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Features
Fruit Focus 2024
Visitors were able to not just visit the vineyards but also the rhizo lab. The underground facility allows viewing of the underground roots systems of plants.
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The skill of winemaking
Halfpenny Green is a family vineyard and winery business that is constantly in forward motion.
Mechanical harvesting
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The decision to machine-harvest grapes is not one driven by quality.
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NP Seymour
50 years in business has created a pool of knowledge and experience that directly benefits the many fruit, hop and vineyard customers NP Seymour serves.
Omnia with EasyPlan upgrade
From the editor
“Everyman has a right to his opinion but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts.”
Bernard Baruch (1870-1965)
Opinions are a strange concept and we all have a duty to keep testing and thinking if any given opinion we have is still relevant and valid. We also have a duty to ensure that the opinions we hold are really our own and it can take courage to let people form their own opinions.
A recent news item highlighted the bravery of two restaurateurs who refused to give in to the threat of fake negative social media reviews. The idea of saying something about someone that is untrue is alien to most people but as anyone in the hospitality industry will know there have always been those who want something for nothing and are willing to try anything to get it.
Thankfully these situations are in the minority and positive opinions around English and Welsh wines are to be found in abundance in both national and international circles. People have been basing their opinions on the wonderful experiences they are having right now with English and Welsh vineyards and wines. Recently those in the wine industry who offer tours, tastings and educational experiences to the public have also mentioned a new and growing theme. Comments from visitors have expressed that owing to the effort and time it takes to produce English and Welsh wines their price point is more than reasonable. These comments have come from several diverse regions making these comments even more significant.
Social media can encourage people to only look at the negative sides of life and experiences and as an industry we need to avoid this negative spiral. It is good to celebrate all the small steps within the growing English and Welsh wine industry.
Celebration has been a theme of the month as the WineGB award winners have been announced (page 36) and the awards include wines made from varieties that have not won top honours before. Congratulations to all the winners and to all those who work so hard to produce amazing wines in England and Wales.
As children we all have phrases that have influenced our lives as adults. For me this phrase is “how do you know you don’t like it, you haven’t tried it yet,” in keeping with this I regularly seek out wine from different grape varieties or regions and that utilise different winemaking techniques.
The benefits of this are the surprises that are thrown into your path. At a family gathering recently a regional Italian red was left almost full on the side and a fabulous English red was shared and enjoyed instead (interestingly the Italian red was more expensive). More bottles of the English red were requested –fortunately we had bought six. This seems like a perfect place to end reflections for this month!
Official sparkling wine sponsor
Sussex’s Roebuck Estates was the official sparkling wine sponsor of the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2024, running from 2-7 July.
Established in 2013, and releasing its first sparkling wine in 2019, Roebuck has always had a clear vision: to craft exceptional vintage sparkling wines every single year from its collection of vineyards throughout Sussex and Kent. Roebuck is a founder member of the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain certification scheme and was awarded the Gold Trademark last year.
This is the first time that the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival has chosen an English sparkling wine producer as its official sparkling wine and visitors of the week-long celebration from the world of horticulture were able to enjoy the Roebuck sparkling wines in all hospitality areas, with the 2018 Classic Collection available in the Roebuck Estates Sparkling Wine Tipi Bar.
“This collaboration marks a significant milestone in our brand journey but also shows how exciting the English Sparkling Wine category is right now,” said Roebuck Estates CEO, Michael Kennedy. “Our wines are rooted in the beautiful English countryside, and as such Roebuck Estates has a natural affinity with the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival which is a celebration of all things horticulture, bringing together amateur and professional gardeners who share our passion for growing.”
Head of Viticulture, Jake Wicks took to the ‘Get Growing Stage’ on Sunday 7 July – historically the busiest day of the Festival – with Michael Kennedy leading a talk on A Golden Era of English Wine & Viticulture
combination best suited to that soil, our wines are a generous expression of the growing season in which they are made. Last year we also launched our Roebuck Viticulture Academy to help our trade partners understand the skill, craftsmanship and technical knowledge needed to produce exceptional vintage sparkling wines every single year.”
“We see ourselves as champions of viticulture in the UK,” said Jake Wicks. “Our six parcels of land span the beautiful counties of Sussex and Kent and are known for their rich, fertile soils and exceptional quality fruit. With 70 individual blocks of vines, each with its own clone and rootstock
Natalie Gearing, Show Manager of the RHS Hampton, added: “It’s wonderful to partner with Roebuck Estates, an organisation that champions English horticulture and viticulture. Many of our visitors love to enjoy a sparkling wine during their visit to the Festival and to be able to offer a quality English sparkling wine really supports the RHS’s wider sustainability goals.”
Bringing together even more low-intervention winemakers
After a sell-out debut in April, the Brighton Natural Wine Fair is back on Saturday 7 September. Bringing together even more low-intervention winemakers, this time, from across the UK. Expect local food stalls, wild beers and cider, workshops, music, and craft.
As Brighton’s first and only natural wine fair the event shines a spotlight
on passionate winemakers dedicated to sustainable and low-intervention practices. This event is a unique chance to meet winemakers and explore exceptional wines that embody mindful farming and a deep connection to the land.
Following the success of April’s fair which was attended by nearly 300 guests, the fair is back with more winemakers and more wines. “Our
aim is to demystify natural wine and create a welcoming space where everyone can learn and enjoy,” said Lizzy Kaplan. “By highlighting the connection between low-intervention winemaking and sustainable agriculture, we hope to inspire a deeper appreciation for how mindful farming practices not only benefit the land but also influence the wine,” said Jake Northcote-Green.
Unconventional whimsy and attention to detail
Pioneering English winemaker The Uncommon has announced the launch of its inaugural still English wine collection. Having been the first to can wine in the country, and up to now, only makers of sparkling, this marks a significant milestone in the winemaker’s seven year journey.
Crafted with The Uncommon’s signature unconventional whimsy and attention to detail, the all-new range includes a white, rosé and red wine each overflowing with local character. Its grapes are grown and handpicked in The Uncommon’s Kent vineyard and selected parcels from other growers in the Crouch Valley in Essex – the hottest and driest part of the UK.
These three new wines will join the B Corp winemakers existing range of two bubbly wines and two spritzers.
Several years in the making, the range will serve the overwhelming demand from consumers and trade customers for a high quality still range in the more sustainable and convenient canned format.
The wines will be available for on-trade
distribution in 187ml format. They launched with sports and entertainment hospitality provider Levy UK + Ireland on the 1 July and will be available at cricket, horse racing and tennis events this summer. The 250ml can format will launch on wearetheuncommon.co.uk and with select off-trade retailers later in July.
About The Uncommon still wine range
◆ Clarence – Pinot Blanc & Bacchus – The Crisp English White (11.5% ABV). Vibrant and fresh, with a burst of elderflower and a glint of gooseberry, Clarence is a kaleidoscope of peach-kissed sunbeams.
◆ Penelope – Pinot Noir – The Pale English Rosé (11.5% ABV). Dry, fruity and sumptuous, Penelope is a delightful little sonnet to strawberries, with rumours of raspberry and honeysuckle.
◆ Percival – Pinot Noir – The Smooth English Red (12.5% ABV). Luscious and vibrant, Percival is more decadent than a velvet-covered lilo. With a hit of cherry and a hint of oak, this light-bodied red is the perfect summer sip.
"I am extremely proud of the still wines we’ve produced and the launch represents a step forward in our commitment to quality, sustainability and innovation. We’ve always had our sights set on a top quality still range but we agreed to hold off until we were confident it would be the best on the market.
The new character names – Clarence, Penelope and Percival – were chosen by our audience and perfectly capture their local character. We can’t wait for people to meet them,” said Henry Connell, Co-Founder at The Uncommon.
Levy Sustainability Director, Kevin Watson, added: "The Uncommon shares our passion for sustainability, innovation and serving quality products. We believe in working with like-minded suppliers, and their dedication to sourcing exceptional English wines in the perfect format for the sports and entertainment market, makes them the ideal choice for Levy. They are a great addition to our drinks offer at our partner venues, and with their biodiverse vineyards and carbon positive canning process, they will help us on our continuous journey towards Net Zero."
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NEWS Embrace reusability
At the London Wine Fair in May, The Porto Protocol and Sustainable Wine Solutions presented the initial findings from the LWF23 Bottle Collection Initiative; the partnership between three entities which saw 20,000 empty bottles collected from the 2023 event. The findings have now been published as the Reuse Ready Charter.
The key takeaway from the report is that the bottle of the future is reusable. Reusing a bottle generates: 96% energy savings; 95% CO₂ savings on reuse vs single use; 99% mineral raw material savings; and 60% water savings. The UK is well placed to drive this global call to action as the third largest importer of wine, which bottles 36% in market.
Reuse is still in the developmental stage, and the economic model is fragile due to lack of
automation and industrialisation. However, there is significant potential to decrease costs to meet a broader demand. There is a need for bottles to be lighter, durable and designed for multiple uses, whilst not sacrificing on quality, design or aesthetics.
The industry has become increasingly aligned towards reuse initiatives over the last 12 months. Businesses all around the world are already successfully pioneering reuse models.
The next steps will see the Reuse Ready campaign championed in France in partnership with La Bande Verte, a French non-profit which has a mission to accelerate the decarbonisation of the sector towards a circular economy. The campaign will be seeking an additional partnership with a UK retailer or distributor to trial reuse initiatives ahead of the 2025 London Wine Fair, at which the findings will be shared.
Very first Bredon Wine Fayre
On a brilliantly sunny 29 June 2024, Deer Park Wines played host to the very first Bredon Wine Fayre, on Bredon Hill in Worcestershire, writes Sam Sandbach of Ledbury Wine Cellar. As well as Deer Park Vineyard, exhibitors included Woodchester Valley near Stroud, Welcombe Hills near Stratford-upon-Avon, Three Choirs near Newent, and The Dell Vineyard near Raglan. Organisers Mark Steele and his wife Caron were our hosts; their award-winning vineyard also features a splendid wedding venue and business centre, offering stunning views to the north and westward to the Malvern Hills. Third generation owners, the Steele’s 1,400 acre farm is mostly organic, and now has four well established vineyards. From 4,000 vines planted in 2016, plantings have grown to 7,500 vines yielding about 20,000 bottles p.a., including Pinot Noir on an ideal south-facing site. Although not currently organic, insecticides are totally avoided to safeguard the local insect biome.
The topsoil is typical Cotswold limestone, providing freshness for white wines, with a subsoil of clay allowing for healthy droughtresistant root structures for both red and white varietals. The vines, in beautifully tended rows 2.3m apart, have a thick weed-suppressing
woodchip mulch with inter-row cover of a grasses and clover. Roses add colour at the end of occasional rows and provide early warning of any mildew attack. Plant health is closely monitored, trace elements and balancing fertiliser treatments applied as necessary in a long-term sustainable programme. Ongoing canopy management with rigorous leaf stripping and green harvesting limits yields to maybe six healthy bunches per vine, maximising potential quality.
Recent Decanter awards include a Silver Medal for 2022 Pinot Noir, Bronze for 2022 Bacchus, and a Silver Medal for Stag Oak Reserve – a delightful blend of Chardonnay with lightly oaked Solaris. The Classic Cuvée sparkler is a traditional assemblage of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Seyval Blanc, Reichensteiner and Cabernet Cortis are also grown.
Bredon Wine Fayre received an endless flow of five hundred English wine enthusiasts; the educational options on offer included a guided tour of the vineyard, separate masterclasses on viticulture and on vinification, and a professionally tutored wine-tasting of Bacchus wines from exhibiting vineyards. A craft village, with delicious local food and live music, added to the atmosphere of a great summer garden party.
Photos: Deer Park Vineyard
Insured it on the grapevine
The English wine industry is arguably still in its infancy but it’s undeniably making quite the impact on both the national and international stage. There is also exponential growth, with fifteen new vineyards opening this year alone. The future is sparkling, we hope, but a dynamic, growing industry needs protection for that future to be assured.
As the industry grows, there are big questions for vineyard and winery owners. What would a catastrophe do to your business? Have you tested what would really happen in the event of a claim? Would your business have a future should the worst happen?
The answer, of course, is insurance, insurance, insurance, as your business won’t need just one policy, but a whole suite, for essential future planning. Here’s what you need to consider:
Safeguarding your assets
At a vineyard or winery, these are many. Your precious vines and grapes, your bottles, your premises and equipment. All of these would need replacing after a disaster, so in your armoury you need:
◆ Vineyard infrastructure insurance, for trellises, irrigation systems and other essential vineyard infrastructure.
◆ Grape crop insurance, for coverage against perils such as adverse weather (hail or frost, for example), diseases, pests and other risks. Here is where a partnership with your insurer, using data analytics, can really help secure the future. A wealth of data collected by sensors, drones and satellite imageryon soil conditions, weather patterns, crop health and more – can allow insurers to more accurately assess risks and create a customised policy.
◆ Your buildings and structures need to be covered: vineyard buildings, wineries, tasting rooms and other structures, against risks like fire, vandalism and natural disasters. If storing wine – have you considered what its future value will be in 2/3/5/10 years? Does your insurance policy have a simple and pre-agreed basis of settlement?
◆ Protection is needed for equipment and machinery: tractors, harvesters, and processing machinery, and for vehicles to deliver stock, staff or equipment, which need to be insured on a commercial policy.
Business interruption
You may face enormous challenges should your operations have to be halted for any reason. What would your additional costs be if you were unable/limited to trade? If you had to recover from a devastated harvest, what kind
of funds would you need to stay viable until you can resume production? Are you dependent on any suppliers/customers – what would happen if they had a major loss?
Business interruption insurance protects against loss of income following events like floods or fires, rather than the loss itself. This coverage helps with replacing stock, re-establishing production and covering fixed overheads during downtime. This cover also has a chosen indemnity period based on how long it might take your business to become fully operational again.
All the liabilities
In addition, you will most certainly need the following: public liability, product liability, employers’ liability insurance, environmental liability insurance, Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance and cyber insurance.
You may also need specialty insurance for event cancellation insurance or unique risks associated with vineyard tourism activities. That is quite the suite of products but spending a little time in setting up these policies now may save you a whole barrel of sleepless nights and financial loss in the future. The future is closer than you think, but it can be secured – to remain as bright and bubbly as your latest vintage – with the right forethought and some comprehensive forward planning.
Viewing underground root systems
On 10 July 2024 NIAB, East Malling was once again the setting for Fruit Focus a technical show that concentrates on all things fruit related.
At midday there was a tour of the research vineyards and there were so many participants it was necessary to split into two groups in order to fully get the benefit of the tour.
underground roots systems of plants and is unique in the UK. It dates from the 1930’s.
Visitors were able to not just visit the vineyards but also the rhizo lab. The underground facility (which looks a little like a nuclear bunker) allows viewing of the
The vines were planted in 2023 with the trellising system provided by VineWorks. There are two plantings of Chardonnay, two of Pinot Noir and the PIWI variety Vidoc. There are plans for the planting to be replicated in 2024 on the opposite side of the rhizo lab.
From the surface it is impossible to appreciate just what is available below ground. There are 24 viewing windows. Once established the root system of the vines which is expected to reach a depth of approximately
90cm will be visible on both sides of the tunnel. This amazing new facility will allow studies to be conducted on the root systems of the vines and includes access points to allow soil samples to be taken. The possibilities are endless and Dr Flora O’Brien explained that it may be possible to use dyes to emphasise how root structures are working.
The studies will also look at how different management practices such as cover crops influence establishment, growth, carbon sequestration and soil organic matter content. The lab will also allow scientists to study the
Dr Belinda Kemp takes visitors around the vineyard
Dr Flora O’Brien introduces the rhizo lab
influence of different rootstocks on clones measuring vigour, bunch weight etc.
In order to ensure that the impact of light on the root structure of the vines is kept to a minimum there is the option for scientists to use red lights during extended working periods. There are no root structures available to view at the moment, it is still possible to get a glimpse of the ragstone soil composition and perhaps the occasional spider.
The tour moved from the underground lab to the research vineyard where Dr Belinda Kemp provided a brief glimpse at some of the work being undertaken to help growers and winemakers. The vineyard is currently in the third year of research into the impact of cover crops. “This is significant because three years of data is the minimum level of data required to
be able to publish the research,” said Dr Kemp. Dr Kemp explained that initial observations are quite positive with vines planted next to fava beans indicating an increase in Yeast Assimilable Nitrogen (YAN). There were 15 rows of Chardonnay and 15 rows of Pinot Noir planted in 2024. The vineyard also has 16 rows of the PIWI variety Divico. “Disease resistant does not mean resistant to everything,” warned Dr Kemp with a smile. The difficulties of scientific research are emphasised as Dr Kemp told the tour audience that it is not possible to use data from the end rows or the end bays as these are classed as outliers and can skew the data.
Dr Belinda Kemp has previously worked in Canada and New Zealand “I have never seen such low levels of nitrogen as I am seeing here,” she said. “The soils are not really that low in nitrogen but the grapes are not getting that nitrogen.” Since nitrogen is a vital element for the survival of yeast this means that wineries are requiring greater quantities of nitrogen gas.
One of the current research topics is Spur versus Cane pruning on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Bacchus in the vineyard. The study is designed to provide growers with clear advice regarding what to expect in terms of maximum yield and quality.
There is also a research winery at NIAB although this was not part of the tour. There is currently some work being undertaken on the formation of calcium tartrate crystals in wine. These crystals are not just a problem in the UK but have recently become a problem in Champagne Dr Kemp explained. The winery is also undertaking work to create the first de-alcoholised Kentish wine which is intriguing and just another example of the forward thinking and progressive research that is being undertaken at NIAB.
Future of the industry under a Labour Government
The NFU Fruit Forums held as
part of the Fruit Focus
event at NIAB East Malling are always stimulating and wellattended, but one in particular had a special significance for many growers and visitors to this year’s show.
Priorities for the horticulture sector brought together a number of the NFU’s leading thinkers to outline what they saw as the future for the industry under the Labour Government that had swept to power less than a week before the speakers took to the stage.
A crowded Fruit Forums marquee was keen to hear how the new Government might affect their future and to learn what steps the NFU was taking to deal with the challenges or build on the opportunities.
They were not disappointed, with all four speakers giving a well-briefed introduction to the area for which they have responsibility and then responding to a lively question and answer session.
Martin Emmett, the NFU’s horticulture and potato board chairman, pointed out the danger that the momentum of the previous few months might be lost. “The Farm to Fork summit in May was horticulture’s day in the sun,” he said, going on to describe the announcements made at that time as “absolutely marvellous”. Just a week later,
though, Conservative Leader Rishi Sunak announced the general election, leading to fears of a “potential reset”.
He said that if the incoming government was serious about its claim to be basing its policies around growth, ministers needed to provide continuity of support for the industry.
Referring to four priorities, Mr Emmett said firstly that the industry needed confirmation around the seasonal worker scheme. “Fortythree thousand was the right number and that needs to stay,” he said, adding that the five year programme “needs to be a rolling five-year programme” and that the permitted length of stay needed to be extended from six months to nine.
Mr Emmett also raised concerns around the ‘employer pays’ aspect of the seasonal worker scheme, with him and other speakers concerned about the impact of travel and visa costs all being passed to the grower.
On border controls for incoming plant materials, he described the current situation as “chaotic” and said that the arrangements were not working and not providing effective
biosecurity. He said he had warned ahead of time that the system was “a very slow car crash waiting to happen” and told those in the room that if they hadn’t already been adversely affected, it was only a matter of time.
His third call was for the new Government to make sure that all the “goodies” from the Farm to Fork summit were actually delivered following the election, while his fourth was around crop protection and the difficulty of growing plants to a reliable standard with so many active ingredients no longer available.
Emma Crosby, from NFU Central Affairs, pointed out that with a majority of 172 seats, more than double that achieved by Boris Johnson, the new Government could push through legislation, which made it important for the industry to engage with MPs, particularly those entering Parliament for the first time.
She pointed out that the NFU had already been talking to the leading Labour politicians when they were shadow members, and added that the party’s “food security is national security” line had come directly from the
organisation’s own Farming for Britain’s Future manifesto.
Ms Crosby pointed out that Labour’s economic growth agenda ran in tandem with the industry’s ambitions and encouraged growers to talk to their local MPs and persuade them to prioritise farming. As an example, she pointed out that the move to a ‘zero waste economy’ tied in with allowing seasonal workers to pick fruit that might otherwise remain unpicked and therefore wasted.
Picking up on Ms Crosby’s observation that workers’ rights were set to feature in the incoming Government’s agenda, NFU employment and skills adviser Tom Price pointed to the expected introduction of ‘day one’ employment rights that could have a “big impact” on employers, who he said would need to have “robust recruitment procedures”.
New legislation around unfair dismissal, including a doubling of the time limit for making a claim from three months to six, was also likely to affect employers, who should prepare for a rise in staffing costs, he said.
Rupert Weaver, NFU horticulture and potatoes adviser, tackled the issue of farm assurance schemes, which he said needed to deliver better value to growers and tie in more closely with legislative requirements.
He pointed out that while farm assurance schemes had initially been devised around food safety issues, they were now also covering environmental, welfare and employment factors and stressed that while the NFU was “not anti-assurance”, the schemes had to work better for growers.
While confirming that the NFU would be responding to the evidence gathering being carried out by the Commissioners of the UK Farm Assurance Review over the summer he urged growers to ensure their voices were also heard.
Sustainable horticulture
Four businesses using cutting-edge technology to advance sustainable horticulture have been awarded £500,000 to commercialise their prototypes by Growing Kent & Medway.
Automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence will be harnessed to control pests and diseases in fruit and vine crops in two of the research projects. Two further projects will use advances in biotechnology to test the by-products of horticultural crops to create new sustainable food ingredients.
The funding was awarded through Growing Kent & Medway’s Prototyping and Demonstrator competition, which was designed to develop and bring to market new technologies in the horticultural food and drink supply chain.
Dr Nikki Harrison, Director at Growing Kent & Medway, said: “This funding competition was designed to support business-focused innovative technology development that has the potential to be applied in a real-world commercial environment.
“These collaborative and innovative projects demonstrate how advances in agri-technology can help to make our food systems more sustainable. From using energy more efficiently and reducing inputs like crop protection chemicals, to increasing productivity and reducing food waste.”
Machine learning to detect diseases in vineyards
Artificial intelligence and machine learning will be used to analyse satellite imagery to detect and predict the presence of plant diseases in UK vineyards. The project aims to identify the presence of important fungal diseases, like Botrytis, and powdery and downy mildew, more effectively than current detection methods that use humans or drones. The nine-month project, led by Deep Planet, will be delivered in association with prominent English and Welsh wine producers and the Wine Innovation Centre at NIAB.
Sushma Shankar, Co-Founder of Deep Planet Ltd, said: “We applied for the Prototyping and Demonstrator Fund to help bring climate change resilience to vineyards in the Kent and Medway region. Our project will enable UK vineyards to proactively mitigate the impact of disease by detecting the type of disease and employing appropriate management strategies.
“This will help farmers to efficiently reduce their costs in mitigating the disease but also improve the yield and quality of the grapes. With UK's wine industry growing significantly, the benefits of this project will grow multi-fold, as we see it being integrated into regenerative and sustainable vineyard management practices.”
Professor Dame Jessica Corner, UKRI SRO for the Strength in Places Fund said: “The projects announced today are excellent examples of how UKRI’s Strength in Places Fund is being used to enable research to be applied impactfully for the economy and for society. It is exciting to see how robotics and AI can be used to tackle sustainability and reduce reliance on chemical pest deterrents, which has the potential to aid Kent’s agricultural economy growth and influence industry standards."
For information about all four winning projects: www.growingkentandmedway.com
Texture mapping
I like wines that have been knowingly or, perhaps unwitt ingly, subjected to texture mapping.
While I am the last person to talk about 3D modelling and anything remotely technical, to be honest, I rather like the term ‘texture mapping’ and its definition, which I located online.
Apparently, texture mapping adds realism to a 3D model by defining high-frequency detail, surface texture, or colour information on said model. I like wines that have been knowingly or, perhaps unwittingly, subjected to texture mapping.
This month’s theme concerns texture: fine grain, imperceptible texture, the kind of faint raspiness that adds mouth-watering detail to already handsome wines. This calibre of texture has nothing to do with clumsy lees stirring or graceless skin contact, nothing whatsoever. It is a magical quality arising from impeccable fruit handling and exceptionally sensitive winemaking. It is not as simple as just building slightly richer wines, either. There is definitely a correlation between sapidity and deliciousness.
A fulcrum that balances detail and density without adding weight or oiliness. I adore limpid and free-flowing wines that also have a degree of gravitas. I seek out whites and sparklers, in particular, that possess a specific style of traction and grip while seeming innocent and delicate. It is a counterpoint between a perfectly smooth texture and one that appears smooth but has infinitesimal rivulets of contrast and nigh-on invisible striations of detail, which is breathtaking. For the purposes of
this article, I am calling these wondrous characteristics wine’s very own version of texture mapping.
This month, I have found three headline wines and a couple more that all possess this cosmic attribute. These wines have thrilling perfumes, flavours, and finishes, and, importantly, they augment these essential traits with an extraordinary degree of subtlety and intrigue that makes them sensational.
My old pal Toby Spiers sent me this wine shortly before I started working on this piece, and it is the perfect example of the art of texture mapping. Owen Elias makes this Bacchus, and it is unlike any I have tasted this year.
Before I describe the flavour, the packaging, in particular, the label, is terrific. It is textured, and I mean really textured, and it sounds the trumpet for the equally mesmerising traction one finds on the mid-palate of this wine’s flavour.
Weighing in at 13%, there is sufficient heft here to support the glorious texture found at this wine’s core. Despite this wine’s impact, it is bright, clean, refreshing and lively. It has the uncommon knack of seeming intellectually pleasing while at the same time remaining happy-go-lucky.
The grapes were picked on two days, 29 September and 15 October, and I hazard a guess that the decision to harvest the finest and ripest grapes with a two-week window in the middle is one of the keys to this wine’s success. I imagine the other is for Owen and the owners, the Macphersons, to know and keep close to their chests!
£24.50
2023 Oastbrook Pinot Gris Block 1
Exclusively from www.oastbrook.com
There is a trio of Oastbrook wines that all subscribe to my texture mapping theme this month, led by Block 1.
I have long been a fan of Oastbrook’s PG, not least because this wine is one of the original English texture mappers. But Block 1 has come along with a heightened degree of luxury while sporting a slenderer chassis.
2023 Pinot Blanc
£23.00 www.laithwaites.co.uk www.averys.com
£21.50 www.oastbrook.com
How is this possible without intricate texture augmentation? Unlike hordes of special cuvée wines that add weight and power and, as a result, become less delicious, this wine is even more captivating.
A creamy and voluminous wine, not unlike an elite Alsatian from the likes of Domaine Weinbach, but it maintains a cadence and sprightliness across the palate thanks to its dreamy texture.
2023 Pinot Meunier
£23.50 www.oastbrook.com
Finally, a more difficult discipline to master is the still Blanc de Noirs model.
Only 1,300 bottles of 2023 Pinot Meunier were made, and this is an exotic and pink-tinged wine, not from a colour perspective but from a flavour point of view.
Raspy rhubarb, pink grapefruit pith and peppercorn crunch make this a dry and teasing wine. This completes the hat-trick for Oastbrook, and you must taste every one of these wines.
2019 Rathfinny Blanc de Noirs Brut
£42.50 www.shop.oxfordwine.co.uk
£43.95, reduced to £40.95 each in a case of 6 bottles www.leaandsandeman.co.uk
£45.00 www.cambridgewine.com
A trio of Rathfinny 2019s hit the spot with me, and each of these wines plays games with texture intricacy and ravishing detail.
My lead wine is made from 81% Pinot Noir and 19% Pinot Meunier, and it is a spectacularly well-judged wine. Hints of creamy red fruit are intersected by discreet tension, both acidic and textural. This is a super-long wine, and it resides in the top tier of BdNs. If you take price into account, it is hard to beat anywhere on Earth.
Perhaps it is unsurprising that 2019 Rathfinny Rosé is another marvellously successful wine. The generous fruit is broken up by hull and stem green hints, giving the red cherry and fraises des bois notes, scratchy bite and keen edges. This is, again, a bafflingly well-priced wine.
Finally, it might surprise you to learn that the baby cuvée at this esteemed estate, 2019 Rathfinny Classic Cuvée, subscribes to the same tenets as the other wines. It is another texture mapped wine that screams luxury while revelling in its fabulously lascivious imperfections.
The skill of winemaking
Halfpenny Green is a family vineyard and winery business that is constantly in forward motion.
Alongside 30 acres of vines on site there are also 70 acres of vines under grower contract and with over 100 contract customers there is always wine related activity at Halfpenny Green.
Martin Vickers took the bold decision to plant the first vines at Halfpenny Green, Staffordshire in 1983 and forty years later is still heavily involved in the vineyards at Halfpenny Green. His invaluable experience is also available to contract winery customers and Martin is often on the road visiting vineyards around the country.
The original vineyard planting has increased over the years both in size and in the varieties that are planted. An example of how Halfpenny are constantly looking to improve and innovate is the 3 acres of Divico planted onsite. Several
years ago Martin Vickers went to Switzerland as part of a NIAB group to investigate this grape variety which has greater resistance to disease than many of the older varieties. “As a grape variety it has a better tannin structure than Rondo,” explained Clive Vickers Head Winemaker at Halfpenny who is also Martin’s son. The Divico grapes now form part of the Penny Red blend that has been so often praised by Matthew Jukes in the pages of Vineyard. There are between 40,000 and 50,000 bottles of Penny Red produced each vintage and according to Clive these are always sold out. Martin explained that the vines at Halfpenny are now ripening around two weeks earlier than when they were first planted. “My records show that in 1998 the start date for the picking of the Madeline
Angevine was the 15 October,” said Martin. This inevitably leads to a conversation about frost and how that may affect the vines. There used to be potatoes on the farm and experience here has helped form decisions regarding frost explained Martin. As an example of how important it can be to know the history of your site Martin said: “The records show that the site had an air frost on 1 June 1976 where the temperature dipped to six degrees below freezing and in 1993 there was an airfrost in September.”
One frost mitigation technique has been to spur prune the Rondo to ensure that the vines don’t emerge too early. The site was heavily affected by frost in 2020 “The lockdown meant that the skies became very clear and this allowed frost into the vineyard
and caused significant damage,” said Martin.
The vineyard has bare earth below the vines and this is partly to help the grapes achieve optimum ripeness, however “there can be a significant temperature difference between the inter row where the grass traps cold air and the bare undervine area which can be several degrees warmer,” explained Clive. “Although dad was the one who planted the vineyard I actually dug the holes,” said Clive laughing. There was a slight note of nostalgia in Clive’s voice when he declared that he missed driving the tractor around the family farm. Clearly life is busy at Halfpenny Green and “in the last 15-20 years there has been no chance to slow down,” said Clive.
“The first vintages went to Three Choirs vineyards,” explained Clive. As the harvests became bigger it became clear that Halfpenny would need an onsite winery. Lisa VIckers runs all the onsite facilities such as the function room, restaurant and shop and the amount of forward movement that has happened at Halfpenny is highlighted, once again, as Lisa Vickers pointed out that the early winery is now home to just the butchers and deli counter, revealing a scale of growth that is more than slightly breath taking. Clive and Lisa have been married for over twenty years and their complimentary skill sets have enabled this incredible growth across a diverse range of interconnected enterprises.
“Martin Fowke at Three Choirs was (in the early years) the consultant at the onsite winery and I just loved working with him,” said Clive and his passion for the winemaking process has not diminished with the winery now covering 30,000 sq ft.
The winery team is headed by Ben Hunt who has childhood memories of shovelling grape stalks at harvest. “I have always loved the process of producing wine,” said Ben. “The best part of the job is to see our contract customers have their wines back in the bottle ready for sale,” he added. I independently asked both Ben and Clive what is their favourite grape variety to work with? Both unhesitatingly replied “Solaris.” Ben explained: “As a variety it offers unlimited blending options with very little winery interference.” As evidence of this versatility an oak aged single variety Solaris wine is produced under the Halfpenny label and wines produced for clients using Solaris include rosé blends. “One of the more difficult varieties to work with is Phoenix because it is hard to keep clean from the point of fermentation, it is also harder to blend,” said Ben. <<
Martin and Clive Vickers
EDITOR'S VISIT
Expansion is a continual process at Halfpenny and with all the roof space on the winery site Clive employed Harvest Green Developments to make the most of this space by installing a new solar power system that has allowed the winery to significantly improve its carbon footprint.
Harvest Green Developments supported Halfpenny Green Vineyards to install a 206.15kW Solar PV system alongside a substantial grid upgrade to allow the winery to significantly grow upon its operations onsite, previously limited by two small low voltage electricity supplies. The Solar PV system has been installed upon the main winery building and will generate approximately 40% of the winery’s power needs annually, by generating 168MWh of electricity from 518 photovoltaic modules.
“The initial challenge to growing the amount of renewable energy on site was due to the two small 400V power supplies on site, which were simply not capable of allowing a large system to be installed on site. Harvest Green supported Halfpenny by applying for a much larger 315kVA/400V connection to be installed, which would allow us to deploy the larger Solar PV system that Halfpenny desired on site. We also carried out structural assessments of the roofs in order to protect the structural integrity of the buildings. We then deployed the Solar PV system across multiple roof elevations (eight in total) via a fully optimised system, comprising Trina Solar modules, SolarEdge optimisers and
inverters and K2 Systems mounting kit. We also renovated a 20kW system installed in 2015 to bring it back into full working order.
“We are very proud to have supported Halfpenny Green Vineyards with the Solar PV installation as it marks a substantial effort towards decarbonising the Vineyard whilst simultaneously substantially reducing their running costs,” explained James Clifford, Business Development Director at Harvest Green Developments.
Since its installation the predicted number of years for the system to cover its initial expense has more than halved. “This is extremely impressive,” said Clive as he proudly showed us what the solar was generating at that very point via an app on his phone.
Forward planning and continual improvement is not just about buildings and storage but is in evidence everywhere at Halfpenny. A new nitrogen production plant means that Halfpenny are able to produce this vital resource when needed and are able to cut down on deliveries and collection of bottles reducing the impact on the environment and the amount of traffic on the site.
Winery flow is something that is constantly under review at Halfpenny. “We riddle 2000 bottles a week and by 2025 that will need to
be 4000 bottles and we also take delivery of 26 pallets of bottles each week,” said Clive. With such a busy schedule sometimes the small things can be incredibly disruptive and as an example Clive points to a new label store in the winery. “Running out of labels can mean downtime for an entire team,” said Clive. This attention to detail is what allows Halfpenny to work with so many producers.
The winery is in the process of building a new press area that will be ready to accept grapes for the 2024 harvest. “When we built the original pressing area we thought it was big enough,” said Clive. Currently the winery has three presses with a new press soon to be delivered. The new Puleo press (supplied by Willis European who are the newly appointed sole distributor for Puleo in the UK) will be capable of receiving six tonnes whole bunch or 18-19 tonnes of crushed fruit. The new pressing area will help the flow of the winery at harvest.
With a winery capacity of 1,000 tonnes, harvest is a time of extreme pressure for the winery team with over one hundred contract winemaking clients delivering grapes “even dad has to book a slot for the delivery of the vineyard grapes,” said Clive with a glint in his eye.
"We riddle 2,000 bottles a week and by 2025 that will need to be 4,000 bottles and we also take delivery of 26 pallets of bottles each week"
<<
Well trained new entrants to any industry are vital and Halfpenny have many students working in the winery each year
The fruit all arrives at the winery and Clive is on hand to ensure all fruit is delivered safely to the press. The juice is pressed through the night but “the next day that juice needs to be moved on which means there needs to be enough equipment such as pumps and pipes along with the staff to run them,” said Clive.
Tank capacity is increasing every year “I can’t remember how many tanks we have put in,” said Clive with a refreshing air of honesty. Individual tank capacity varies from 400 litres up to 10,300 litres. In order to fit the specific needs of the winery for 2023 Halfpenny took delivery of ten tanks, that Clive had designed himself with the help of Willis European Ltd, UK agents for Toscana Inox. The tanks have a special access point to allow them to be topped up with ease. The winery is currently waiting for a further 20 tanks to be delivered. “We buy all our tanks through Tim and Nicky Willis at Willis European Ltd, a company that we have a long standing relationship with,” explained Clive. “All our tanks are Toscana Inox,” explained Clive. “The bespoke side for us is really important, because every winery is different. To be able to ask Willis European for just what we wanted such as the multi compartment tanks was key and allows us more wine making scope,” he added.
Wine quality is something the whole team are passionate about at Halfpenny and it increases with every vintage. Halfpenny are dedicated to making every bottle the very best that it can be. Clive highlights the peristaltic pump that the winery uses to ensure that the finished wine is treated as softly as possible. At the point of manufacture and development these pumps were tested with live fish and they passed through the whole process unharmed. As Clive
Clive Vickers with the new custom designed tanks
is showing the latest equipment that the winery uses including the new laboratory facilities Lisa quipped: “Every time I come into the winery there is a new piece of equipment.”
A business with such an extensive reach is bound to encounter difficulties along the way. One of the difficulties that Halfpenny has faced indicates that the demand for English and Welsh wine continues to be healthy. “The disgorging schedules keep stepping up as clients run out of a vintage,” explained Clive. With so many client’s wines stored it becomes obvious that locating and removing clients wines outside of the regular calendar schedule is a bit like solving a Rubik’s Cube. What is problematic for Halfpenny is a positive for the industry.
Other difficulties also reflect the passion that Clive has for both the industry and the individual clients of Halfpenny. “We now make 250 wines across 28 counties from countless grape varieties in just one year,” explained Clive and it is clear that he feels the weight of this responsibility. “I never want to let anyone down, but we have increased the minimum delivery batch for new clients from 500kg to 700kg,” he said.
Vineyards are a long term investment and Clive is very aware of the need for the support for vineyards and winemakers to continue in the north of England. Clive and Lisa have two daughters both of whom attend Harper Adams University and Halfpenny Green have helped to plant a student vineyard at the University. It will mean that England will have a second centre that will be able to offer hands on experience for vineyard courses.
Well trained new entrants to any industry are vital and Halfpenny have many students working in the winery each year. “Bringing students into the winery brings with it a constant flow of new ideas,” said Clive. Innovation and new ideas have to be balanced with patience and practicality “coming into the winery from a book learning aspect can sometimes lead to a tendency to want to tinker with too much, too quickly,” he said. There can be no doubt however that working in the winery at Halfpenny Green offers a depth and breadth of experience in one year that may not be seen in other places across 20 vintages.
Tank cleaning is constant at Halfpenny Green
Ben Hunt
One experience that proves a challenge for the winery team is the co-operative grape schemes that Halfpenny have undertaken. Many amateur gardeners have vines that produce fruit from varieties that are only suitable for winemaking. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Halfpenny and The Urban Wine Company these grapes are now able to fulfil their wine dreams and are made into a rosé wine that is then purchased back by the members of the co-operative at less than five pounds a bottle. This scheme has been extended to now include a co-operative
from Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire and also a midlands co-op. “The wine produced is always a rosé because as you can imagine the grapes are of differing varieties and ripeness, we don’t know what we are getting,” said Clive. For the winery team this provides valuable experience in correcting wine faults and balancing acidity levels and there are on average between 14,000 and 15,000 bottles produced. The scheme is extremely popular with all those who are a part of the chain. When discussing this scheme it is really obvious how much Clive loves not only the
whole process of winemaking but that he loves the connection that he as the winemaker has with those who enjoy the wines that are made at Halfpenny.
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Halfpenny and The Urban Wine Company amateur gardeners are now able to fulfil their wine dreams
QUALITY WINEMAKING EQUIPMENT
SOLE UK AGENTS FOR TOSCANA INOX SRL
○ Always Full floating lid tanks
○ Fixed capacity tanks with and without cooling
○ Multi compartment tanks
○ Stackable tanks
SOLE
UK AGENTS FOR CIME CAREDDU SRL
○ Bottling equipment including rinsing, filling, capping/corking and labelling/capsulating
SOLE UK AGENTS FOR PULEO S.p.A.
○ Grape presses of all capacities
○ Destalking equipment
○ Pumps – peristaltic, mohno, elliptic rotor and impeller
ALSO
○ Traditional Method sparkling wine production equipment
○ CIP and steam cleaning equipment
We are proud to be the main supplier to Halfpenny Green Wine Estate. We have supplied all of the above and more to Clive and his team over the last 20 years.
The location of Halfpenny Green makes it ideally suited to offer wine experiences such as tastings and self guided tours
“There is a population of six million living within a one hour drive,” explained Clive. The location of Halfpenny Green makes it ideally suited to offer wine experiences such as tastings and self guided tours. The tour travels around the different field plots and utilises the historic names of the fields “these names go back generations so it made sense to incorporate them into the vineyard,” said Clive. Education is such an important part of the English and Welsh wine stories and Halfpenny Green are working very hard in this regard.
Tastings are available seven days a week and the onsite restaurant, shop and deli ensure the wine tastings can be accompanied by cheese boards “running wine tastings brings in younger people,” said Clive.
The restaurant and shop has also expanded over the years. Lisa explained: “I first took over the shop and restaurant in 2000. The takings doubled in the first year and then doubled again in the second year.” One of the popular options in the restaurant is the high tea and
Lisa explained that this is popular for all sorts of occasions from mother and daughter afternoons to birthdays and anniversaries “I love to see people happy,” she said. The shop offers a bespoke hamper service which, perhaps as should be expected, becomes exceptionally busy just as harvest ends.
Great wine is central to the heart of all the operations at Halfpenny and the site is always busy with something to offer to everyone. There is a diverse range of additional points of interest and fishing lakes add to the stunning views from the tasting room balcony, alongside a craft village and there is even a wild animal zoo on site.
One last question concerns the name Halfpenny Green. “The name is taken from the local hamlet,” said Clive. I ask how the name is pronounced? “It depends how old you are,”
Cime Careddu bottling line, supplied by Willis European – 1,500 bottles per hour and has the capability to apply corks and ROPP aluminium screw caps. The line is fitted with extended guarding to house a HEPA sterile filtration system to ensure a clean environment while filling
There are 432,000 bottles of Halfpenny own label wines in storage along with wines from over 100 contract winemaking clients. The warehouse manager Simon Bayliss therefore has an immense task to keep everything running smoothly
said Clive with a laugh. With this remark Clive is referring to the history of the Halfpenny coin examples of which have been found dating back to the time of Henry I. The pre decimal coin was known as a “ha’penny” and the post decimal coin ceased to be legal tender in 1984 with the last minting for circulation in 1983 the same year Martin Vickers planted the original vines at Halfpenny creating what can only be considered an agreeable symmetry. What is clear however, whether it is known as ha’penny or Halfpenny Green the business is moving into the future whole heartedly.
A delightful day in Kent
The Wine Garden of England’s annual Summer Celebration at Chilham Castle.
The picturesque Chilham Castle, nestled near Canterbury, recently played host to the third annual Wine Garden of England Summer Celebration.
The Wine Garden of England is a collaboration of nine Kent vineyards who work together to promote wine tourism in the county. Members include Balfour, Biddenden, Chapel Down, Gusbourne, Simpsons, Squerryes, Westwell, Domaine Evremond, and the newest member of the Wine Garden of England family, Yotes Court. I attended the press event the night before the big day, with over 300 attendees, including exhibitors, members of the press, and sponsors, all gathering to celebrate the vibrant wine culture of Kent and gear up for the 1,400 members of the public due to visit the event the next day! Guests were treated to tastings from all the producers, including brand new wines, alternative wine formats, and special vintage releases. It was a fantastic opportunity for me to talk to producers and enjoy a glass, alongside food offerings such as The BBQ Project and Barney & The Pizza.
Jo Ginn, Brand Manager of Wine Garden of England, reflecting on the event, remarked: “It was such a joy to get the producers of the Wine Garden of England together at Chilham Castle to celebrate the diverse vineyards and amazing wines of Kent. It’s the highlight of my year, and I’m looking forward to doing it even better next year.”
The event was made possible thanks to the generous support of sponsors, including Cripps, Crowe, Knight Frank, Heathcote Holdings, and the NFU. Their contributions helped create a memorable experience for all who attended. Special thanks were extended to the team at Chilham Castle for their impeccable hosting.
As the sun set over the lake, attendees left with not only a deeper appreciation for Kent's wine but also a sense of excitement for next year's celebration. The Wine Garden of England Summer Celebration has undoubtedly cemented its place as a premier event in the region’s calendar, bringing together wine enthusiasts and industry leaders to celebrate the best of Kent. Learn more about the Wine Garden of England at www.winegardenofengland.co.uk and @winegardenofengland on socials.
Alice Griffiths
Alice Griffiths is a wine communicator boosting the profile of English and Welsh Wine on social media, under the popular handle of Posing With Alcohol. Alice has worked within the agriculture industry for the past 20 years, spending time as a lecturer and a smallholder before discovering her passion for viticulture, winemaking and wine tasting.
Get in touch to have your events featured: ✉ Posingwithalcohol@gmail.com
INSTAGRAM Alice can be found on social media under @posingwithalcohol on Instagram.
Jo Ginn and Alice
AGRONOMY DIARY
Looking ahead to the first-time harvest
The first harvest from a new vineyard is an exciting time, but growers need to be realistic about their expectations and take steps to build vines for coming seasons. Hutchinsons agronomist Will Robinson looks ahead to this important milestone.
For most new growers, the first harvest will come in the third year after planting, by which time vines should have established sufficiently to support a reasonable crop.
It is important to remember though, that three-year-old vines are still quite small and lack the root or canopy structure of more established sites, so yields will inevitably be lower than “industry averages”.
Quality expectations need to be managed too, as there can sometimes be a temptation to leave bunches hanging on the vine in an attempt to hold on for the higher potential alcohol levels needed for still wines.
Vines typically require around 4-6 weeks after veraison to ripen and build sugar and potential alcohol content, although this is very dependent on conditions at the time.
Leaving ripe bunches hanging too long risks diminishing the life expectancy of young vines, by eating into the carbohydrate reserves that would otherwise be laid down for the winter dormancy period, ready to be called upon for strong early growth next spring. Indeed, where bunches have been left on a young vine beyond the point that leaves begin to change colour (and therefore stop photosynthesising), a reduction in trunk diameter can sometimes be observed.
In exceptional years, such as 2022, the weather may allow growers to achieve potential alcohol levels of 13-14%, but generally in the UK, unless conditions are very favourable, the aim should be to “pick for sparkling” in the first harvest, targeting lower potential alcohol levels of 10-11%.
The potential to produce a still wine out of a young vine is low, and the risk you take in leaving bunches hanging usually outweighs any potential gains, so take time to assess what
your vines can and cannot do ahead of harvest. In situations where there is uneven bunch maturity, such as later-developing secondary bunches, it is unlikely everything will ripen to the same level in time, so in those cases consider pruning out any under-ripe material to avoid it diluting the overall sugar concentration and increasing acidity. The best time to do this is mid-way through veraison, when it is easy to identify any bunches that have not started changing colour yet.
Feeding for next year
Once crops are picked, the post-harvest period is a key time when vines absorb nutrients and build carbohydrate reserves for winter and next spring, so there can be benefits from applying some foliar nutrients and trace elements, if there is the opportunity before leaf fall.
There are four main nutrients to consider:
◆ Potassium – plays a central role in movement of water, nutrients and carbohydrates in all plant tissue, so levels will need topping-up after harvest
◆ Boron – an essential nutrient in flower formation for next season
◆ Magnesium – needed for chlorophyll production. Many rootstocks (notably SO4) struggle to readily absorb magnesium from soil, so deficiencies can often occur
◆ Copper – less for nutrition, but more to help manage Downy mildew risk from inoculum overwintering on leaf material.
On a practical level, all of these main nutrient products have good tank mix compatibility if used individually, however pre-formulated mixes are also available.
Other first harvest logistical considerations
◆ Build a good team of pickers –recognise local volunteers may expect wine and lunch
◆ Ensure all necessary equipment is in place – snips for pickers, baskets, buckets, crates, etc
◆ Check how the winery wants to receive grapes – e.g. 25kg baskets or 250kg Dolav boxes?
◆ Identify where pallets need to be, check turning circles, etc
◆ Consider what percentage of botrytis to allow – depends on winemaker requirements and ability of pickers to remove infected material from bunches quickly. Haulage distance to winery may also need to be considered as grapes in transit for longer periods (e.g. unrefrigerated overnight freight) may be more at risk of quality issues.
It is best to avoid applying nitrates postharvest, or trying to prolong the ripening period in young vines, but in more mature vineyards, there could be merit in applying products such as Maxicrop or Megafol to help keep leaves green and functioning. Once any post-harvest applications have been made, there may also be an opportunity for subsoiling to remove any compaction that has occurred this season, and potentially sow a deep-rooting covercrop to protect the soil over winter and improve the ability to travel next spring.
The answer lies in the soil – or does it?
Soil, the factory floor of every vineyard, is much misunderstood. Read a few back labels, look at a few websites, and if you believe what you read, the wine in that bottle and the different wines coming from whichever producer owns that website will all taste the way they taste just because of the soil they are growing in. This is of course true, but only partially true. There are many other factors in play.
As a viticulturalist helping people plant vines in England and Wales and dealing with lots of different sites with soils of different types, and different pH levels, I know that choice of rootstock (just one of the several decisions that affect the style, flavour and quality of a wine) is possibly more important than the soil the vine’s roots are growing in. Remember, it’s not your Chardonnay, your Pinot Noir or your Bacchus whose roots are actually touching the soil, but the rootstock your vines are grafted onto. And I would also contend that other parameters such as vine density (how many vines are planted per hectare), pruning style, yield and canopy management are probably more important than soil in determining a wine’s style and quality. Add to that list the vineyard’s quality –its altitude, aspect and slope – and you can see that it is obvious that soil can only be one factor in a wine’s makeup.
So how does soil affect wine? What role does it play in the vineyard? Well of course it’s where the vine lives and where it anchors itself. It’s where it gathers the water, whether falling naturally or supplied via irrigation,
that it needs to grow. It is where roots have access to the minerals a vine needs to produce chlorophyll, the essential element needed for photosynthesis to occur.
The one thing that is highly improbable is that ‘minerals’ are somehow extracted from the soil by the vine’s roots and absorbed by the vine, ending up in the grapes, and thus into the wine.
I remember well a Master of Wine tasting of Champagnes, hosted by four producers, two grand marque houses, and two smaller producers, one of whom ventured the notion that the taste of minerality in his wines was because the roots of his vines had wrapped themselves around the large flints in his vineyard and physically sucked the silica out! If roots had the power to do that, then growers could just spread silica (or whatever mineral had shown itself to be beneficial in flavouring the grapes) onto the soil and let the magic begin.
Of course it’s very lucky that roots cannot behave in this way when you think of growers who spread manure of animal origin on their fields who would be horrified if their wines smelt or tasted of cow, sheep or pig’s dung. If we forget vines for a moment, and think of other foods and drinks that we happily consume and enjoy, and whose flavour and taste we appreciate, how many make a fuss about the soil they grow in? Take root vegetables for instance – such as carrots, potatoes, or parsnips – none of which go through the very flavour-converting process
of fermentation – how many are promoted or advertised as ‘tasting of the Fens’ or ‘tasting of Scotland’? Answer: none.
Alex Maltman, Emeritus Professor of Earth sciences at Aberystwyth University, and who has a special interest in wine, has written the well-received book Vineyards, Rocks and Soils: A Wine Lover’s Guide to Geology in which he thoroughly debunks the idea that minerals can actually flavour wine.
Whatever the chemical make-up of your soil, vines don’t take up more nutrients than they need. Why would they? Excess leads to problems as we know if too much fertiliser is spread. Having said all of the above, it is now time to acknowledge what influence soil can have upon a vine’s growth and how the way a vine grows can play a part in its style, flavour, quality, and of course, quantity.
Soil not only comes in many different types and compositions, it also comes in many different layers in terms of depth and spread. Dig say a two-meter-deep soil pit in one spot and you may see three distinct layers of soil –top soil, sub-soil, and sub-solum, each of which can be measured. Dig a pit a few metres away, and you may only see one or two layers, each much deeper or shallower than in the first pit.
In short, unless we can see underground, which of course we cannot, soil sampling, soil pits and even soil scanning with an electromagnetic device, has to make assumptions about the depth of soil in any
one place in order to divide the soil up into meaningful sectors.
The structure of the soil is also an important factor in how a vine establishes and grows.
Having planted vines on many different types of soil over the last 50 years, the major difference between soils is the speed at which the vines initially spread their roots and grow and establish a trunk and cane. Take loamy sands or even heavy clay, especially soils which have been in cereals, grassland or fruit orchards for many years. These usually have plenty of organic matter in them, allowing roots to access minerals and water and spread their roots quickly and as wide and as deep as they need to.
Sites like this, with good management, and good weed control, can quite often produce fruit in year two. Sites with a moderately high stone or gravel content, which often have excellent drainage, can also establish quickly and successfully.
My experiences with what might loosely be called ‘chalky soils’ i.e. those with pure chalk sometimes very near the surface, lots of flints of various sizes, with high pH levels, low nutrient status and low organic matter, are often slow to establish and can take at least three years (and often four) before a modest crop is produced. Of course much depends on the vine management both before planting and during the establishment phase.
Neglect to get the pre-planting soil preparation right, especially drainage, and your vines will struggle. Neglect to single them down to one bud shortly after they start sprouting, and you can add another year (or even two) before they start cropping. Let weeds grow unchecked and your beautiful new vines will struggle as the water and nutrients they need to grow roots and establish a good root system will be stolen by
Rootstocks
Given that pretty well all vines grown commercially in the world are grafted onto phylloxera-resistant rootstocks, and that these rootstocks in many instances play an important part in how the vine interacts with the soil its growing in, its surprising how little importance some sections of the wine industry give them.
How often do back labels and website blurb reference the rootstock used? Not nearly as often as the soil type the roots are growing in. Rootstocks have the ability to root deeply or less deep; to provide vigour in low-nutrient soils; or to help control vigour in higher vigour soils (such as we often find in GB). They are also necessary to cope with the stresses and strains of growing vines on sites with high active calcium carbonate levels, where iron chlorosis is an ever-present threat.
To my way of thinking, getting the right rootstock for your soil and for your vines is one of the most important factors in producing good grapes.
those pesky weeds. Don’t believe that ‘leaving them alone’ (what might be called neglecting them) makes vines resilient and able to cope with whatever nature throws at them. It doesn’t. It weakens them and kills them. You have to remember that a vine is not a sentient being. It cannot think for itself. It can of course react to its surroundings, and we know what too little or too much water and too low or too high a temperature (to take two very basic parameters in the growth cycle) does to a vine. A vine’s job is to grow canes, produce fruit that is sweet so that its seeds are attractive and spread by birds and animals, thus perpetuating the species. As we know from hydroponics, plants, even vines, do not need soil as long as they have light, water and the right nutrients, plus the right temperature for the variety. A vine’s roots, the method by which they access most of the water and nutrients they need, will only dig downwards as far as they need to. Provide them with water on the surface, and their root spread will be quite limited, one of the problems associated with irrigated vines. They also only need enough nutrients for shoots and leaves to grow so that photosynthesis can take place. We also know
Wine Growing in Great Britain – Second edition is an A to Z of growing vines in the UK
For anyone contemplating planting and establishing a vineyard in the UK, and for those already growing vines on a small scale who perhaps wish to expand their vineyards and improve their winegrowing skills, it will be invaluable. It will also be of interest to students of viticulture. Wine Growing in Great Britain covers not only the viticultural tasks involved, but also, uniquely, the finances of UK wine growing: land costs, vineyard establishment and management costs and the income from both grape sales and wine sales.
that whilst the right nutrients (and the right amount of those nutrients) are needed to produce chlorophyll, a vine will not normally take up more nutrients than it needs. In dry regions, where irrigation is not used, a vine may grow a deep, even a very deep root system, but the nutrients it needs may be in the upper reaches of that system where nutrients, produced when plant matter breaks down, are more plentiful or where they have been spread. Generally speaking, the deeper you dig in a soil, the less nutrients you will find, and plants are lazy by nature and will only dig as far as they have or need to.
Having established good, economically sustainable vineyards in many different soils, my advice is that if a soil needs drainage, then drain it, if it needs subsoiling, then subsoil it, if it needs nutrients and/or lime, then add them, if it lacks humus, then add it, or plant cover crops if you have time. Whatever you do, don’t think that doing nothing is necessarily the right thing to do. Neglect never produced a good vineyard.
WineGB is the national association for the English and Welsh wine industry. WineGB represents, leads, and supports the sustainable growth of the Great British wine sector.
WineGB Awards: The trophy winners
Over 350 medals were given at this year’s WineGB Awards, with a record number of wines entered and medal-winning wines made in 33 counties across England and Wales. The highest number of Gold medals were also awarded to wines made from 10 different grape varieties, including the first gold given to a wine made from Solaris and an orange wine Vermouth.
At a ceremony on 19 July at The Drapers’ Hall in London, we revealed this year’s trophy winners in their respective style, regional, and producer categories.
Commenting on the trophies, Susie Barrie MW, co-chair of the judging panel, said: “I can’t
recall us ever having such a diverse selection of WineGB trophy winners as we have this year, and I don’t just mean the fact that they come from 13 different counties. The range of grape varieties and winemaking styles included on the trophy list is testament to just how curious, ambitious and increasingly accomplished the UK’s winemakers are. With everything from skin contact wines, to those produced from a solera system, to some of the UK’s finest, long-aged traditional method sparklers, these wines really do run the gamut and give a terrific snapshot of what the UK has to offer at the very top level.
Photo: Cat Wilder
“The fact that we had a joint Blanc de Blancs trophy speaks volumes about the potential
of this category, but the Classic Cuvée NV/ MV, the Classic Cuvée Vintage, and the Sparkling Rosé categories were all equally hard fought over. When it came to the still wines, finding ourselves with five superb Gold level Chardonnays and an equal number of red Pinot Noirs to choose from was quite something, as was the fact that for the first time a wine from my home county of North Yorkshire was awarded a trophy.”
A massive thank you to everyone that participated in this year’s awards, to the headline sponsor Rankin, to the trophy sponsors, and to the hosts for this year’s judging, Sandridge Barton.
Photo: Steve Haywood Photography
The trophy winners
Ashling Park Estate Selection
Pinot Noir 2022, West Sussex
Best Red Pinot Noir Sponsored by
Chapel Down
Coeur de Cuvée 2016, Kent
Best Prestige Cuvée Sponsored by
Top Sparkling Wine Sponsored by
South East Trophy Sponsored by
Supreme Champion Sponsored by
Domaine Hugo, Hugo 2020, Wiltshire
Best Vintage Classic Cuvée Sponsored by
Harrow & Hope
Blanc de Blancs 2018, Buckinghamshire
Joint Best Blanc de Blancs Sponsored by
Chapel Down
Kit’s Coty Chardonnay 2021, Kent
Best Chardonnay Sponsored by
Joint Top Still Wine Sponsored by
Best Sustainable Wine Sponsored by
Dunesforde Vineyard Still Pinot Gris 2022, North Yorkshire
Best Single Varietal White Sponsored by
Midlands & North Trophy Sponsored by
Hawkswood Vineyard Pinot Rosé 2023, Suffolk East Trophy Sponsored by
4 September 2024
WineGB Trade & Press Tasting, Ba ersea Arts Centre, London
WineGB members receive a free website audit to enhance your brand’s presence online from WineGB Silver Patron Oak Creative. Visit the Benefits page in the Knowledge section of the Members’ Area to fi nd out how to claim.
Best Aged Vintage Sparkling Presented by Jane Awty
Best Contract Winery Sponsored by
Woodchester Valley Blanc de Blancs 2018, Gloucestershire
Joint Best Blanc de Blancs Sponsored by
West Trophy Sponsored by
Westwell
Wine Estate Pinot Meunier MV, Kent
Best Innovative Sparkling Sponsored by
Wraxall Vineyard
Bacchus Reserve 2022, Somerset
Best Still Bacchus Sponsored by
Preparing for a busy harvest
Ch Buck ley Bu
In the vineyard, as harvest approaches, it is crucial to prepare thoroughly for its execution to ensure success. Whether you choose manual, mechanical, or a combination of both methods, meticulous planning and coordination are essential. Here are some actions that our viticulturists at VineWorks consider key for a successful harvest:
Canopy management
◆ Tucking canes: Ensure all canes are properly tucked in to support growth and fruit exposure.
◆ Clipping wires: Secure wires with foliage clips to maintain the canopy structure.
◆ Fruit zone foliage stripping: Remove foliage around the fruit zone on both sides to enhance fruit exposure and the ease of manual picking.
◆ Tidy under-vine strip: Maintain a tidy under-vine area on which to place crates and prevent damage from machinery.
◆ Mowing alleyways: Keep alleyways mowed to facilitate easier movement for machinery and pickers.
Pre-harvest coordination
◆ Yield estimations: Constantly refine estimated yields and communicate these with the winemaker/or buyer to determine the optimal harvest date.
◆ Booking resources: Arrange for picking teams/harvest machines, winery space, and transportation several weeks in advance.
◆ Synchronisation: As harvest gets closer the picking dates will change. Remaining flexible and communicating regular updates with all parties involved (pickers, machinery, winery, and transport) is key to ensuring smooth operations when external challenges such as weather, labour and machinery issues arise.
Hand harvesting considerations
◆ Picker efficiency: Plan for 400kg-500kg of fruit per picker per day, recognising that small and large bunches take equal time to pick.
◆ Equipment requirements:
– Picking crates: Sufficient for two days’ harvest, placed under vines a day before. When sourcing crates, consider aspects like size, handling, and stacking ability.
– Secateurs: Sharp, clean, numbered pairs, with spares.
– Buckets: Source plastic builders buckets with handles. One per picker, plus some spares.
– Disposable gloves: Blue, food-grade style.
– Plasters: Blue, food-grade for minor injuries.
Machine harvesting considerations
◆ Trellis system: Vertical shoot positioning (VSP) is considered the most compatible design for machine harvesting.
◆ Headlands: Harvest machines are slightly longer than other pieces of vineyard machinery and will require sufficient turning space to avoid unnecessary downtime.
◆ Slope/topography: Steep slopes and side-cambers can represent problems when operating grape harvesting machinery.
◆ Appropriate bins: Machine harvested fruit needs to be collected into the appropriate dolav-style bins. Check with the winery in advance as to whether they are able to accept these.
Ground crew and equipment
◆ Team composition: For manual picking, one tractor driver and two collectors per six tonnes of fruit per day. For machine harvesting, one operator for the machine harvester plus one operator driving a tractor with trailer.
◆ Tractor, trailers and forks: Ensure the tractor is fueled and serviced, and the trailer (for either bins or crates) is hooked up and ready to go. If using forks, attach ready in advance, ensure the pallets used are compatible and have side frames to improve stability when collecting crates.
◆ Ground crew supplies: Gloves and necessary tools for efficient crate collection.
Palletising
◆ Pallet specifications: Use pallets that can handle 300kg-500kg of fruit, discarding those unsuitable for pallet trucks.
◆ Additional supplies: Lids for dolav-style bins, pallet wrap, labels, permanent markers, scales for weight calculation, a logbook, and a pallet truck or forklift.
Loading and transport
◆ Loading equipment: Forklift or similar equipment for loading the lorry.
◆ Transport logistics: Arrange a lorry and driver for transportation to the winery.
◆ Documentation: Provide CAD documents with every load for the winery/buyer. The ultimate objective is to transport the grapes swiftly and safely, minimising damage and maximising efficiency. By carefully planning equipment, logistics, and coordination, a successful and fruitful 2024 harvest season can be ensured.
Photo: Daria Szotek for VineWorks, 2023
Well oiled machine
The decision to machine-harvest grapes is not one driven by quality.
Mechanical harvesters for grapes were first developed in the USA during the 1950s, although a patent was granted for one early design as far back as the 1850s. The impetus for their development was the labour shortage on American farms thanks to the war effort. The women left behind had filled the gap as best they could, but another solution needed to be found to save time and labour.
The first cutter bar harvesters moved over the rows, hitting them with metal rods to shake or strip the grapes from their stems. The harvested grapes were dropped onto a conveyor which was then towed into a trailer to the winery. Later, air blowers were used to remove any remaining stems or organic matter that had been picked up in the process.
All of this shaking and squeezing could lead to the fruit being damaged, or even snap the vines, so the technology had to evolve –although damage to both grape and plant can still be a risk with machine harvesting today. But before quality had a chance to become an issue, the technology hit a bump in the road in the United States. Unionised grape pickers blocked the commercial use of harvesting machines, so it was actually Australia where the first machine harvest market arose. This led to a rapid expansion
of vineyards in the early 1970s, covering huge plots that would have been unthinkable without machines as the manpower to pick them would not have been available.
Modern machines usually rely on hydraulics to operate. They can be adjusted to work with different trellising styles and also be used on sloped terrain – up to a point – without causing damage to the vines. They still shake or strip the berries from their stems, but the rods that do this are now most likely to be rubber or fibreglass.
The decision to machine-harvest grapes is not one driven by quality. Practical concerns and financial factors are the cornerstones of choosing the method of harvest that works best in your own vineyard. Machines are estimated to be around five times faster than human workers in picking grapes – with a significant implication for the labour costs traditionally associated with harvest.
Advantages and disadvantages of machine harvesting
By removing the need for manual picking at harvest time, machines can remove many of the headaches associated with sourcing seasonal labour. Of course, the costs of each method have to be carefully weighed
to ensure that contracting, hiring or buying the equipment is advantageous against the potential wage bill for grape pickers.
One of the reasons these costs can be made to stack up is the speed with which machines get the job done. Hiring equipment for one day may be more economical than paying workers to harvest over ten.
Machine harvesting also provides flexibility – they can be brought in at the drop of a hat to capitalise on fruit that is at its optimum ripeness, or to avoid a weather event that may damage the harvest. Assembling a workforce at short notice to pick by hand may not always be so easy, but equally when hiring equipment you are at the mercy of the contractor’s other commitments.
On the flip side of the coin, using a machine to harvest can limit winemaking choices. Many harvesters pick the individual grapes, leaving the stems behind. While this removes the need for a de-stemmer in the winery, it also takes away the option of whole bunch fermentation from the winemakers' arsenal. Selective harvesting is also not an option where grapes are mechanically stripped from their vines. Naturally, these issues aren’t universal concerns, but they do bear consideration.
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Contracting out machine harvesting
What are the benefits of contracting?
“By contracting out to a machine harvesting contractor, you are saving on the investment costs and annual maintenance costs for a service that is required only once a year. However, it will be more profitable, due to the economy of scale, for a large producer with over 100 acres of vineyard to purchase their own machine. Labour can be challenging to source in the post-Brexit world, costly, and time consuming. A harvest machine can generally take up to 40 tonnes of fruit in an eight hour day, while it would take 80 labourers to hand pick the same amount and cost three times as much.”
James Dodson, CEO of VineWorks, gave us the lowdown on contracting out a machine harvest.
What type of vineyards does machine harvesting work for?
“Harvest machines straddle the row, so normally a vertical shoot positioned (VSP) culture system is the most suitable. The trellis system is designed to concentrate the fruit zone in a vertical position allowing for the machine to capture the fruit efficiently when the vine is shaken. A system such as Geneva Double Curtain (GDC) would be unsuitable as the fruit is positioned high up, and spread out laterally, making it difficult for the machine to straddle the row.
“Trellis materials can be a concern. Metal systems are more robust than wood systems. If you are establishing a vineyard and are considering mechanising harvest in the future, then it is a good idea to prepare for it by using slightly higher gauge wires as the smaller gauges can break. A good quality wire, such as Bekaert Plus 2.7mm gauge for the fruiting and 2.2mm gauge for the foliage wires, is recommended. Other considerations are to have large enough headlands for efficient operation, an adequate area for unloading grapes, and relatively clean, disease free fruit. Otherwise, a select hand pick might be preferred.”
What preparations need to be made?
“First, and most critically, the vineyard manager will need to have done a comprehensive yield estimation per varietal. This is then communicated to the winery who may only be able to process 12 tons in one day. The machine harvester operator will then need to understand, for example, that only 12 tons can come off that day. With the sophistication of the machines today, they can track when the required tonnage has been achieved. Excellent communication between the vineyard manager, winery and the machine operator is critical to avoid over-harvesting and subjecting excess fruit to oxidation by having to press it the following day.
“There also needs to be a precise understanding of the logistics required to accept the fruit from the machine, and the transportation from the vineyard to the winery. This requires an adequate amount of dolavs (bins), pallets, a forklift to load the bins onto a trailer, and a tractor to transport them to the winery reception.
“It is also a good idea to tighten any foliage wires and anchor wires as the machine can easily collect these if loose. Access to water is also important for cleaning the machine after the harvest is done.”
Machines aren’t only useful for harvest. Harnessing their capabilities for planting vines is also an important labour and time saving practice, whether establishing a new vineyard or expanding an existing one. Machine planting can put 20,000 vines a day in the ground, probably 10 times what could be achieved by hand, depending on the soil type.
As well as reducing costs, machine planting is an important way of getting rows straight and spacing even, which makes the ongoing mechanical operations in the vineyard much easier. This precision also has an aesthetic benefit, having the vines lined up both vertically and diagonally makes for an excellent promotional shot!
The only limits for machine planting would be where there are very heavy clay soils or a very shallow topsoil with rock close to the surface that could limit the efficiency of the machinery and might make hand planting preferable.
In order to prepare for planting, the whole area needs significant cultivation.
“You need to subsoil, deep rip, and often leave a field to overwinter open, which is bad for soil structure and potentially for ongoing soil health,” explained Will Mower from VineWorks. “But it does get the field in a condition that can be machine planted. But when a vineyard has been planted, the vines will be in there for three decades, so you
Machine planting
would never de-cultivate to the same extent as when you did the planting.”
The biggest issue associated with this is actually finding someone who has the equipment available for the deep cultivation required to create the requisite blank canvas.
Will continued in more detail: “When you ask a contract farmer to prepare the ground for planting, they often don’t have the equipment required for deep cultivation because people just don’t farm like that anymore. They drill arable crops – either direct drilling or they have a very minimal soil disruption where they’re really working in the top few inches. Vineyards are being prepped down to twelve or fourteen inches, so people just don’t have the kit for it.”
Ultimately, a broadly cultivated field in advance of planting is a way of ensuring a successful outcome. On the day the whole ‘travelling roadshow’ of people, equipment and vines arrives and has a blank canvas to work with, allowing last minute changes to the configuration if circumstances require it. Once planted, the young vines have the best chance of pushing out roots and finding
an easy path to support the new canopy that develops above in well cultivated soil. The plants can find the nutrients they need, and moisture, without hitting a pan or a very solid clay surface that the roots just can’t penetrate. If only the rows were cultivated then there could also be issues stored up for the future with drainage and compaction.
Mandy and Simon Pryce at Vines of Cheshire made use of VineWorks services in the planting of their new vineyard. Having started planting their steepest slope by hand, which was so steep as not to be possible to plough with conventional farm equipment, they looked for a contractor to machine plant the flatter section. Perhaps surprisingly, some were not willing to travel as far north as the village of Backford, just outside Chester but VineWorks team were happy to make the journey.
“It took them about four hours to plant 2600 vines,” explained Simon. Both he and Mandy continue in full time employment alongside running their new business. “It would have taken us about four weeks to hand plant the same block during our evenings and weekends.”
Vines of Cheshire
One of very few selfpropelled machines available on the market
Braud developed their first self-propelled grape harvester in 1975 and in the decades that followed, New Holland Braud went on to become one of the leading names in the field. The New Holland Braud 9070l is perhaps the most suited to English and Welsh vineyards and is indeed one of the most popular such machines in the world.
Haynes Agricultural is an established dealership for these machines, based in Kent. Matt Pinnington is the Brand Manager for New Holland.
“It’s one of very few self-propelled machines available on the market,” Matt said. “It has a patented system of shakers, so it’s very gentle on the vine. It does a very good job of cleaning the crop quickly but it doesn’t bruise the grapes. It doesn’t damage the fruit at all.”
The 9070l can operate in most vineyards, including side slopes up to 30 degrees. It has a self-levelling system to automatically level the machine to match the vines alongside a hydraulic height system to match the height
of the trellising. In fact, the main restriction on its use is likely to be getting it into the vineyard in the first place. Standing at four metres tall and nearly three metres wide, it may be overfacing for some points of ingress!
Despite its size, once put to work this machine is surprisingly agile. It has hydrostatic steering, so the front wheels can turn a full 90 degrees. As it can turn in its own width, it can manage on very small headlands, certainly compared to a trailed machine. The higher specification machines come equipped with GPS and a row tracking system, allowing it to steer itself along the row by virtue of onboard cameras. The benefit here is that the operator can focus on how well the fans are cleaning and how fast the conveyor is goingmaking sure that the fruit is at its best.
“But the main difference between the New Holland Braud 9070l and everything else is the Noria basket system,” Matt continued. “When the shakers shake the vines and the grapes fall towards the ground, most other
machines use metal scales - a fish plate - to catch the grapes. But the grapes can bounce straight off and go onto the floor. And the fish plates open up around each vine, which creates gaps. The Noria basket system acts like a zipper and it is made of rubber baskets. So each rubber basket fits exactly around the vine which means you can’t lose any grapes onto the floor. After a few harvests, you can see witness marks on the trunks where the fish plates rub against the vine, whereas the rubber basket can’t do that, so there is no damage to the vines.”
The 9070l will set you back a cool quarter of a million pounds, plus VAT – a level of investment that is not going to suit every business. But it certainly has the technical specifications to warrant the price tag. It is no one-trick pony either, the harvesting head is removable, so a sprayer or trimmer can be mounted on instead. This means that the return on investment can be achieved more easily since the machine can be used all year round.
The Gregoire Harvester is one machine that makes significant savings on labour – in fact, it is the one that VineWorks have invested in for their own fleet.
Dorian White, a technician at Kirkland UK, demonstrated the machine to customers at the end of the 2023 season. He is impressed with its capabilities.
“Twenty acres cleared and we harvested four different varieties of grapes in just under nine hours. And that wasn't even at full throttle.
“Visibility for me was a key factor and also how clean the fruit was coming into the bins. This year we have had bountiful grapes but this machine hardly broke a sweat harvesting at 5.5kph.”
Croxford Wine Estates, a twenty four acre vineyard in Northamptonshire’s Nene Valley decided to go with the Gregoire GT3, having considered their options for a few years and visiting Gregoire at their factory.
“The driving force behind swapping to machine harvesting is cost, convenience and flexibility,” said Will Croxford, Director of Croxford Wine Estates. “After researching multiple manufacturers of grape harvesters I found the Gregoire GT3 to be the easiest to use with the gentlest grape handling. One of the features I most like is the ability to disengage
Gregoire at Redhill
Easiest to use, with the gentlest grape handling
the de-stemmer with a press of a button in the field. I also felt the handling of the grapes on the Gregoire GT3 is much gentler than other manufacturers, helping to keep berries whole.”
Will has built a relationship with Kirkland over
the years, and they now run multiple machines in their fleet, finding their knowledge of the equipment to be excellent and also their stock of spare parts to be helpful in minimising downtime, when the need arises.
Tried and tested VINE EQUIP
There is, of course, one obvious solution to the problem of what to do if you can’t find the piece of machinery you need to tackle a job in the vineyard.
And while “you make it yourself” may not be the answer for those of us without the necessary skills and experience, for Hattingley Valley’s hands-on vineyard manager Colin Hayward it was the only logical way forward.
With a background in farming and engineering, Colin set about making various pieces of equipment after rejecting commercially available alternatives because they weren’t up to the task he had in mind or the vineyard conditions he needed them to handle.
After designing and building various bits of vineyard-specific machinery, including a subsoiler, cultivator and picking platform, he put them to the test in Hattingley Valley’s vineyards, modifying them where necessary and proving that they worked in a real-world environment.
When friends and colleagues who saw the equipment in action began asking where they could get hold of it, Colin took the obvious step of setting up Vine Equip, which now supplies what he describes as equipment “designed to meet the specific needs and requirements of the varied UK environmental and soil conditions”. He added: “They are robust, easy to use, low maintenance designs and they have all been well tested here at Hattingley Valley.”
The project which was to become Vine Equip began when Colin was looking for a set of pallet forks with a hydraulic top link, mainly so that he could quickly and easily move vineyard heaters around during frost events. “I found a set, but when they arrived I took one look at them and decided
they really weren’t man enough for the job,” he said. “They really didn‘t look strong enough and so I went into my workshop and made a set I felt I could trust to do what I needed them to do without letting me down.”
The latest piece of equipment, and the most challenging to date, is a manure, woodchip and compost spreader launched last year at the Vineyard and Winery Show organised by Vineyard magazine and held at the Kent Event Centre at Detling.
The driving force behind the spreader was the soaring cost of fertiliser a year or so back. “I realised that the cows on the estate were producing manure which would do the same job,” said Colin. “What’s more, Hattingley Valley makes their surplus grape pomace available to the cows, which meant we could create a circular, environmentally friendly system.”
While there was a ready source of manure, Colin needed a vineyardscale spreader to get it to where it was needed. “There was a number of spreaders available commercially, but while the manufacturers claimed they were suitable for vineyards, they didn’t do what we wanted them to,” he said.
Vine Equip’s MWC Spreader offers “a tried and tested, cost-effective and versatile solution” to the challenges, featuring a hydraulic moving floor with bolted slats and two horizontal beaters. The top of the range model adds features including a steering axle and aluminium grading boards.
“We rot the manure down for six months and spread it while the vines are dormant. It adds lots of nitrogen, improves water retention during dry summers, improves root growth and oxygenation and provides macro elements including boron, iron and molybdenum,” Colin explained.
“As well as having a beneficial impact on the grapes and on the environment, It is also more commercially sustainable,” he added. “And of course we don’t have to ship our ‘fertiliser’ hundreds of miles, with the additional impact that that has on the environment.
The Vine Equip range also includes a 1.25m wide lime spreader that features a hydraulic moving rubber floor, hydraulic adjusted door and hydraulic spreading table as standard, while optional features include an agitator, steering axle and cabin flow controller.
Colin, now 51, began working in agriculture about 30 years ago, but after five years he joined Tectonics UK, a Hampshire-based specialist marquee and grandstand seating manufacture, which is where he learned his engineering skills.
In 2006 he had another career change when he began working for Simon Robinson, founder and owner of Hattingley Valley, who planted the first vines on the estate two years later.
Colin did a range of jobs across the estate, including helping out in the vineyard, and in 2019 he was asked to take on the management of the vines, quickly realising that the machinery he needed to do the job simply didn’t exist in the form he wanted it.
“Our vines are planted on a chalk base but with a clay loamy topsoil and lots of flint,” he said. “We needed machinery that would deal with those conditions and was specifically designed for a vineyard environment. I soon found that if I wanted exactly the right bit of kit, I was better off making it myself.”
The Vine Equip pallet forks were the first things to emerge from Colin’s workshop, boasting a hydraulic top link and a lifting capacity of 500kg.
The pallet forks were followed by a 1.6m width triple K cultivator which features cutting blades in the centre to take out weeds at the same time.
Colin explained: “The cultivator features a unique design developed specifically for vineyards. It allows growers to control weeds without using herbicides, improve drainage or prepare the soil for cover crops.”
As with all the Vine Equip products, the HD-VY3 Cultivator has been put through its paces in Hattingley Valley’s vineyards. “It has been developed through years of actual vineyard experience,” said Colin. “It’s rugged, easily configured by the user and uses readily available wearing parts to keep maintenance costs down.”
Other Vine Equip machinery includes a subsoiler and a picking trailer which has been designed with safety straps that Colin was surprised to see didn’t feature on existing models.
Colin’s hands-on approach means that the models available can be adapted to an individual buyer’s requirements, creating bespoke machinery that will do exactly what the grower needs. “Here at Vine Equip we enjoy a challenge and are happy to talk to anyone with a particular issue that needs tackling,” Colin commented.
The MWC spreader is the piece of machinery Colin is most proud of. “I think it can be a game changer when it comes to taking a more sustainable approach to viticulture, particularly for growers with ready access to manure,” he commented. “It’s good for the environment, good for the grapes and good for the bottom line.”
Colin is supported in his Vine Equip operations by brother-in-law Andy Messenger, who looks after the business side of things but also has experience in engineering, and by Hattingley Valley vineyard consultant Romain Henrion.
“It’s a strong team that combines engineering know-how with vineyard expertise to create robust, tried and tested machinery that is designed to do the job efficiently and cost-effectively,” said Colin.
Vine Equip has collectively over 40 years of UK vineyard, agriculture, engineering and farm machinery manufacture experience.
Our products combine the latest technology, with the most efficient and versatile machinery on the UK market. The range of products include MWC spreader (manure, woodchip, compost), lime spreader, cultivator, subsoiler and picking trailers.
A pool of knowledge and experience
While reaching a business milestone sounds impressive, it only benefits the customer if it can be used to deliver a better service.
That vital link between longevity and tangible value to the customer certainly exists in the case of NP Seymour Ltd, where 50 years in business has created a pool of knowledge and experience that directly benefits the many fruit, hop and vineyard customers it serves across the South East and beyond.
Such is the company’s impressive reputation as a specialist Fendt dealer that the “and beyond” referenced above has long seen the family-run firm supplying growers in all corners of England and Wales as well as the fruit regions of Scotland.
“Unlike other dealers who prioritise their arable and forage harvesting offerings, we focus exclusively on Fendt’s 200 VFP Vario range. This means that we often have the right models in stock and ready to go, which is
why growers come to us instead of their local dealer,” explained Claire Seymour, sales and marketing director and daughter of founder Nick Seymour.
“We have the specialist industry knowledge and expertise to go beyond providing the machinery and instead give customers, particularly newcomers to the industry, the help they need to spec up a tractor – or other piece of kit – that will do the job properly because it has been set up for their long-term requirements.”
There are many options that need to be considered, from nice-to-have add-ons to things that will make a big difference to a grower’s bottom line.
“There is nothing worse than seeing a grower struggle because their tractor does not have enough spool valves or hydraulic capability to run the machines they need to manage their orchard or vineyard efficiently and cost-effectively,” continued Claire.
“It’s relatively easy to set up in business to supply machinery to fruit growers and vineyard owners, but to make sure that the customer ends up with exactly what they need takes a lot more experience and know-how.”
In the case of NP Seymour, delivering exactly what the farm or vineyard manager needs goes beyond just making sure that the
right tractor is selected. The business has a well-deserved reputation for supplying a wide range of specialist machinery, equipment and hand-held tools, as well as being able to adapt machinery, design bespoke attachments and do all kinds of fabrication work at its Avon Works base in Kent.
“The majority of specialist machinery manufacturers design their products to fit the Fendt 200 VFP Vario range. When customers with other brands of tractor come to us for equipment, we already know what challenges they’re likely to face. We’ve worked with it all and our skilled workshop team is well versed in creating brackets and frames and making adjustments to ensure the products fit and work as they should from the moment they’re delivered,” said Claire.
It’s that level of expertise that sets the
company, set up by Nick Seymour in 1974, apart. But it did not happen overnight. As well as celebrating 50 years since the start of NP Seymour, 2024 also marks an impressive 40 years since it became a Fendt specialist dealer supplying the 200 VFP series of vineyard and fruit-focused tractors.
The relationship has stood the test of time because, in Claire’s view, the Fendt range is far and away the 'best in show' when it comes to specialist machinery that’s dedicated to supporting fruit, hop and vine growers.
“Unlike a lot of other fruit and vineyard tractors, the Fendt range isn’t just a cut-down version of the main range but is designed from the bottom up to do that specific job, and it does it consistently and reliably,” she commented. >>
www.npseymour.co.uk
Market testing, albeit not particularly scientific, has proved the point. “On occasions over the years we have offered alternatives from other manufacturers, but our customers always come back to Fendt because they know it’s the best choice for their business,” Claire explained.
Nick Seymour, who is still involved in the workshop side of the business half a century on, started out offering mobile engineering services. He expanded into machinery sales as customers began choosing to buy new equipment rather than asking him to repair their existing sprayers and other kit.
At a blackcurrant conference in Herefordshire in 1984 he got chatting to friend
and fellow engineer Bob Chapman, of Bavenhill Mechanics, who introduced him to Fendt.
“Dad was not looking to supply tractors but was immediately persuaded that their orchard and vineyard range was head and shoulders above the rest. He became a Fendt specialist dealer, and the rest is history,” Claire recalled.
That relationship has grown over the years, and when allied to N P Seymour’s long-standing team means there’s not much the dealership doesn’t know about Fendt’s specialist 200 VFP tractors.
“The expansion of viticulture in this part of the country means there are other dealerships, but NP Seymour has a clear advantage when it comes to helping growers get the most out
of their new machine and the equipment they want to pair with it,” said Claire.
“On the service and workshop side, our team includes engineers like Greg Surowiec, who has been with us for the past 15 years, and Mark Maynard, who has been part of the team for more than a decade. There’s very little they don’t know about Fendts and their capabilities and how to keep them running smoothly. They can troubleshoot issues in a heartbeat and have the skills to keep the tractors performing at their best for decades.”
With one eye always on the future, Claire headed to Fendt Germany in May this year to see the manufacturer’s new fully electric tractor, the E100V Vario. >>
Claire and Nick Seymour
Fendt delivery of two new tractors for Adrian Scripps in August 1991
Nick and Barbara Seymour first visited the Fendt factory in Germany in 1985
Vineyard thrives on agri-tourism
Biddenden
litres
The electric version has all the functionality of the existing 200 VFP range but with a battery instead of an engine that can be used in eco, dynamic or dynamic-plus modes.
“Looking at the design and specification, in theory there’s nothing the diesel-engined version can do that the electric model won’t be able to match in terms of power and functionality,” said Claire.
Maintenance costs are expected to be reduced by a third when compared to internal combustion engine-powered machines, while growers can choose to ‘refuel’ using cheap renewable sources such as solar.
It’s not just new machines that leave NP Seymour’s purpose-built Avon Works yard. Fendts hold their value so well that used tractors are much in demand, and rarely make it as far as the stock list.
“Once people get to know there’s a part exchange tractor on the way in, it’s snapped up,” Claire added. “That also means we can offer competitive part exchange deals for those looking to upgrade their fleet used tractors.”
The advice on offer from NP Seymour is particularly useful in supporting new vineyard entrants who may not have experience or knowledge of the vast range of specialist machinery available and for whom understanding exactly what they need from their shiny new tractor is likely to benefit from some guidance.
“Guesswork can be expensive, and we take that risk away,” commented Claire, who heads up a sales team which includes Tim Sillence and, on the viticulture side, Sam Barnes.
“Both Tim and Sam have a wealth of practical experience operating the machinery in a range of planting styles and soil types. We will never sell something a grower doesn’t need now or in the long term, and will always be straight to the point in explaining what is going to work for their individual set-up and why.”
Alongside tractors, the dealership has built up an impressive list of franchises over the past half century.
In the 1980s, around the same time as NP Seymour started working with Fendt, the
dealership also started supplying the Braun range of mechanical weeders, Carrarospray sprayers from OCLL and the Fischer range of mowers.
Today, the Braun Rollhacke rotary star tiller remains the most popular mechanical weeder on the market and the clear weapon of choice for orchard and vineyard managers across the UK, having proved itself well-adapted to different soil types.
“As well as the famous Rollhacke, Braun’s modular tool carrier system can be equipped with a range of tools, including horizontal finger weeders, rotary tillers, scalloped discs and demounders, to offer growers access to a well-rounded and extremely comprehensive mechanical weeding set-up,” said Claire.
“The German manufacturer's vari-width Alpha mower can also be fitted with what Braun calls a vine stem cleaner. Initially designed for bud rubbing, the flat rubber paddles on this head can be replaced with white strimmer cord to provide effective weed removal up to the trunk while mowing.”
Tim Sillence
The Carrarospray range from OCLL remains popular with growers, with the economically priced sprayers particularly sought after by small- to medium-sized growers.
For orchards, the Q Wector 3 benefits from an air intake fan in front of the tower to prevent debris or spray from being drawn in, while for vineyards the NPA directional sprayer offers effective and efficient coverage thanks to its eight adjustable sprayer hands.
From Fischer, the robust and compact vari-width GL4 blade mower can be used in a wide array of applications, from orchards and vineyards to tabletop strawberries. The swing wing arms are hydraulically controlled by precision sensors to allow for accurate mowing right up to the base of the trunk, vine or table legs.
Other big names that partner with NP Seymour include Agrofer, Agrofrost, ARS, Aporo, Aweta, BMV, Berthoud, Boreco, ERO, Brevi, Fruit-Tec, Felco, Pessl iMetos, KWH, Munckhof, Perfect van Wamel and Tecnoagri.
Meanwhile the company’s own engineering expertise means that if the right piece of kit isn’t on the shelf, that doesn’t mean it’s not available.
“Our engineering experience and the extensive range of specialist fabrication
equipment we have in our workshop have always allowed us to design and build bespoke machinery for growers to fill gaps in the market,” said Claire.
“We are perhaps most famously known for our tabletop strawberry sprayers and bush fruit sprayers. No two are the same, they’re all built to the grower’s individual needs.”
It was in 2005 that a grower approached Nick because he couldn’t find a sprayer that would do exactly what he wanted it to do. Nick built him what he needed from scratch, and as word spread amongst other growers, orders quickly followed.
Now the company also regularly designs and supplies other bespoke tools such as working and picking platforms and its most recently launched front-mounted tool carrier for vineyards and orchards. Again designed to fit each buyer’s requirements, it is adaptable for a range of mechanical weeding and other equipment.
Working in partnership with Bioline AgroSciences, NP Seymour has also designed and built a beneficial insect application sprayer to support growers using an integrated pest management regime.
The company is also playing a vital part in a
collaboration with crop protection specialists Hutchinsons, NIAB East Malling and others to create a variable-rate orchard sprayer.
NP Seymour worked on the PODS precision sprayer system over three years as part of the InnovateUK-funded research project aimed at improving the economic performance of orchards and is now involved in the follow-up POME (Precision Orchard Management for the Environment) project.
While working hard to support a sustainable future for orchards and vineyards across the UK, NP Seymour’s own future seems to be in safe hands.
Claire, who joined the business 25 years ago, making this another anniversary to add to the year’s other celebrations, has three children who are all keen to play their part in this successful family business.
“Angus is 17 and studying agricultural engineering at Reaseheath College in Cheshire. He’s passionate about the industry and is always keen to get involved at every given opportunity.
“Eli is 15 and on the same path, and while Fifi is only 13, she is already talking about following the route her brothers have taken and looking at what roles she could pursue in the business,” Claire commented.
Investing in the future
VineWorks have announced the acquisition of a state-of-the-art Gregoire harvesting machine.
This substantial investment will allow VineWorks to provide both hand and machine harvesting services to their clients.
James Dodson, CEO of VineWorks said: “We are truly excited to offer machine harvesting for the first time and are developing a unique approach to deliver quality grapes to wineries.
"This investment signifies a major step forward for our company. With the UK wine industry expanding and large-scale producers entering the market, finding experienced vineyard labour has become increasingly challenging. Mechanisation is crucial to meet the industry's demands in a cost-effective and reliable way that maintains quality. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our friends at Kirkland UK for their invaluable guidance throughout this purchase."
James Dodson takes delivery
Sole UK agriculture distributor for leading French manufacturer Pellenc
Crawfords Group is proud to announce its appointment as the sole agricultural distributor for the renowned French manufacturer Pellenc in the United Kingdom. This partnership marks a significant milestone for Crawfords Group, establishing its position as a premier provider of comprehensive solutions for vineyard, fruit-growing and professional customers.
Crawfords Group, which comprises
Crawfords, Agwood, and Crawfords Automotive, has extensive coverage across Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Sussex, Surrey, and Hampshire. The company is committed to providing a full range of services, including sales and comprehensive service and breakdown support for all types of machinery.
In line with this new appointment, Crawfords Group has recently launched a dedicated division focused on delivering an end-to-end solution for vineyard, fruit-
growing and professional customers. The collaboration with Pellenc enables Crawfords Group to supply an extensive range of products, including tractor-mounted leaf removers, vine trimmers, pruning shears, strimmers, chain saws, and inter-row cultivation equipment.
"We are thrilled to be appointed as the sole distributor for Pellenc in the UK," said Dan Turner, Group Business Development Manager for Vineyard, Fruit & Professional at Crawfords Group. "This partnership allows us to provide our customers with the highest quality products and comprehensive solutions tailored to their specific needs. Our dedicated division, focused on vineyard, fruit-growing and professional customers, exemplifies our commitment to becoming the go-to provider for all equipment and service requirements."
Abdel Jbeli, Export Manager for Pellenc SA said: “We are delighted to partner with Crawfords Group as our UK distributor. Crawford's professional approach to both sales and service is second to none, due in part to their extensive branch coverage, trained sales professionals, and large fleet of mobile service technicians”.
Crawfords Group's unparalleled expertise, combined with Pellenc's cutting-edge technology, will undoubtedly enhance the productivity and efficiency of vineyard and orchard operations across the UK.
Moving grapes to the winery
Moving the grapes to the winery at harvest time can be challenging particularly if the ground is muddy or the picking team has filled all the bins and are standing around waiting for empties.
There are generally two types of trailer; first the flatbed trailers which are normally used to transport picking trays and narrow enough at 1.7m to go between the vine rows for loading by hand or second the Dolav type bin transporting roller trailers which are wider and parked on the headland for easy loading by forklift. These roller trailers are stacked from behind with the bins being placed at the back and then pushed forward thanks to the rollers.
Then when arriving at the winery bins can be quickly rolled off without a forklift thanks to a hydraulic bed tipping mechanism. Trailers come in different lengths and are built to take the weight of several bins even when stacked two high.
When traversing uneven ground be careful not to damage the grapes or tip bins over due to violent jolting movements; driving too fast can have a similar effect.
Other methods of transport are also used such as at Squerryes Vineyard where David Sayell of Vitifruit Equipment designed a front lift pallet system with rear forklift to transfer three bins at a time from field to yard.
