall got a full colour six page spread in the Sunday Express saying this is the best British winery. That must have been 30 years ago.”

It was the truly stunning 2018 harvest that inspired Clarke to work on this book, and in the introduction, he describes the then dismal one of 2019. A word of warning, maybe, that growing vines and making wine in this country is still no easy thing – but to the buyers not the makers.

Again, a reminder that the industry needs support.

He said: “I think English wine will become more mainstream very quickly. We’ve got big challenges ahead, 13.2 million bottles of 2018 to sell and 10.5 million bottles of 2019, and as things are looking at the moment, conditions would need to be pretty poor through summer to not have another 10 million bottles and it might be more.

When all those new plantings come on we could be looking at 15–20 million bottles in a matter of only a few years.”

“This is why I’ve called England the newest new world wine country. I think they’re ambitious, imaginative and I think they have a vision of flavour,” added Clarke.

“The majority of wine makers I meet aren’t just scientists; a significant majority of them are people with a vision of what they want to make. They’ve got flavours they can’t put words to in the back of their mind –­ but they know what they want and they know that’s something they’re going after.

“I think we’ve just got one of those wonderful wine communities. Maybe it’s a little bit like Australia was in the 80s or 90s. Like New Zealand was in the 1990s and full of excitement. There’s no baggage because the old isn’t worth remembering.

It’s like New Zealand, their wines were so bad that there was no tradition to follow. Look at where New Zealand is now.”

"I think English wine will become more mainstream very quickly"

SALES AND MARKETING

Photo © Keith Barnes Photographyy

With temperatures on the rise and the winemaking skills in this country improving at an incredible speed, Clarke believes the good is only going to get better but getting there will still be a challenge.

“When you look at 20 or 30 years ago and why English wine quality has improved, one thing we never used to have was properly warm days,” he explained. “Once you get a few consistent days over 29 and 30 degrees it makes a huge difference to those classic grape varieties.

“Well in May this year we had 31 and 32, we had a heatwave for a week and I’m sure it’ll come back several days this summer. We’ve had more sun so far this year than you might have had in a decade 30 years ago.

“I think what’s great about English Sparkling Wine is how quickly we accepted it was as good as Champagne, in some cases better than Champagne and increasingly it’s different to Champagne. There’s an English style that’s different to Champagne,” he said.

“I’d be interested to see how many Champagne people either have already invested in this country – and I have a great conspiracy theory that people like LVMH and Moet have already got thousands of acres of land banked in places like Kent. Just imagine, when land was so cheap all those years ago, those Champagne people saying ‘Oh just buy me 500 acres under an assumed name’.

“I was filming in the vineyards in 2008, and I remember, when I was researching, I said I would ask them all the same question: Have the Champagne houses been to visit and tried to buy you? Every single winery I went to said they had had a visit.”

A conspiracy theory maybe, but it’s certain the world is taking note, with Clarke saying: “I think our future is going to be tremendously exciting, but absolutely not a walk in the park. I think we’re going to have a lot of climatic chaos, probably more hail and frosts like this year.”

"Vineyards can contact publisher Pavillion Books to get a copy before its official release in September."

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SALES AND MARKETING

Are you seeing a changing attitude towards English and Welsh wines?

Yes, definitely. We’ve seen strong sales of English and Welsh wines in the last twelve months, especially of wines in local and regional distribution. Customers are increasingly interested in local produce and I’m pleased that we can offer them a versatile range of wines in store and available nationwide via Waitrose Cellar. English Wine Week 2020 was also a true success with volume sales up 35% on that week alone versus normal demand.

Do you think this will change the way people shop for wine forever?

Yes, I believe so. I know that many of our customers have been shopping for wine online as a result of the lockdown and found it to be an efficient process. On the other hand, I also believe that people will continue to visit our shops as Waitrose successfully creates a truly special wine shopping experience thanks to our dedicated Wine Specialists.

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Some have predicted significant growth in the next decade, do you think it’s possible?

It’s definitely possible. The groundwork can already be seen in the expansion plans of many large wineries in England as well as the strategy and planning of smaller sized growers; they are increasing their portfolios by producing different wine styles or focusing on one, but increasing volumes substantially.

In the future, I truly hope to see a rise in volume of organic wines being produced as customers show an increased interest in this category of wine.

I am also very pleased that Waitrose is a founding member of Sustainable Wines of Great Britain.

Their mission is to facilitate and encourage a more environmentally conscious wine industry in England and Wales.

As Waitrose was able to stay open through the lockdown, did you see a lot of people shopping for wine online or were they still coming in store?

Online sales were record-breaking! In terms of English wines, sales volume on online platforms alone during the lockdown grew by an average of 30% versus the pre-Covid period.

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ez r ig u

Marien Rodriguez, English and Welsh wine buyer at Waitrose, shares her enthusiasm for Great British wines and what she’s looking forward to in the future.

R od

In conversation...

Marien

What's a new English or Welsh brand that’s caught your eye recently?

I must say that I have a particular interest in smaller size local wine producers and I am always on the lookout for special wines (niche styles or winemaking techniques, for example). Lately, I have been tasting the range of wines from Simpsons Winery, Oxney Organic Estate, Beacon Down Vineyard and Poulton Hill Estate. All of which I highly recommend!

What do you look for when choosing new wines to stock?

First and foremost, and given that the quality and technical standards of the winery are met, I focus on the wine’s quality. When I think about quality, I refer to the ability of the wine to successfully express the characteristics of the grape variety in question, as well as other key factors of course.

At Waitrose, we stock more than 110 wines available nationwide and this is part of our commitment to showcase English & Welsh wines. I am always interested in trying wines that address a gap in our range in terms of style/winemaking technique or region of origin.

SALES AND MARKETING What was the first English wine you tasted?

I believe that it was a Chapel Down Rosé, long before I had started working in the wine industry! I couldn’t imagine then that one day I would be actually visiting the winery as a buyer.

Still or sparkling English wine?

I simply couldn’t choose. It very much depends on the occasion and my mood!

What’s your favourite pairing combination?

An English Sparkling Wine with fresh shellfish. I could never get tired of it.

Waitrose has a wide range of English and Welsh wines across their stores; do customers prefer big brands or locally made?

I believe that each wine brand plays a different role and customers should not consider only buying one of the two. We know that many customers buy wine for certain occasions and, while a known branded English Sparkling might be the perfect choice for a special family gathering, a locally produced Rosé for a summer evening can be just as delightful.

Where do you think the English and Welsh wine market will be in five years?

If I had to speculate, I would say that English and Welsh wine quality will improve and therefore it will be increasingly recognised internationally.

The market of still wines will definitely grow further, especially for red wines, given the warmer weather expected in the coming years and the customer appetite for this style of wine.

How did you get into the wine industry and work with English and Welsh wines in particular?

It was actually thanks to my brother who began studying wine in Bordeaux at a very young age.

He is very enthusiastic and committed and, thus, I became interested in the topic and completed the WSET examinations after finishing my Masters.

I was very lucky to join the Waitrose wine team in 2019, which continues to be an exciting and unique learning journey, especially when you can count on the help and unconditional support of colleagues like Victoria Mason, my mentor.

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Mat h e

WINE REVIEWS

w

King of Clubs

es Juk

The art of running a successful wine club and the ones to join.  www.matthewjukes.com paper-plane, vineyard.ed@kelsey.co.uk

There is a huge amount of skill involved in running a successful club. It’s a balancing act involving trying to attract the ‘right’ members, giving them top quality service and then doing all you can to make them return and spend more money with you. Members benefits are the main reason why people want to join clubs, but sometimes it is just as simple as being a part of an exclusive group which makes you feel privileged in some way.

Winery clubs are hybrids of the private members club model and in this respect, they have a well-trodden framework. They are also an extension of the less time-consuming and much cheaper version, the mailing list. Making the leap from using a mailing list effectively to running a wine club should not be undertaken lightly.

I know a good number of wineries in Australia whose mailing lists are so strong that their domestic sales and export strategies are secondary to their ‘club’ activities when it comes to selling wine.

This means that they sell a huge percentage of their production, at the maximum margin possible, to a group of people who would feel aggrieved if they missed out on being offered these wines. This is a tremendously powerful tool when it comes to making a success of your business. Many of these operations have restaurants too, so in addition to strong cellar door and online member sales, they can augment their profits by selling even more bottles which are consumed on site.

The UK wine club scene is very much in its infancy, but I have found three extremely worthy candidates whose offers make perfect sense and whose

Helping your business to grow

interactive opportunities are all designed to create yet more brand stickiness with its members.

Each of the wines featured opposite can be bought by both club members and non-members, but if you are a member, you are guaranteed to be first in line. If you are not a member you may have to fight to find stock, particularly of the limited release wines. Some wines are sold only to members, which is reason enough to sign up and the main commitment one has to swallow, is often as simple as promising to buy a case or two of wine each year. If you are confident that you will drink this amount of bottles, then you absolutely must become a member of every winery who operates a club because the prices are all, inevitably, discounted.

In addition, I rather like the other benefits which can make members into lifelong ambassadors. These people are a winery’s greatest clients because they purchase regularly and they spread the word actively and enthusiastically, too.

This is why the best clubs hold exclusive tastings, tours, harvest parties, access to back vintages and other great add-ons, too.

It therefore follows that all wineries should operate a club membership if at all possible and that it should be one which rewards members greatly for their patronage. Just think of what you do best and share. You might be amazed by how many of your customers would like to learn more about your business and become closer and more connected to your brand.

In short, your members will be the lifeblood of your business and they will be very grateful for the chance to be a much-loved part of your gang.

Our wine industry experts can provide you with the advice you need to help your business grow.

• • •

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Biological assets Capital allowances for equipment Grants and funding

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R&D tax relief VAT Making Tax Digital

Contact John Billings on 01903 234094 or email info@carpenterbox.com

MATTHEW JUKES There are only 80 cases of this extraordinary wine available to buy. ‘The Black Book’ members will get first dibs.

If there was ever a reason to join a wine club, then this is it. I bumped into winemaker Sergio Verrillo on 22 June and he handed me a cleanskin bottle of this beauty to taste. I know the date, because I Instagrammed a photo of Sergio’s handwriting, scrawled on the green glass – it read 2019 PM Controversy.

Black Book members get to hear about events, new and limited releases, tours and tastings first.

Members are invited to taste out of barrel at the winery too, to have the chance to learn from the master – this is invaluable because I have had the pleasure of doing just this with Sergio and he is a veritable font of knowledge.

You can sign up for £125 and receive six carefully selected bottles or £250 and trade up to 12. If you are going to drink a case or two of Sergio’s wines in any twelve months, then this is the way to go!

Check out the website for more details and also be sure to order this insanely delicious non-rosé rosé, too. This electrifying, still Pinot Meunier has left a hint of its red skins behind in this wine and it is a stunner.

With ginger, white pepper and radish earthiness underpinning a rhubarb stalk fruitiness this is one of the most life-giving and inquisitive English wines I have ever tasted.

2019 Black Book Winery, Controversy Pinot Meunier, Coombe Bottom Vineyard, Sussex £18.00 www.blackbookwinery.com

2019 Winbirri Vineyard, Bacchus, Norfolk £16.00

One of the most impressive wine clubs in our land is Ridgeview’s 'Ourview'.

You simply commit to a six-bottle case of Ridgeview delivered twice a year and then you qualify for a 20% discount on the range of wines, your own cellar space, a tour and tasting voucher for two, access to limited edition Ridgeview archive wines, advance tasting of new release wines and invitations to exclusive, membersonly events.

If you are already a member of Ourview, you will have had a chance to taste this new release and know that it is total class in a glass.

The English signature of bracing acidity under a slender, chic, Chardonnay chassis marks it as a genuine, couture creation. Coming from the original 1995 plantings, this is a statuesque wine and one which will reward patient cellaring.

While you are ordering your cases, do not overlook NV Fitzrovia Rosé (approx. £35.00, Ridgeview, Butlers, www.waitrosecellar. com), which looks every bit a classic with its piercing redcurrant fruit and palate-primping freshness.

www.winbirri.com

There is one reason above all to join Lee Dyer’s ‘The W Club’, and that is that you will stand a very good chance of getting hold of his terrific Bacchus!

Ever since the 2015 vintage of this wine won the Decanter World Wine Awards Best SingleVarietal White Wine in the World title, there is a veritable stampede every time this wine is released.

Membership of The W Club costs £250 per year and you get a mixed case of 12 bottles, five places on a Winbirri tour and tasting day, an opportunity to take part in the harvest and also to see how the wines are made.

There is a 5% discount on further purchases of wines and, crucially, early access to the pre-release of the latest vintage of their Bacchus. So, you will be delighted to hear that the 2019 is a cracker with smooth, unhurried, languid elderflower and lemongrass notes with a lip-smacking surge of electricity on the finish. Not only that, 2019 Winbirri, Pinot Noir Rosé (£16.00) is a rather tangy, strawberry and mint-tinged concoction which makes the hairs on my neck stand up! I suggest you sign up without delay.

2015 Ridgeview, Blanc de Blancs, Single Vineyard approx. £60.00 www.ridgeview.co.uk www.butlers-winecellar.co.uk www.vinvm.co.uk

www.theenglishwinecollection.co.uk

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23

EDITOR'S VISIT

lin or Ed it

Grape expectations

ecca Ch ap Reb

Joe Beckett from Kinsbrook Vineyard has some big plans for his family land in West Sussex.

He talks Rebecca Chaplin through what’s in store.

I’m sure most of us have seen the television show Grand Designs.

Kevin McCloud nods thoughtfully as the owner of the property-to-be describes the glass structure with seven floors they’re going to build – with a staircase that runs around the exterior of the property made entirely of recycled shoes – on what is currently a square of mud.

“You have to do a lot of imagining,” Joe Beckett tells me as he describes exactly what he is building on his patch of mud.

That’s not to say that big dreams are bad or don’t work, but as he explains his grand design and how a large part of the work he’ll be doing himself, I can’t help but see the comparison. Luckily for Joe, he’s got form, having already taken on new skills to keep the cost of setting up the vineyard as low as possible.

Joe is an old head on young shoulders, too. Still in his 20s, he's pushed his family to take on the viticultural side of winemaking - and then taken on the role of running the vineyard and developing the product. At 21 he began making a wine with his family, having bought the grapes elsewhere, but a trip to New Zealand made him realise the potential of wine tourism and what

> Owner Joe and partner Becca at Kinsbrook Vineyard

24

they could create on their family land.

“When I finished university, and we were thinking what we could do as diversification, we thought we’d make a wine. From advice from Dermot at Wiston, the best way to get into wine was to source grapes from a vineyard, make a wine and then we’ll build from there,” Joe said.

“I actually went away to New Zealand to do a bit of self-education and also to play rugby. I was on Waiheke Island off Aukland, and it was a couple of vineyards that really did it for me – Mudbrick and Man O’ War. They had amazing expansions going on. They were building platforms just for events, beautiful tasting rooms and restaurants, not for the wine they make but the tourism. This whole all-encompassing thing where you can sit, drink wine and overlook these vineyards.

“There’s a particular aspect you’ve got there; rolling hills of vineyards on an island, the ocean behind that and then the Aukland skyline. People just sit there all day – as I did.

“I learnt there’s more to it than making a wine product and came back to tell my family. We decided let’s actually go into the viticultural stuff, so we

started prepping in 2016 to plant the vineyard in 2017.”

The name Kinsbrook is a name that completely captures the essence of the vineyard planted in West Chiltington, West Sussex, with the brook running through the land and the family – or kin – ties that bring it all together.

Joe tells me: “My grandad bought these fields in 1979 off an old mushroom farm that was up the hill. At the time land was very cheap so he bought these four fields and we only used them for small arable parcels with a contract farmer, for the past 40 years.

“My dad and my brother, particularly my dad, wanted to plant vineyards a long time ago, when the expansions were going on with places like Wiston in 2006/7, but being busy they never went through with it.”

“Our first site is up in Brooks Green, four miles away, and hence the name. The second vineyard was planted up there too in a little field by my grandparent's place, which we call the Pension Field because it was their pension,” he chuckles. “Without sounding too closeted all of our family live about 200m from each other so we don’t fly far from home.

“Then there’s the Orchard Field, which as the name suggests, was a pear orchard for perry making during the two world wars, as many orchards were in Sussex, but we’ve taken it back to its fruit growing potential, I suppose.

“This is our expansion, Pickety Corner, named with the very old English word meaning pointed. This is the corner that splits the road to West Chiltington and Thakeham. Obviously, West Chiltington has a great name because of Nutbourne and Nyetimber being situated in them.”

If the location was ringing some bells, that’s probably why. These vineyards are located in a pocket of West Sussex surrounded by some of the biggest names in English winemaking.

Joe points up the hill from where we are to where one of Nyetimber’s vineyards begins; Nutbourne is around a three minute drive away and a >>

Photos © Allison Dewey Photography

> The Pickety field from location of the new wedding venue

> The next job is to add decking to the pond

“You have to do a lot of imagining"

25

EDITOR'S VISIT

26

<< stone's throw from Ridgeview and Wiston also.

“This field is your classic three, so we’re in the Pinot Noir, then past the windbreak in Chardonnay and then we’ve got, I call it overflow, but we had extra vines of Pinot Meunier, because the Pension Field I mentioned is single variety.

It’s a closed site, it’s really quite hot in there and going forward I’d like to make a single vineyard Pinot Meunier wine from there. That’s going to be up to production next autumn,” explains Joe as we walk around the Pickety Corner field.

“We’ve done a classic three here in the Pickety field because this is the biggest, it was the first field I wanted to plant because of its aspect and location. We slowly expanded; in our next field we had Chardonnay and a few unusual varieties that we will experiment with in a couple year's time.

“In 2018, we planted Meunier, then these three in the back field. We’ve sort of reached the potential of what we’d like to do for sparkling wine at the moment and for future planting I think we’ll go back to still varieties.”

Joe makes it sound easy, despite having such a small team here. Through lockdown they have continued to work on the vines; battling the frosts, with what he describes as a medieval technique, with bonfires used around the fields.

His girlfriend Becca has been on hand throughout it too (with Swiss Mountain Dog Leon) helping him to take the vineyard to the next stage, said Joe: “She’s fantastic with all things digital and she’s a linguist so in terms of the newsletter she can make things sound pretty, I cannot do that. I send my ramblings to her, of what I think it should be, and she turns it into something that sounds fantastic.

“Erik has come from Plumpton, doing a masters. He came here to do viticultural work and now he’s definitely morphing into being in charge of hospitality. He’s a very skilled winemaker so he’s got a very bright future.

Blago came from Plumpton as well. He was their vineyard assistant manager but he’s been an amazing addition because for four years I did the vineyard manager thing, so I was really looking after the vineyard and trying to do other stuff.

He has managed to take that off my hands now.

He’s really taking it on as his own vineyard which is amazing to see. That allows me to go on to what we’ll be doing next month with selling and the promotion of the vineyard.”

It has taken a lot of hard work to get to this point though, and the planting in 2018 was particularly touch and go, he explained.

“We’ve got roughly 12,500 vines in this field; this was a really hard field to get going. We planted it in 2018 and everybody talked about that being the best vintage in the UK. Well, if you’ve just planted a vintage it was very tough.

“For example, the first vineyard I planted, they grew to roughly two metres in height in the first year – these guys just came out of the tubes.

They nearly all survived because we’ve got a clay subbase here, so higher water holding potential.

I know a lot of vineyards, particularly if they’re on sand or chalk, who planted vineyards and a lot of vines died because we had two months of no rain after planting. It was a troublesome time but luckily the trusty old soil here kept us going.”

He added: “Lots of people say to me ‘are you on chalk here?’ and I say to them that there is no

ideal soil type for a vineyard. That’s the one thing that always gives me a little smile when someone says ‘we have the ideal vineyard site.’ I’ve been to probably 20 or 30 in the UK and I haven’t seen a perfect vineyard site. Because how can it be?

“Everyone has got their negatives; I’m in a valley and I’m prone to frost. We had a terrible frost this year in the UK and we just got out every pallet and had giant bonfires. It was Sussex who was the least hit of the counties but there were still some people who lost a lot.

“Buying a £20,000 fan isn’t possible for us. We

EDITOR'S VISIT just get every pallet we can from local businesses and when you see the bonfires here it could be any time in history. We lost about 1% on our Orchard site that we’re fruiting off this year so that was really worth doing.”

The first step for Kinsbrook onto the tourism ladder has started during lockdown with their horsebox coffee shop. They were hoping to be offering wine tastings but hold-ups due to coronavirus have set their wines back slightly.

However, with increased cycling and walking traffic due to the lockdown they have had a busy few months selling coffee and family recipe cakes to passersby, while also introducing them to the vineyard.

The next step, and the first building on the site, will begin this autumn. Joe explains how he’d stood at the Pickety Corner site, thinking about how around 1,500 people drive past their gate entrance every day – even though it seems

"It was a troublesome time but luckily the trusty old soil here kept us going.”

like a quiet country road. The popularity of the horsebox coffee shop has only proved his theory.

“Our first build will be starting in the autumn – our farm shop café. We always wanted to be able to supply the food to go with the wine and have a venue for people to sit and enjoy,” he said.

“I’ve designed it in a Sussex barn style, as we’re in Sussex, so what you’ll get planning permission for! We’ve managed to add some really cool elements to it though, like a full glass front atrium to it. Then we’ve taken inspiration from >> Bolney, who were very helpful to me in my

> Leon the Swiss Mountain dog

AU G U S T 2020 | V I N E YA R D

27

<< early days, by adding a balcony out the back of the vineyard. There will be a viewing platform where you can drink wine and look out over the vineyards.

“That will be a fine foods shop and café with the wine cellar door element, and will be completed next autumn.”

That’s not the end of Joe’s plans though, and for every element Joe has needed to visualise how his completed plot will look to ensure none negatively impacts the other.

He said: “For everything, I have to imagine it’s already there. So the old gate was there in the hedge, so I had to imagine that I would get permission for the gate where I wanted it, with the vision I would have the farm shop here and therefore stopped the vines there. It means everything has been done in reverse order.

“My sister is getting married next year, and she said Joe, do you know anyone who’s got a vineyard? And I said yes I do. So I promised her I would make this very nice.

“This will be the initial practice and I’m sure my sister will be happy with me saying that. My next job is to learn how to build a 360-degree deck around the pond.”

The idea of taking on these projects is not as daunting to Joe anymore, having taught himself the necessary skills for most roles in the vineyard so far, but he credits the fantastic support of those in the industry he’s met along the way.

“Other people in the industry have been incredibly helpful. People early on for me, like Ridgeview, Bolney, Stopham, Wiston, they just really helped me out with little questions – and Vine-Works of course,” he said, and they have given him the confidence to try more skills and keep learning.

“Once you’ve done more and more, you back yourself into more stuff. Our ethos now in the business is ‘from the ground up and do it yourself’. I would never have thought I could do a couple of hundred metres of decking before I did the fencing or trellising.”

If there’s one thing Joe doesn’t want to do, it’s stop learning, he said: “The thing I’ve noticed, and I always fail on, is you learn one thing and as you get busier you do that less. But that’s what I’d want to do more of.” He said he felt it was important to “keep going to places, they all have something they do well, or something that’s so unique.

“The fact that you can learn from that and make your vineyard a little bit better, or improve your visitor experience” is a great opportunity.

He added: “They all do things so well.”

Now Kinsbrook has released their first vintage from their 2019 harvest, a Pinot Gris and a Bacchus, and that long awaited 2014 Cuvee from their first foray into winemaking, which they’ll be selling either online or from the horsebox bar, with standout design and labelling from working with BS Labels.

“We waited a long time for our 2014 wine because we tried it when we first started the vineyard, thinking we could start tours, and it just wasn’t ready. It was an amazingly complex wine that was just getting better, and with advice from Dermot, we just thought it would be good to wait.

“Our still wines come from our Orchard Field and we’re making them at Stopham. As I mentioned before, we’re in such a good location here. For someone like me, it’s another huge cost to set up a winery, and not have the potential to fill it for a few years with my own production.”

Those stills weren’t easy, as Joe explains 2019 was really a year for selection.

“We were lucky that we had young vineyards which had less fruit that ripened earlier,” he said, “so we ended up having phenomenal fruit but that was unusual. The weather was getting worse and worse, you had a few days to select when it wasn’t raining and the grapes wouldn’t become diluted but people kept gambling because their fruit wasn’t ripe enough and waiting and waiting.

He laughed: “I didn’t have a lot else to do at the time. It was my first harvest ever, so I was living out here with my refractor measuring the sugars every day! So, fortunately, I had the time to select the perfect day and we could pick everything within a day depending on the variety.

“That was essential for our first vintage. I’d hate people to drink our first wine and it not be good. There were a few people who helped me, Charles Palmer down in Battle, he’s one of the first people I ever met in the wine game and he was just like the most helpful person ever. He said, make sure your first wine is a certain way and then people will remember you for that.”

This is quite the wish list with a farm shop and wedding venue, on top of the vineyards and winemaking. Seeing how Joe and Becca have worked so hard to get to where they are now, and how solid their plan for the future is, I actually think they can make this vision a reality. If only we could hit the fast-forward button but we will have to catch up with Kinsbrook in a few years to find out how the projects work out.

"For everything, I have to imagine it’s already there."

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EDITOR'S VISIT

> Joe and Becca serve coffees

> The coffee shop horsebox

AU G U S T 2020 | V I N E YA R D

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WINEMAKING

M a rk C

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UK harvest 2020

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High quali‫ ﬚‬yeasts and nutrients that can help speed up the process and reduce time while maximising the yield.

FLOWPURE® is the only oenological solution validated by the OIV intended for the elimination of pesticide residues in wine. A micronised plant fibre, produced using an innovative and patented process, FLOWPURE® reduces the quantity and concentration of residual pesticides by 50 to 95%, as well as the level of Ochratoxin A. FOCUS - Eliminating pesticides

MALOBOOST®

A nutrient specific to Oenococcus oeni, rich in compounds that boost malo-lactic conversion performance, MALOBOOST® is a highly effective facilitator of MLF, accelerating the start of fermentation and increasing its kinetics.

This year’s harvest is set to be like no other with a mixed weather season and social distancing measures in the winery and vineyard causing potential delays and dramatic process changes.

The ability to process fruit at speed and in a cost effective way is always a consideration and one that might be more important now.

The Laffort range of fast acting enzymes and high quality yeasts and nutrients can help speed up the process and reduce time while maximising the yield. Laffort have launched some great new products for this year’s harvest to improve flavours, improve processes and reduce pesticides in your wines.

FOCUS - Lactic acid bacteria nutrition

TANIN VR SKIN®

Produced from a selection of white grape skin tannins, TANIN VR SKIN® is particularly well adapted to colour stabilisation. TANIN VR SKIN® reacts weakly with salivary proteins, avoiding any increase in the impression of astringency or dryness in wines.

QUERTANIN® Q1

Prepared from stave-quality French and American oak heartwood, QUERTANIN® Q1 is a selection of ellagic tannins especially suited to the aging of quality red, white and rosé wines.

The natural drying of the oak as well as the QUERTANIN® Q1 production process give it exceptional sensory qualities.

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From each flute of sparkling wine, no fewer than a million bubbles are set free!

The harmonious organisation of this whirlwind of bubbles in the glass is extremely stimulating to the senses when tasting.

The aesthetics of the effervescence is a decisive criterion for consumers who aspire to fine, elegant and persistent bubbles regularly supplying a generous and stable rim to form a harmonious foam.

MANNOSPARK® is a formulation based on mannoproteins, resulting from a research programme launched by LAFFORT® in 2014, in collaboration with the University of Reims, to improve bubble size and the volume and stability of the cordon.

FOCUS - The aesthetics of effervescence

 www.BruniErben.co.uk  07805 081677 paper-plane, Mark.Crumpton@BruniErben.co.uk AU G U S T 2020 | V I N E YA R D

VEGEFINE® WINEMAKING

NEW PRODUCTS // 2020 VEGEFINE®

With its formulation based 100% on plant proteins (patatins), VEGEFINE® is part of the new line of LAFFORT® fining preparations. Thanks to the physicochemical characteristics of these proteins, VEGEFINE® ensures effective fining of musts and wines, also allowing very good compaction of solids and lees. With its non-allergenic formulation, suitable for organic winemaking and easy to use, VEGEFINE® can replace traditional fining agents of animal origin.

FLORACONTROL®

Preparation based on chitosan (from Aspergillus niger) and inactivated yeasts (from Saccharomyces cerevisiae) for the protection of wines against the growth of spoilage microorganisms. It is formulated to fight effectively against yeast and bacterial growth and it also helps prevent wine oxidation. Its use on both must and wine makes it a relevant tool for the management of undesirable microflora.

With its formulation based 100 % on plant proteins of the new line of LAFFORT® fining preparations. T characteristics of these proteins, VEGEFINE® ensures wines, also allowing very good compaction of solids a formulation, suitable for organic winemaking and easy ® POLYMUST traditional fining agents ofNATURE animal origin.

A non-allergenic preparation, suitable for organic winemaking and based on plant protein and POLYMUST® NATURE sodium and calcium bentonite, ® preparation, suitable for organic wi A non-allergenic POLYMUST NATURE ensures protein and sodium calcium bentonite, POLYMUS effective clarifiand cation of musts clarification of musts wines.ofThe and wines.

The and balance thebalance of the for compaction of leespromotes while contributing to protein stabilis formulation remarkable NATURE contributes effectively compaction of lees while to the stabilisation o combined action ofto plant proteins and bentonites. contributing protein stabilisation.

In red wine, POLYMUST® NATURE contributes effectively to the stabilisation of colouring matter FLORACONTROL® through the combined action Preparation based on chitosan (fromofAspergillus niger plant proteins and bentonites.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae) for the protection of wines

microorganisms. It is formulated to fight effectively aga and it also helps prevent wine oxidation. Its use on b relevant tool for the management of undesirable micro

Use HARVEST2020 for 10% off orders for this harvest: www.thebo‫﬙‬lejarstore.co.uk FLOTTATION

LAFASE® XL FLOT and VEGEFLOT®, the winning duo for dynamic clarification of juices by flotation.

LAFASE® XL FLOT

Enzyme preparation selected by our research and development department on the criterion of rapid depectinisation of musts intended for flotation.

LAFASE® XL FLOT is a robust liquid formulation, proven on many matrices.

It increases the yields of the flotation cycles in wineries by limiting the waiting time (depectinisation) before starting the clarification step of flotation.

®

NOBILE CHERRY SPICE Made Madeexclusively exclusivelyfrom fromselected selected French ® French oak, NOBILE CHERRY SPICE chips ® oak, NOBILE CHERRY SPICE chips result from a high-precision result from a high-precision toasting toasting process. process.

Thanks to its novel composition, ® NOBILE CHERRY SPICE contributes Thanks to its novel composition, ® to the impression of sweetness and NOBILE CHERRY SPICE contributes freshness in wine. Itofalso helps to and to the impression sweetness highlight blackto freshnessthe in expression wine. It alsoofhelps fruit while developing subtle highlight the expression of black fruit notes of pepper and clove. while developing subtle notes of pepper and clove.

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VEGEFLOT®

The expertise of our teams around the world allows us to offer a 100% plant protein solution dedicated to flotation. A non-allergenic formulation and suitable for organic winemaking, combining a high flocculation speed with a wide spectrum of action for the elimination of phenolic compounds, VEGEFLOT® promotes rapid, complete flotation, with good foam compaction. The presence of patatin in the formulation helps to reduce the risks of wine oxidation at an early stage.

L’œnologie du bois

L’œnologie du bois

CS 61 611 – 33072 BORDEAUX CEDEX – Tél. : +33 (0)5 56 86 53 04 - www.la

FOCUS - Flotation

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AGRONOMY

Rob S

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Agronomy diary

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When and where does SWD appear?

First detected in Kent during 2012, SWD has since spread to many UK grape-growing areas, and is present throughout the year, although numbers generally peak in late summer.

SWD are weak flyers, but are readily winddispersed and have a broad host range which includes soft fruit such as cherries or raspberries.

Local hotspots can develop, often in areas where there is woodland or other dense vegetation for them to overwinter in, and other nearby host crops.

This season, WineGB has deployed camera traps in vineyard sites spread across the country to undertake SWD monitoring using technology developed by Landseer, to make monitoring this pest more straightforward than using the conventional wet traps.

per Coo

With ripening grapes potentially at greater risk from Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) attack over coming weeks, Hutchinsons’ Rob Saunders and Chris Cooper answer some key questions about this relatively new pest and how to control it

is

Controlling Spotted Wing Drosophila.

When are crops at greatest risk?

Adult flies are attracted to ripe and underripe fruit to lay their eggs in, so pose a threat before and during harvest. As soon as stomata on developing grapes close and colour change begins (veraison) there is a risk of attack, which can predispose crops to botrytis and sour rot.

Veraison usually occurs from August onwards, depending on the season.

Warm, humid conditions appear to favour SWD, so risk may be increased by poor canopy management resulting in a thick leaf wall and poor air movement. High-intensity UV light appears to deter SWD but can cause sun scorch.

Are all varieties at risk?

Red skinned cultivars appear more at risk of attack from veraison onwards. White grapes are generally less attractive to the pest, but can still be affected once sugar levels are high enough.

The risk to all crops is increased if picking is delayed.

When should SWD be treated?

Early treatment before damage occurs is essential, unless the crop can be immediately picked when first attacked.

Treatments should be made from veraison onwards depending on monitoring trap catches.

There are currently no set treatment thresholds, although WineGB is investigating this.

SWD reproduces quickly (14 days adult-toadult), with females producing up to 200 eggs, so numbers can build fast. In other crops, trap catches have been recorded as increasing from 10-20 to 800+ in a few days, hence the need to act swiftly.

Where attacks have occurred previously, growers should spray the threatened area as soon as SWD numbers start rising.

What are the chemical options?

All treatments are for adult control only, with the main options being Tracer (spinosad), and Hallmark (lambda-cyhalothrin). Emergency authorisation for Exirel (cyantraniliprole) has

also been approved, as in 2019.

Including the adjuvant Combi-Protec in the control programme could improve control, as the product claims to attract, and increase feeding activity of adult flies. This will increase the efficacy of any insecticide applied just before or just after the Combi-Protec application. Care is needed to obtain best results though.

What about non-chemical options?

The UK has no beneficial insects that predate on SWD, but there are other non-chemical measures that can help reduce the risks, including: ◆ Good canopy management to improve airflow and aid ripening ◆ Apply kaolin to deter adults from laying eggs in fruit. But, very high rates are required and kaolin also acts as sunscreen, delaying ripening ◆ Reduce host plants around the vineyard perimeter (e.g. trim vegetation, particularly brambles as blackberries are a known wild host) ◆ Expose grapes on the fruiting wire after veraison and consider reducing the crop for earlier picking ◆ Cover with fine nets (<0.98 mm mesh) – cost and logistics may prevent this on a commercial scale, and netting could increase humidity around the crop, favouring SWD and botrytis ◆ Harvest crops promptly, especially as sour rot and botrytis often follow infection ◆ Dispose of damaged crop properly ◆ More trapping and monitoring to assess pest numbers throughout the season. This may be a requirement for future product approvals.

CRD has already stated any emergency authorisation for Exirel (if required) in 2021, would need monitoring information on product usage in relation to SWD trap counts.

https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/spotted-wing-drosophila-swd.

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r

 www.hlhltd.co.uk paper-plane information@hlhltd.co.uk  01945 461177

GRAPE GROWING

The vine post

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Trellis installation takes a step into the future!

2020 saw another year of substantial plantings in the UK. It is estimated that approximately 1.5-1.8 million vines went in the ground this May which equates to about 360 Ha. While that’s a lot of vines to manage, it also means a lot of posts and wire will be required to support them.

At Vine-Works we have been fortunate to secure about a third of all the trellis installations in the UK this year, or put another way, about 600km worth. With these daunting figures it was imperative as a business to look at more efficient ways of installing culture systems. Advances in the increased accuracy and affordability of Global Positioning Systems (GPS), has meant that its application to viticulture has become increasingly dependent. GPS has already been used for a decade in vineyard establishment. Only recently has that technology transferred to post installation.

When we did our research, we discovered two options were available: A tractor mounted post pile driver vs a self-contained tracked vehicle. With this technology costing between £80-100,000 it was not an easy decision, but in the end we settled for the Italian made Pauselli self-contained tracked vehicle. This modern, dynamic company was founded in 1986 in Citta di Castello in central Italy, and primarily produced GPS pile driving machines for guard rails in the construction and roadworks industry, as well as solar/PV panels and fencing.

The primary advantage to a GPS post driver is speed! On a typical site there are a number of operations required before a post is inserted in the ground.

One of the most laborious of these tasks is laying the post out into position.

This can take up to six hours per hectare depending on the site. The Pauselli allows us to carry the posts needed for a row, thus eliminating the need to drive through the vineyard placing posts at the desired position. Removing this operation reduces the impact on the vineyard floor that heavy machinery can cause. Less mechanical operations in the vineyard means less chance of compaction in the root zone.

The GPS is also a big-time saver. We are now able to map the vineyard and accurately program the machine to determine each post site in the rows. This operation used to require a team to mark out the post positions using string and spray painting the ground prior to post insertion. The GPS removes this task that once could take up to a full day per Ha. The operator is able to control the machine with a hand held remote and drive it to within two metres of each position where the GPS takes over and determines the accurate spot, levels itself, and drives the post with a vibrational rammer into the desired pre-set depth. With the conventional methods we could spend as much as several minutes positioning the post manually, fumbling with line levels to check if its straight and at the right depth.

Normally we will have four dedicated trellis teams working throughout the year to get all the sites completed. Unfortunately, we can still be trellising in the wet autumn and early winter months. This can be quite destructive to the vineyard floor when using tractors on wet newly cultivated ground. In severe cases this has led to equipment becoming stuck in rows, or delayed progress as the ground has been too wet to work on. With the tracked vehicle, the weight is distributed evenly across the surface area of the vehicle and is far less destructive on wet ground, allowing us to work more productively in the winter months.

We have only noticed one disadvantage with this piece of equipment and that is its top speed is about 6mph. This is not a problem in the rows, but can take a bit of time in the mornings and evenings when driving the machine back and forth from its secure storage on site to the vineyard itself. It’s a small price to pay for increased accuracy, elimination of tasks, and less destruction to the vineyard floor. New technology is always exciting but it is important to note that some of our existing trellising teams have been with us for hundreds of vineyard installations; their skill and attention to detail is second to none in the industry. These teams will always play a part in our trellising structure and sometimes it requires the ingenuity of a human and his spirit level to get it perfect.

 www.vine-works.com paper-plane, sales@vine-works.com  01273 891777 AU G U S T 2020 | V I N E YA R D

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ns t io ra Ma nager

Representing you

Cowderoy Op o e J

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.

WineGB 2020 Awards: Judging completed – results imminent

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Judging of the wines entered in the national competition took place in July, albeit in a different format to usual this year due to the many additional measures that were introduced in line with Covid-19 restrictions!

WineGB thanks the judges, Susie Barrie MW, Oz Clarke OBE and Rebecca Palmer for their exceptional commitment and all the producers who have entered their wines.

More producers than ever entered their wines this year.

The judging was promoted extensively through a great social media campaign.

Look out for the announcement of the medal winners on 4 August and an exciting online unveiling of the trophies on 8 September.

WineGB is also extremely grateful to Ashling Park for providing the venue, the competition manager, Belinda Mercer, the logistics partners, Sensible Wine Services, and is also delighted that Waitrose and Rankin Brothers are supporting this year’s competition again as the main partners.

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

Emergency approval for use of Exirel WineGB webinar series a huge success Since early May WineGB has delivered weekly webinars on a range of topics to support wine producers and their businesses. With expert speakers the webinars have covered marketing and business topics, seasonal viticulture subjects and from August the winemaking programme of webinars gets underway. This will include two ‘surgery’ sessions to support winemakers during harvest. For full details and to register for webinars see the WineGB website.

The viewing numbers have been phenomenal and the feedback impressive. The webinars have been open to all during the coronavirus outbreak, but from 1st September the webinars will remain free for WineGB members and students, and there will be a fee for non-members. Some webinars will be reserved for members-only.

With the adjustment to a more ‘online’ working environment, webinars will be an important component of the future training and education programme for WineGB members.

AU G U S T 2020 | V I N E YA R D

WineGB has successfully secured Emergency Approval for use of Exirel on wine grapes and the product can be used from 15 July. Details of the approval and its use are on the members area of the WineGB website.

Entry into viticulture: boost to workforce Plumpton College’s ‘Entry Into Viticulture’ Programme is a one-week skills development programme designed with the industry, to support individuals looking for a career change or have recently been made redundant, to find employment within the sector.

Starting on 7 September, at Plumpton College. it will cover topics such as first aid at work, health and safety, tractor driving and viticulture skills giving job seekers the necessary basic skills the industry is asking for. If you are looking for permanent staff in the vineyard or temporary labour for harvest, this new initiative could provide you with the labour force you need. To find out more or to register your interest in providing paid employment or a placement to those coming through the programme, please contact Dan Karlsson dan. karlsson@plumpton.ac.uk or tel. 01273 892127 to find out how to be involved.

David Parkinson resigns as a WineGB director Very regrettably David Parkinson will be stepping down from his position as a WineGB director for personal reasons with immediate effect, very much at his own request.

During his time as a director David has raised our industry’s profile across the relevant Government departments, to MPs and local councils, and set up the WineGB APPG. The board of directors all agree that it is a great shame to lose David’s immense political contribution and will be looking to outsource to continue this valuable role.

Supporting the industry

During the coronavirus outbreak, in the spirit of supporting all members of the industry as well as WineGB members, regular weekly bulletins are keeping everyone informed of relevant government notifications and updates, along with details of marketing campaigns, the webinar series, and other important announcements, in order to support producers and their businesses during these difficult times. The Covid-19 area of the WineGB website is open to all and updated frequently and easy to navigate, with four sections: Health & Safety, Business Support, Marketing Support and Industry Support.

WineGB’s shop local campaign, signposted from the website, includes listings of member vineyards selling direct to customers, as well as a directory of retailers that stock English and Welsh wines.

The Grape Press magazine, for one time only, is available for anyone to download from the WineGB website. This 140 plus page review contains industry updates as well as a wide range of articles on all subject areas.

If you are not a WineGB member, but would like to find out more about the benefits of joining please see the WineGB website or email office@winegb.co.uk. WineGB would be delighted to welcome you!

Follow us on:

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FORTHCOMING WEBINARS 6 August, 6pm: PR & Communications

27 August, 6pm: Preparation for Harvest

Speakers include Madeleine Waters, Co Company PR

11 August, 6pm: Winery Preparation for Harvest With Sam Lindo, Winemaker, Camel

With Joel Jorgensen, Vineyard Manager, Vine-Works and Jon Pollard, Vineyard Manager, Gusbourne Estate

3 September, 6pm: Competitions: Making the most of your wins 24 September, 6pm: Winemaking Surgery #1

Valley, David Cowderoy, Consultant Winemaker and Sam Armstrong,

First peer to peer session with winemakers to discuss issues during harvest

Service Engineer, BevTech Ltd

13 August, 6pm: Canopy Management (part 2)

15 October, 6pm: Winemaking Surgery #2

With Dr Glen Creasy, Viticulturalist, Researcher and Author, and Stephen Skelton MW, Viticulture Consultant and author.

Second peer to peer session with winemakers to discuss issues during harvest

18 August, 10am (note new time): Managing Covid-19 during Harvest

28 October, 6pm: Managing MLF

Lessons from New Zealand and

12 November, 6pm: Filtration and Stabilising

Australia, with Dan Buckle, Director of Winemaking, Domaine Chandon, Australia, Liam Idzikowski, Winemaker, Danbury Wine Estate and Emma Rice, Winemaker, Hattingley Valley Vineyard

New online Varietal Wine Scheme

Full details of all webinars, plus the speaker profiles, the registration links and past webinar recordings can be found on the WineGB website.

Viti-Culture LIVE!:

There is now a new online form for Varietal Wine Scheme applications which replaces the existing PDF form and is available on the www.winegb.co.uk website.

The information required is unchanged and easy to complete and submit. WineGB will no longer accept applications on the PDF form.

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With Brad Greatrix, Winemaker, Nyetimber Vineyards

If you missed the Viti-Culture LIVE! virtual event for the UK wine industry, on 9 July, all the seminars, exhibitor stands and virtual cellar doors are still available to view on the event website www.viti-culture.com.

The seminars and events attracted huge audiences, and the headline seminar with Richard Bampfield MW, Stephen Skelton MW and Matt Strugnell, Vineyard Manager from Ridgeview has over 350 individual views to date. With the help of an active social media presence, Viti-Culture LIVE! presented twice the target size number of exhibitors than expected.

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35

AGRONOMY

Fact file: Crop protection Vineyard Magazine finds out from Bolney Wine Estate about how they protect their vines from pests and diseases.

Sam Linter, MD and head winemaker at Bolney Wine Estate What's happening in the vineyard at the moment?

We’re just coming to the end of what seems like weeks and weeks of canopy management, wire lifting and tucking. Now we move on to trimming and with the help of Sam Barnes, a mechanical leaf strip across the 100+ acres.

Fruit set looks very promising, and bunch counts are underway to help gauge the likely crop and to allow the winery prepare.

When it comes to crop protection, what do you use?

We work with Agrii and Hutchinson and implement a fairly standard protection regime.

36

Are you exposed to any pests or diseases because of your location?

Do you use any particular equipment and why do you prefer that?

We are fortunate in that we don’t seem to have any specific issues, just (!) the usual powdery mildew, downy mildew and Botrytis.

The last couple of seasons have seen an increase in the thrip populations, but fingers crossed, at the moment we appear not to have a problem with moths or SWD.

We currently use a Lipco and a Carraro Eco sprayer at Bolney and two Berthoud 1500l sprayers, at our Pookchurch site. The Lipco and Carraro are recycling sprayers which enables us to use the minimum amount of chemical in each round of spraying. The Berthouds are necessary on a large site (67 planted acres), simply to complete each spray round in a timely way.

Have you learnt any lessons from diseases hitting your vines before?

The importance of adhering to spray intervals if at all possible. Prevention is much better than a cure.

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What would be your best piece of advice for those new to viticulture when it comes to crop protection?

Consult at least one reputable agronomist, and follow a prescribed spraying programme.

Don’t delay at the start of the season, as the early spray rounds are particularly important. Don’t cut corners with products and applications. Choose the right type of sprayer(s) for the scale of vineyard and the likely conditions.

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Don’t leave it to the grapevine.

@VineyardMagGB

 vineyard.ed@kelsey.co.uk

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37

SALES AND MARKETING

Outside the bottle thinking What will your next labels look like? We speak to three companies working on the outside aesthetics for their advice.

Berkshire labels are already a well-known name with vineyards in England and Wales, and as their needs have grown the company has also been developing new tools to better suit the market.

Business development manager Carl Jobling spoke to Vineyard Magazine to offer some key advice to vineyards and share some trends the company has seen.

He said: “With the growth of UK vineyards over the past decade the label industry has responded with new technologies and materials to service this market.

“Previously the relatively small runs produced by UK vineyards meant that they were limited to a small selection of coated materials due to high MOQ’s for more aesthetically pleasing materials and high costs for conventional tooling made the pursuit of embellishments cost prohibitive.

“Over the past 10 years Berkshire Labels have heavily invested in digital print and finishing technology, setting new standards in digital labelling with one of the most comprehensive operations in the UK. “This has enabled us to provide the perfect solution for our UK vineyard customers, of which there are over 40 providing cost effective short to medium runs with many stunning decorative finishes. Our HP Digital technology eliminates any printing plate costs and tools for screen, foil and embossing are only a fraction of rotary tooling costs.

“It has enabled a level playing field for our UK vineyard customers when competing for shelf presence against some of the larger household brands.”

Having these technologies and tools on hand has meant that Berkshire labels are able to easily and professionally create stunning designs for their customers, letting creativity take the lead.

“Studies in the US indicated 77% of wine buyers were heavily influenced in their purchase by the label design, citing bright colours and a tactile feel as the two main factors that held their attention for longer during their decision making,” explained Carl.

“A great example of pushing the envelope and grabbing the consumer’s attention was recently demonstrated on a new label we produced for Heppington Estate. Working closely with designer Studio Parr the label design incorporated HP Indigo digital print, two hot foils, multi-level embossing and tactile silk screen varnish, delivering stunning end results.

A collaborative approach between the brand owner, designer and printer have always delivered the very best results for all. The seamless execution of a new label design is also helped by very early collaboration in the project.

“Material choices are essential to the performance and aesthetics of the finished label. Berkshire Labels have an extensive portfolio of decorative materials to work with, many of these are FSC & PEFC certified. We also have many sustainable label solutions to compliment all packaging designs, meeting one or more of these sustainable fundamentals; responsibly sourced, recycled content, recyclability and compostable.”

Berkshire Labels have a range of solutions for those looking for that more eco-friendly option, as well as choices for those really thinking outside the bottle.

Carl said: “There are some very interesting offerings under our responsibly sourced section that complement the UK vineyard market extremely well including a material made from 15% grape waste that adds a genuine and artisanal quality to any bottle.

“In 2020 we have seen a surge in wine labels and shrink sleeves required for canned wine, much of this has come in from Europe but the UK is catching on and the growth in this market is significant.

“At Berkshire Labels we can produce labels and shrink sleeves digitally for wine cans and have all the relevant partners in place to aid our customers getting to market in this exciting new sector which is growing fast.

“Combined with the most comprehensive Digicon digital finishing line in the UK featuring two AB Graphic ‘Big foot’ hot foil/emboss units, two flexographic units, flat bed silk screen and over-lamination units Berkshire Labels are the perfect partner for UK vineyards.”

e r i h s k r e B bels La

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SALES AND MARKETING Meanwhile, a new creation called the Frugal Bottle takes the label to a new level.

Instead of the label sitting on a traditional glass bottle, maker Frugalpac has created a recycled cardboard bottle that can be completely printed and fits in with the sustainability focus we keep hearing about.

Malcolm Waugh, CEO of Frugalpac, said: “For Frugalpac the trend is no label – the Frugal Bottle is the label! We integrate the print into the bottle, using all of the bottle to convey the brand, image and information.

“It’s 360 degree communication, as the Frugal Bottle allows you to print all across the bottle.

The recycled paperboard can be printed on digitally and then sent to the bottling facility where it’s formed into Frugal Bottles. Since we launched, we’ve been inundated with enquires from bottles, brands and retailers around the world.

“It seems from the feedback we’ve received that the fact you can design all across the bottle is very appealing to the wines and spirits brands.”

According to Malcolm, the bottle “is literally a blank canvas to promote your wine” and its unique look and feel does stand out.

40

He said: “The Frugal Bottle weighs just 83g so it is up to five times lighter than a normal glass bottle, making it easier to carry and lighter to transport.

“An independent Life Cycle Analysis by Intertek found the Frugal Bottle, which is made from recycled paperboard with no chemicals, has a carbon footprint up to 84% lower than a glass bottle and more than a third less than a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic. The Frugal Bottle’s water footprint is also at least four times lower than glass.

“It’s easy to recycle again. Simply separate

AU G U S T 2020 | V I N E YA R D

the plastic food-grade liner from the paper bottle and put them in your respective recycling bins. Or you can put the whole bottle in your paper recycling bin and the liner will be easily separated in the paper re-pulping process.

“It uses less plastic than a plastic bottle. The Frugal Bottle uses up to 77% less plastic. Only 15g compared to 64g for a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic.”

The Frugal Bottle

er Tom Bouch Design When it comes to simple and stunning, Tom Boucher Design has worked with UK vineyards to create labels that work as part of a much wider design ethos for their brand.

We caught up with Tom himself to see what advice he would give vineyards considering how to tackle their next label and what works well in 2020.

“Instagramable labels!” he said. “Considering how your product looks on social media is a good idea in 2020. Having a label that stands out and cuts through aimless scrolling of content is an opportunity to grab attention and draw customers in.

He added that capturing your story as simply as possible is key, and said: “Giving transparency around who made the wine, where it's from and the processes involved. Use the limited amount of real estate on the label to tell your story and give the customer a sense of what you are all about. Customers across all sectors care more about where their food and drink products come from, your label is an opportunity to showcase this - provenance is key.”

“Customers definitely need to be thinking about sustainability although cost is also a consideration,” he said. “Discerning customers will judge a brand by the decisions it makes on packaging.

“Think about the feel of the paper, the experience as a whole of how the bottle feels in the hand.

“Think about where your product will be seen, too. On the shelf? Think about size, shape and position of label relative to other bottles it will be sitting next to. Really think hard about how your bottle will look in different contexts on the shelf, on social media, in a pub fridge and an online shop.

“Don't be afraid to do something different to

SALES AND MARKETING

stand out. It's easy to fall into a comfort zone of creating something that looks like the bottles and branding you are used to and love.”

Tom suggests “bold, contemporary typography that's breaking away from traditional typefaces used in wine label aesthetics” as an emerging trend in labelling, and his expertise could be what vineyards need to achieve this.

He said: “I aim to help new brands get started, or established brands try something creatively different. I offer everything from brand workshops right through to final packaging design and everything in between.

“I come from a background in startups so I know when budgets are tight you need to be as efficient with design resource as possible whilst still allowing room for creativity. I encourage my clients to create something different and personal to them, something beautiful that captures the imagination as much as what's in the bottle.

“I take inspiration from the explosion in design creativity that helped craft beer reach the place it is today, rather than worrying about fitting in

with a heritage aesthetic that many wine brands fall back on – it's a great showcase of what great design can do combined with a great product.

A brand is more than a label, but capturing eyeballs on the shelf and through social media is an opportunity not to be overlooked. I'm shamelessly the sort of wine drinker that buys a bottle as much for the artwork as for the wine itself and I'm not alone!”

THE NATURAL CHOICE FOR YOUR LABEL REQUIREMENTS Cost Effective Solutions For Short To Long Run Requirements

www.tomboucherdesign.com

35 Years Of Knowledge & Experience State Of The Art HD Print Capabilities Extensive Material Options Hot Foil & Multi Level Embossing High Build & Decorative Varnishes Quality Assured ISO9001 & BRC Certified

www.berkshirelabels.co.uk

Tel:01488 683628

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41

2020 Review All of the 2020 Viti-Culture seminars are now available to watch at your leisure!

Show goes digital The first virtual Viti-Culture LIVE! event for the UK wine industry took place on 9 July.

Here we round up some of the highlights that you can still go back to online.

If you missed the Viti-Culture LIVE! virtual event for the UK wine industry, all the seminars, exhibitor stands and virtual cellar doors are still available to view on the event website www.viti-culture.com.

Organisers Grape Vine Events wanted to thank attendees and supporters, saying: "We do appreciate that virtual shows take some time for everyone to get their heads around – we can certainly vouch for that - which is why the show will remain a completely free, online resource for new visitors and existing visitors to return to throughout the remainder of this year.

"Following on from the high calibre seminar tradition of Viti-Culture, the 2020 event hosted a raft of very interesting and well ‘attended’ seminars. The seminars attracted a big audience – far more than we would have squeezed into the huge marquee at Plumpton that many of you will remember from 2019! The headline seminar with Richard Bampfield MW, Stephen Skelton MW and Matt Strugnell, vineyard manager from Ridgeview, has totalled 355 individual views to date.

"To round up the day's proceedings, Justin Howard-Sneyd MW led the Viti-Culture LIVE!

Managed by

2020 – Wine Tasting Event. Justin and his fellow guests tasted and discussed a selection of wines through the evening, together with the vineyard producers followed by conversation about the production of their wines and the UK wine industry in general.

"The featured wines from Oatley, Plumpton, White Castle, Stanlake Park, Coolhurst, Far Acre and All Angels were all outstanding and are really worth a try! They are available to purchase, some with special offers, through the virtual cellar doors on the Viti-Culture LIVE! website.

"We at Grape Vine Events are proud of how we have evolved, and what we have achieved, in a short amount of time with the show in such difficult times for the event industry. It has been a lot of hard work and a learning curve, but totally worth it!

"The Viti-Culture team would like to convey their thanks to the wonderful sponsors and supporters, whom we could not have done Viti-Culture LIVE! without! Sponsored by Kreston Reeves, NFU Mutual, CLM, and supported by Yara, WineGB, and media partners Vineyard Magazine. Remember, the Viti-Culture LIVE! website will remain open until 31 December 2020. Please do go and take a look!"

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We’re having a proper lunch break today in HQ to check into @viti_culture.2020 with @winegb and @vineyardmaggb and visit all the exhibitor ‘marquees’ and check out the seminars. Amazing effort to all the teams that pulled this together @threechordsandthevine

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VITI-CULTURE LIVE!

Why are yield forecasts so inaccurate?

Plumpton’s Dr Greg Dunn explains how to improve forecasting.

Whichever wine region you're in yield forecasting is important, explained Dr Greg Dunn at Viti-Culture LIVE! but why is it so often miscalculated?

“There are all sorts of implications from inaccurate crop forecasts. An unreliable grape supply, it causes stress and conflict in many wine regions around the world, leads to waste and error and depresses profitability.

“Some time ago when I worked with a team on yield forecasting, a decade or so ago, we looked at estimating the cost of inaccurate forecasting. It’s not an easy thing to do because you have to remove overestimates from underestimates, but our conservative estimate at the time was that inaccurate forecasts were costing the Australian industry around $85million a year,” he warned.

Dr Dunn said that while forecasting happens in the vineyard it really relates more to the winery. They asked winemakers what tolerance they would like to see in forecasts, to which they said +/-5%. However, from assessment of forecasts in 2000-2001, forecasts in Australia were out by around 33%.

“One of the things with forecasting is it’s a lot harder to forecast from a variable block. So why do forecasters often get it wrong? One of the things is vineyards are quite variable and it’s not an easy thing to forecast. They vary across a block but also from year-to-year.”

In terms of understanding variation from one year to the next, Dr Dunn explained that a lot of it came from bunches per vine, in fact 60%. The next most important variation was berries per bunch at 30% and then weight per berry at 10%.

Delivery

Forecast (tonnes)

Actual (tonnes)

Difference (tonnes)

% Difference

Absolute % Difference

1

20

22

2

9

9

2

15

9

-6

-67

67

3

18

17

-1

-6

6

4

18

32

+14

+44

44

-5

31

Mean

> Real forecasts after fruit set

Indicates bias

“In terms of understanding a forecast and where to prioritise your efforts, this suggests that we are going to make a measurement based forecast, we start with bunches per vine and put all of our efforts into getting that right.

Once that’s done we can look at the number of berries per bunch or the size of the bunch, which is the next most important thing. If you have the time and inclination you can fine tune with berry weight.

He added: “The steps you need to get it right are that you need to measure at the right time.

If you are going to measure bunches per vine you need to wait six to eight weeks after bud burst.

“You need to know the dimensions of your blocks, particularly the number of vines. This sounds trivial but it’s surprising when you get out there how many people don’t have an accurate idea of their block dimensions.

"You need to avoid bias. In any sort of sampling exercise, we need to avoid bias. We need to make sure our sampling is adequate,

Indicates precision

Components of yield Weight/vine = Clusters/vine x Berries/clusters x Weight/berry and that we’re collecting enough samples but we also don’t want to over collect.

“It’s important to use the correct formula but we also need to evaluate. At the end of a forecast we need to look at why our forecast was out.”

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Tackling the thorniest issues Headline seminar The headline seminar of the day looked at what is affecting yield and how vineyards can create balance.

Fighting pests and diseases

44

Giz Gaskin from Yara UK offered his advice about protecting vines from pests and diseases.

A key theme of the seminar was the benefits of calcium on botrytis.

He said: “Calcium can’t cure botrytis but what we’re thinking about here is strengthening the crop and the berries so that the botrytis can’t latch onto the plant and infect it.

He showed with Yara data that a crop has managed to stave off botrytis for 21 days if calcium is used post variation, rather than vines untreated with calcium which were found to become infected around day nine and by day 60 around 85% of berries were infected. Those treated from the beginning of the crop and pre-variation, the berries remain uninfected until day 31 and only 20% become infected by day 69. It creates a strong skin and healthy plant but Gaskin added that the grapes need a consistent supply.

He also mentioned the Suzuki Fly – or Drosophila – which isn’t currently a big problem for grapes but is for soft fruits in the UK. He said: “It has come in from the Far East, and the real issue is that the UK doesn’t have a strong enough winter to wipe out Drosophila between years.”

Master of Wine Richard Bampfield led the talk at the Viti-Culture LIVE! headline seminar with vineyard consultant Stephen Skelton and Ridgeview Wine Estate vineyard manager Matthew Strugnell.

The topic of ‘Tackling the Thorniest Issues’ assessed the struggles that vineyards have been having in recent years and how they can adapt in the future. The discussion then turned to new solutions being tried across the UK that could help better manage these, with our speakers giving their views on their potential.

Skelton kicked off the topic with some detail on the most recent results on his annual vineyard survey, which gave some insight into what gave the best yields.

“When I started there were 500 acres and we are now approaching almost 10,000 acres. It’s quite incredible. In a year or twos time we will be over than 10,000 acres,” he said.

“Production, of course, is up with acreage.

We’ve been through some ups and downs, but we’re very much on an up at the moment with the area under vine expanding by around 10% each year.

“The last two years we’ve produced around 25m bottles. That is as much as we have produced in the previous five years.

“As a vitculturalist, I see a lot of vineyards that do not make any money at all. They don’t make a return on their capital, and if it weren’t for the investment of their owners they would not really be commercial concerns.”

However, as we know, some vineyards are making money to better understand this led Stephen Skelton to begin this research into yields, to better understand, explaining that this is a crucial factor in the economic sustainability of the business.

“In the 90s, we saw around 30% of all vineyards taken out. There was a huge amount of additional wine, still in those days, many producers found that they could not sell the wine almost at any price.

“It wasn’t really until the very hot year of 2003 that producers started to see that there was a future. We’d had some people plant sparkling wine vineyards, particularly Nyetimber, which was

AU G U S T 2020 | V I N E YA R D

Richard Bampfield

Stephen Skelton

Matthew Strugnell one of the first to specialise.”

Stephen Skelton commented on how 2018 had been the largest yield ever at 46 hl/ha, double the previous ten-year average of 21 hl/ha, a very different year to 2019, which was still quite large but it was a very wet harvest with a lot of fruit lost to botrytis.

By 2019, the data showed that there were fewer vineyards but more were larger, with 96 down from 114 in 2018, but hectarage up to 749 ha and estimated to be around 31% of the UK cropping area. Stephen added that they had discovered that this data only comes from vineyards aged four years and over.

The Yield Survey split the results into the top 25% of vineyards, middle 50% and bottom 25%.

This showed that the top sector was seeing good yields that were sustainable at 9.63 t/ha in 2019, the middle needed to assess why their yield was lower to become sustainable with a yield of 5.35 t/ ha and the bottom were not sustainable at 2 t/ha.

Meanwhile, the driest regions of the South East and East Anglia saw the highest yields.

VITI-CULTURE LIVE! Stephen said: “Not only does where you plant your vineyard affect yield but also the variety.

Now I’m not suggesting that the whole of the country should plant Reichensteiner, Seyval Blanc or Regent – the top three varieties – but it does show you that there are quite significant yield differences. This is nothing to do with the weather, just the variety that has the potential to grow much higher yields.

“The average of Reichensteiner over all sites, all regions, all growers, was 9.21 t/ha, which is a very sustainable yield. In the better vineyards, I can tell you the Reichensteiner is probably cropping near 12t/ha.

“The four most popular varieties in the UK at the moment are the champagne varieties, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, and Bacchus. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are pretty even on yields, Pinot Noir a little bit less because it gets more affected by botrytis.”

Looking at these varieties in the three regions with the most reliable data – the South East, Wessex and the South West – the research showed that there was over a tonne per hectare between the South East and South West, what Stephen Skelton referred to as “quite a lot of difference in financial terms”.

Vineyard manager Matt Strugnell has been with Ridgeview for 20 years, which is currently celebrating its 25th year since planting the vineyard, and was able to offer his insight into yields from a vineyard managers perspective in the South Downs – the region Stephen Skelton had identified as the best for yield.

“Climate is probably the defining factor when it comes to growing grapes in this country,” said Matt. “We are definitely cool climate grape growers, that’s for sure, but our climate is extremely variable as well. We can have a long, hot, dry growing season like 2018 and we also get cool, damp and wet as we did in 2012. Two

Median yield by variety by region 2019 (t/ha)

South East

Wessex

South West

Other regions

Chardonnay

6.61

6.23

5.24

4.13

Pinot Noir

6.18

7.41

6.46

5.06

Meunier

6.00

7.87

5.42

3.14

Bacchus

7.46

3.49

7.69

2.43

Other varieties

5.88

3.30

1.94

4.35

Mean of all varieties

6.43

5.66

5.35

3.82

> Stephen Skelton's research shows the South East is still the location that achieves the biggest yields thanks to temperature and rainfail. completely different growing seasons six years apart.”

The Ridgeview vineyard manager looked at the comparison of April and May frosts after bud burst from 2009 to 2020. He explained: “The irony here is 2010, and I remember it well, was appalling for frost particularly in May and it still is our biggest cropping year by some stretch.

Although frost does cause us some issues, it’s not the only thing.”

Meanwhile, the growing degree days showed that 2018 was by far the hottest, which resulted in a very good yield, but at the other end of the spectrum the coolest were 2012 and 2019.

Although 2012 resulted in a low yield the same can’t be said for 2019.

Matt Strugnell also compared rainfall, monthby-month and year-by-year, temperature after flowering for both one week and three weeks and the rainfall during flowering and how these affected the yield.

He said: “We know that there is a relationship between the temperature before and after flowering and how many bunches are then produced in that year. It's also known that light exposure is a major factor. We’re blessed with having longer days because of our latitude, the

unfortunate thing is we don’t have many days with full-on sunshine and I think that’s something that’s playing a part here.”

“There are things we can do to improve this situation and I’d hope it should be common practice. One of the keys to maximise light and temperature is to have a balanced vineyard and a good canopy. If we achieve balance we should have a good canopy.”

Uniform growth and balance, explains Matt Strugnell, plays an even more important role than just temperature control. It helps with disease control and spray coverage, too.

“I’ve always been an advocate of making sure we’re pruning to the right level. Not just pruning as you would in a warmer country to adjust the cropping but having that balance and the right amount of vigour in the vines will lead to the right shoot spacing and therefore a good canopy,” he said.

“Every year we check it and we adjust our pruning levels here. In certain parts of the vineyard we don’t prune to as many buds as other parts of the vineyard. It’s not a very big vineyard but it warms quite differently in different areas.

We’re always watching it and trying to make sure our vines are kept in balance.”

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VITI-CULTURE LIVE! “If you’re having to increase sales in response to supply, that is not a good position to be in,” said Mike Paul in his seminar at Viti-Culture LIVE!, where he impressed the importance of planning and setting a mission for your business.

Paul is an international wine marketing consultant and deputy chairman of Gusbourne Estate. He has had an extensive career in the wine industry for over thirty years both here and overseas, working with several wine brands to make them major players in the UK. “A lot of people use their sales plan in a rather ad hoc way. I get the impression they’ve got into it rather late in the day.

“What I’m saying is, right at the start, you should develop at the very least a one-pager, or even a back of an envelope summary plan, something you’ve got down on paper that you can review and update. Basically, it implies this is your ideal scenario.

“We should be very conscious throughout our businesses that there is always a danger of mission creep, but of course mission creep implies that you have a mission, and you know what your plan is – otherwise you won’t know when you’ve come away from the ideal.”

Paul explained that while the time between planting a vineyard and selling the wine can be frustrating, this does mean that there’s really no excuse for not having a plan.

His advice is to look to build distribution before there is availability – and not simply as a

What are your routes to market?

Marketing consultant Mike Paul explains how to work out the best way to sell your wine. response to increased supply.

In his seminar ‘Routes to Market’ he covered the different ways of retailing wine, and talked about understanding your market and the best way to sell your wine. From direct hand selling to the consumer from the vineyard, which has the greatest brand value, to considering a

wholesaler to save you a lot of time and money.

His extensive advice also covered looking at your website to ensure it is transactional, never underestimating your own importance in the company, your route to market options, and considering your promotion and communication.

Nitrogen applications Yara France agronomist Fabrice Cabot explains the importance of nitrogen from vine to wine.

“Do not look at the yield but look at the quality,” said Fabrice Cabot at Viti-Culture LIVE! The Yara France agronomist’s presentation at Viti-Culture LIVE! looked at two key topics in the vineyard, nitrogen and iron.

Firstly, he shared his expertise into the importance of maintaining nitrogen in the vineyard and the role it plays throughout the entire winemaking process. As part of this he explained how crucial intercrops are for improving yields and creating healthy crops but also creating the nitrogen that is required for quality wine.

He said: “We know nitrogen is important for vine vigor, and also it will allow the vines to develop new roots as well as flowering fruit growth.”

“Most of the time we focus on the grape and the crop itself, but what we have learnt and are still learning in France is that it’s not only grape production, it’s also the introduction and development of the intercrop.”

“You have to consider what is grown as intercrop. Wine grapes and intercropping have some mutual benefits. It will protect against soil erosion,

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improve soil organic matter and water infiltration,” Fabrice Cabot explained.

“On the other hand, it will foster competition between grapes and grasses for water supply and nutrients, and as you know, grass is extremely demanding in nitrogen.”

Yara’s research showed that Nitrogen application would see an increase in yield and bunch weight.

However, the nitrogen is also crucial in the fermentation stages. As Fabrice explained the yeast is using high amounts of nitrogen for its own development during wine making.

He said: “If the yeast doesn’t have enough nitrogen then you might have a sluggish fermentation. A lot of unwanted alcohol types and compounds containing Sulphur which will give a bitter taste to your wine. It will indeed affect the quality of the wine.

“Nitrogen plays a key role in the timing of the fermentation. It also has a key role in the Brix. It will have an influence on the pH. Managing the pH will allow you to control the fermentation and have the best aromas for your wine.”

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

‘People farming’ could be key to business success

Ber r y ma ew n tth

The countryside is opening its doors, after the financial and psychological trauma of lockdown.

Some vineyards are again offering tours and other events and, while the effects of Covid-19 will be felt for many years, there is still cause for optimism in the medium and long term.

The pandemic will speed the trend towards the “staycation”, increasing the public’s desire to holiday and spend leisure time in the British countryside. This is tied in with the nation’s growing appreciation of the natural environment and the physical and mental benefits that time outdoors can bring.

As ‘customers’ seek out new experiences, viticulture businesses are well placed to tap into this demand, through accommodation, hospitality and events.

This is ironic as businesses that relied heavily on such visitor-based income have been hit badly by the coronavirus restrictions, but this will still prove to be a key revenue source for vineyards in the future.

If we’ve learnt one thing from these last terrible few months, it’s that operations with multiple, diverse income streams are more resilient – having a reduced exposure to risk, as well as more opportunities for profit.

Having the right buildings is a requirement for many of these enterprises, so vineyards with the right infrastructure will be at an advantage.

If suitable buildings aren’t already in existence, perhaps existing redundant agricultural ones could be converted into a tasting room, a corporate meeting venue or self-catering accommodation? An intimate knowledge of the planning system will be vital to navigate the at-times complex and costly rules and regulations.

It’s not only the coronavirus crisis that will change the sector in the years ahead. We are a young industry and one that is still establishing a supply/ demand equilibrium.

The rapid rate of vine planting over the past two or three years has resulted in a potential over-supply problem. Some of these extra acres have been put to vine by operators with clear route-to-market strategies, but other plantings have been speculative.

While the rush to enter the sector may slow, the potential to generate revenue remains – and making the most of the opportunities that events and tourism offer will be at the heart of many successful business models.

A WineGB report, published last autumn, spoke of the role of “vineyard clusters” such as The Wine Garden of England, Vineyards of the Sussex Weald and The Vineyards of the Surrey Hills.

Ma

These demonstrate how effectively competitors can work together as a generic region to collectively promote an area for wine tourists.

Supported by tourism bodies and local hotels, pubs and restaurants, wine businesses will need to nurture this “collegiate spirit” to harvest the desire of visitors to come through their gates.

Welcoming visitors in any capacity (“people farming”, as some in the agriculture sector refer to it) requires a different skill set to both growing grapes and making wine. The events and hospitality sector is fiendishly competitive, calls for fantastic people- and staff-management skills and can require large sums of capital.

This means that many of those who thrive in it are big-turnover, professionally run enterprises with superb facilities that offer a truly worldclass customer experience and can evolve quickly to take advantage of new consumer trends.

But viticulturists are nothing if not versatile. They need to be, too, coping with constant challenges and changing circumstances – whether that’s unexpected weather, government policy or new consumer trends.

One only has to look back at the recent Viti-Culture LIVE! event to see proof of that ingenuity – the mere existence of the online show (organised in a matter of weeks, after Covid-19 forced the cancellation of the in-person one at Plumpton) demonstrating the adaptability of the sector.

As event sponsor, we were pleased to play our part in making sure the event went ahead. The interaction that took place on the day highlighted the scale of coronavirus-related problems, but also the opportunities that exist in the longer term.

Restructuring and amalgamation will be the order of the day in some businesses in a bid to cut costs and build market share, and the contribution of income from wine tourism will grow.

There is an increasing appreciation of the UK countryside, more interest in the provenance of food and drink, and a burgeoning consumer desire for food and drink-related ‘experiences’, whether that’s getting married in a beautiful vineyard or taking afternoon tea in a beautiful converted barn.

Change is on the way for the viticulture sector and, for many, this means tapping ever-more into tourism and events - giving people personal, memorable experiences they will talk about for years to come.

Many successful businesses will farm people as well as grapes – and make the most of the public’s appetite for great rural experiences, as well as great wine.

VINEYARD CONSULTANTS • Planning Applications • Site Finding • Site aquisition

• Leases • Grants

Call Matthew Berryman on 07710 765323 or email matthew@c-l-m.co.uk www.c-l-m.co.uk AU G U S T 2020 | V I N E YA R D

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VITIFRUIT EQUIPMENT

Small Fan Sprayers

Mechanical weed control

www.vitifruitequipment.co.uk 01732 866567

Lipco Recirculating Sprayer

Safe Spraying

MACHINERY SALES AND HIRE

Mechanical leaf removal

Mowers

www.vitifruitequipment.co.uk

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AU G U S T 2020 | V I N E YA R D

Provitis Equipment

vitifruitequipment@sky.com

Vine Trimmers

01732 866567

MACHINERY

Versatility and innovation

Landini has released a new version of its Rex3 F Series range of tractors for vineyard work.

The new version now features the Stage V engine, an improved bonnet and it’s possible to install a low-profile cab. This restyling has led to Landini being nominated for the Tractor of the Year Award 2021, in the "best of specialised" category.

The Rex3 F line-up features its four-cylinder, 2.5-litre Kohler engine, in three power grades - a 55, 68 and 75hp with torque reserves of 50%, 45% and 32% respectively.

The engine RPM management uses the Engine Memo Switch, which allows you to store and quickly recall settings when moving from one activity to another.

Its 50-litre diesel tank also allows full operation over a working day.

The winning features of the new Rex3 F Series are undoubtedly its compact dimensions. Its wheelbase is 1,950mm, minimum ground clearance is 213mm and external width is from 1,350mm to 1,617mm.

Meanwhile, minimum height of the steering wheel from the ground on the platform version is 1,256mm and its weight without ballast 2,200kg.

New service Kirkland are excited to announce their newest service for all of UK Fruit Growers & Vineyards. Knowing how hard it is to arrange last minute transport, and its costly impact, Kirkland are offering competitively priced transport for your fruit & machinery around the UK with their own Kirkland lorries. Scott Worsley, partner at Kirkland UK believes this will be a huge benefit for UK growers: “Here at Kirkland we run our own trucks so we can offer a personal delivery and set up service on machinery and deliver on time. To make full use of the trucks we have decided to offer a transport service to all our customers and can carry out deliveries/collections of anything from machinery to produce on either our low loader or curtain side artic or plant truck with winch and beavertail/ramps.

We feel that this will offer a benefit to you the customer as we are extremely flexible, with delivery times to suit you, and we care about you and your goods.”

If you would like to contact Kirkland for a competitive quote on transport, send them an email on info@kirklanduk.com or call their office on 01622 843013.

The new Rex3 F Series is also extremely versatility thanks to the low-profile cab option. The single-shell structure is 1.16m wide at the base, which reduces to 0.86m at roof level, for a minimum overall height from the ground of 1.87m, while ensuring comfort for the operator.

This comfort is also evident when looking at the wide door opening for easier accessibility, the tilting steering wheel, the multifunction dashboard, the absence of levers on the central tunnel, the air conditioning circuit and the optional rear camera.

The cab offers maximum visibility in lateral operations, on sloping terrain and in greenhouse crops. The front hitch has a maximum capacity of 1,000kg and the under-cab chassis geometry is specifically designed for the installation of various central equipment.

Equipment for Vineyards

■ ■ ■ ■

Cultivators Vine Trimmers Soil Aerators Hedge Cutters

Purchase direct from the UK Importer: t: 01892 890364 • e: info@lameng.com Lamberhurst Engineering Ltd • Priory Farm Parsonage Lane • Lamberhurst • Kent TN3 8DS

www.lameng.com AU G U S T 2020 | V I N E YA R D

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THE all new TERRAGLIDE SUSPENDED FRONT AXLE and TRELLEBORG PNEUTRAC TYRES

available across New Holland T4 Speciality range

JEREMY CLOUDE 07710 870153

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COVERING KENT, SUSSEX AND SURREY

Haynes Agri

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Unit Unit 2,2,Owens OwensCourt Court Farm, Farm, Selling, Selling, Faversham FavershamME13 ME13 9QN 9QN Tel: Tel: 01233 01233226284 226284 Email: Email:sales@horsepoweragri.co.uk sales@horsepoweragri.co.uk www.horsepoweragri.co.uk www.horsepoweragri.co.uk www.wannersprayers.co.uk www.wannersprayers.co.uk

HIGH PERFORMANCE SPRAYERS for modern plant protection

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Available for Hire

SELL &OILS, GREASE PAINT In stock We sell oils, grease, WE Paint Much more! & MUCH MORE!

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PLEASE CALL TO ORDER OR FIND US ON No Contact Needed!

Weidemann 5522 telehandler Please Call To Order Or FindEBAY: Us On HORSEPOWERUKLTD Ebay: Horsepowerukltd Available WEBSHOP: Webshop: HORSEPOWERAGRISHOP.CO.UK for demo horsepoweragrishop.co.uk

AU G U S T 2020 | V I N E YA R D

OUTSTANDING OUTSTANDING

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VITIFRUIT EQUIPMENT

Major savings at Whitehall Vineyard Whitehall Vineyard in Lacock, Wiltshire, was established in 2017

by Peter Self assisted by Bert Martyn and his team growing 16,000 Rondo, Baccus, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay vines. To keep it all in good order Peter has invested in two machines of particular note, both contributing to the health and long-term wellbeing of the vines and the local environment. A particularly careful eye is kept on minimising chemical use but maintaining first class disease control.

The first tool is the Lipco Tunnel Recirculating sprayer model GSG with integrated fans. Spraying two rows at once halves the time compared to a conventional blower but it also captures the spray normally lost into the atmosphere as drift and uses it again thanks to the filtered recycling system. The spray rates remain as advised on the label but the sprayer carries on and covers a bigger area with the advantages of time saved not having to refill the tank so often.

This efficiency enables reduced chemical use and thereby a cut of around 35% in the annual bill, plus the weather spray window is easier to achieve. Tractor and driver use also halved, giving more time for other pressing tasks.

The second tool is the Boisselet multi-function frame used by Self with two of its many optional cultivation and strimmer heads. For deeper soil cultivation in the post-harvest and early spring periods, the rotating Petalmatic or Starmatic head is used to break the soil and pull out the deeper established weed roots then followed in the summer by the simple Cutmatic blade which quickly takes out any emerging seedlings.

The recent Cutmatic pass in mid-July took out 99.5% of the weeds even though some were well established. Careful adjustment of the sensitivity of the feeler wand and its positioning results in weed killing right up to and around the vine trunk with no damage to trunk or guards and the soil left level with no humps and bumps.

David Sayell of Vitifruit Equipment has worked closely with Self and Martyn to make these machines work to their full potential leading to satisfying results. Sayell has enjoyed a busy season helping other vineyards with specialist machinery and continuously expands the range of tools available for hire and sale; most of which can be seen at work on the Vitifruit Equipment Facebook page.

ď&#x201A;Ź www.vitifruitequipment.co.uk ď&#x201A;&#x2022; 01732 866567 paper-plane vitifruitequipment@sky.com

www.farol.co.uk Rycote Lane Farm, Milton Common, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 2NZ Unit 12, Newton Business Park, Newton, Nottinghamshire, NG13 8HA Coldridge Copse, Shefford Woodlands, Hungerford, Berkshire, RG17 7BP Wharf Farm, Coventry, Hinckley, Leicestershire, LE10 0NB Holmbush House, Holmbush Ind. Est., Midhurst, West Sussex, GU29 9XY London Road, Twyford, Reading, Berkshire, RG10 9EQ

AU G U S T 2020 | V I N E YA R D

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Vintage 2020 is coming.

Book your tank space now!

Itasca Wines is signing contracts.

Tank space is selling quickly!

Find out about our state of the art winery opening September 2020.

Offering full pressing and processing, sparkling and still wine, temperature controlled storage (including on lees), bottling, riddling and disgorging, labelling and packaging. Laboratory offering wine analysis services.

Contact us & find out more itascawines.com | info@itascawines.com | 01252 279830 Itasca Wines, Penn Croft Winery, Clifton Farm Croft Lane, Crondall, Hampshire, GU10 5QD