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Features Growing year on year
In conversation... Forgotten parcels of traditional method English sparkling wine. This month Vineyard magazine chatted with Tim Wildman, MW about his exciting new English Wine business, Lark and Folly.
Like a fine wine, the Vineyard & Winery Show has developed and matured over the years – and after four years in the cellar, the 2024 event on 20 November promises to be really special.
Low and no alcohol wine
A logical choice Warehorne Vineyard is strikingly pretty. Vines fully laden with ripe bunches of red grapes are to be seen either side of the driveway as visitors arrive at the site. 20 36 86
The low and no alcohol market is enjoying significant growth. Vineyard Magazine looks at the processes involved, legislation and a case study that has found success with Spanish grapes.
From the editor
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much
Expectations for harvest 2024 have not been high. A season of indifferent weather and high disease pressure led many to feel that 2024 was a season to forget. Yet for some growers 2024 has been even worse than expected. Sitting down to write this column I have been thinking about those growers.
I looked for inspiring quotes and messages but what struck me was that these growers know that this season is just one season, that viticulture is a difficult industry and certain events such as the weather are beyond our control. None of these ideas seemed to be
So instead I thought about this quote at the top of the column. When someone is talking of the difficulties they have faced this year and the subsequent disappointment they feel it can be tempting to try and offer potential words of wisdom but there are times when a listening ear is the most valuable thing in the world. Some growers will have experience of poor harvests and for others after two excellent years this will be the first season that has been disappointing. Sometimes just letting someone tell their problems is enough for them to process the situation, take a deep breath and
Life will bring challenges and disappointments that need to be dealt with but not overly dwelt on. As with everything in life there is a balance and the viticulture industry has the benefit of working with vines and taking inspiration from their incredible life cycle.
The Vineyard & Winery Show will provide a forum for many conversations about harvest but will also celebrate what has been achieved with some fantastic wines available for visitors to try and provide possibilities for new opportunities in the future.
Recently I have been engrossed in several research projects one of which involved hotels across various counties in England and Wales. It was encouraging to note that restaurant menus across a greater number of price points are carrying English and Welsh wines from a greater number of producers. This unexpected but undeniable discovery was definitely a high point this month, which is an incentive to press forward to next season. English and Welsh wines are appreciated and therefore so are your efforts!
Specialising
SPECIALISING
Newly established winery
White Castle Vineyard celebrates first harvest with state-of-the-art equipment.
White Castle Vineyard, one of Wales' premier wine producers, announced the start of its harvest 2024 on 10 October 2024, marking a new chapter in the vineyard’s journey. For the first time, White Castle Vineyard has harvested and processed its grapes on-site in its newly established winery using state-of-the-art equipment, paving the way for a future of increased production and enhanced wine quality.
This exciting milestone represents the culmination of years of planning and investment in cutting-edge winemaking technology, aimed at improving both the quality and quantity of White Castle’s award-winning wines.
A new era in winemaking
“We’ve been dreaming of this moment for years, and now it’s finally here,” said Robb Merchant, co-owner of White Castle Vineyard. “Having the ability to process our grapes where they are grown, with some of the best equipment in the industry, gives us complete control over every aspect of the winemaking process. This is a huge leap forward for us, and one that will allow us to offer our customers even more premium,
Festive Fizz
Vineyards of Hampshire Festive Fizz returns as a Christmas shopping wine experience, focusing on those important Christmas wine purchases.
Vineyards of Hampshire include: Black Chalk, Danebury Vineyards, Exton Park, The Grange, Hambledon, Hattingley, Louis Pommery England and Raimes.
◆ Saturday 30th November 2024
◆ 11:00 - 17:00
◆ Bapsy Hall, Guildhall Winchester, The Broadway, Winchester SO23 9GH
The debut harvest brought together an enthusiastic team of 45 volunteers, including friends, family, and loyal customers who participated through the vineyard’s Adopt-a-Vine programme. Together, they hand-harvested three grape varieties – Phoenix, Pinot Noir Précoce, and Rondo – all of which were processed the same day using the vineyard’s new destemmer and press.
Preparing for growth
Despite weather challenges, including the threat of frost and a lowerthan-average yield, White Castle Vineyard remains optimistic. “We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished,” said Nicola Merchant, co-owner of the vineyard. “The launch of our winery opens up so many new possibilities for us. Over the coming years, we plan to expand our production and continue creating wines that reflect the passion and dedication we pour into every bottle.”
Currently, White Castle Vineyard has 13,500 vines planted, including the addition of Chardonnay, which promises exciting growth opportunities in the near future.
hand-crafted Welsh wines.”
Press and destemmer Robb with the first Pinot Noir Precoce in the destemmer
Shiny new vats
One of the leading producers of English sparkling wine, Langham Wine Estate has been named The Real Review, Winery of the Year Great Britain 2024, coming out on top of a host of highly prestigious competitors.
Now in its fourth year, The Real Review received a record number of entries from a record number of wineries for its Top Wineries of Great Britain. Over 10,000 wines were blind tasted by an expert panel of internationally renowned wine writers, including awardwinning wine writer and contributor Anthony Rose. Langham Wine Estate was in competition with wineries consistently producing wines of outstanding quality, a requirement for those awarded The Real Review Top Wineries Certificate.
Head winemaker, Tommy Grimshaw has been a driving force for Langham Wine Estate over the past four years. Under his creative and forward-thinking leadership, Langham has risen to the ‘top 14% of Great Britain’s wine producers’, according to The Real Review.
Tommy added: “It is always a great lift for the team when we are recognised by The Real Review. To be named their Winery of the Year Great Britain 2024 is even better! This award backs up the WineGB award earlier in the year for Winery of the Year 2024 and shows that we must be doing something right. We want our Dorset winery to be at the forefront of the English wine scene, so we are always looking to build on achievements like this.”
Tommy is not your traditional winemaker, having worked his way up from labelling wine when he left school after his first year of A Levels, he broke new ground by becoming the UK’s youngest head winemaker when he was just 24 years old. Now 28, he continually strives to be creative in his winemaking, not
Coming out on top
bound by technical ‘rules’ with a focus on a low intervention approach, and the results he achieves are outstanding.
Langham Wine Estate has been lauded by The Real Review for producing “some of the most expressive, high quality sparkling wines in the country, which highlighted the chardonnay-based Corallian Classic Cuvée NV and the pinot noir-based Culver Classic Cuvée NV both stand-out cuvées in a stand-out range.”
This latest accolade adds to a number of prestigious awards received by the Dorsetbased winery and vineyard in 2024. At the WineGB Awards, Langham Wine Estate took home an impressive four trophies, including ‘Best NV/MV Classic Cuvée’ for its Corallian Classic Cuvée NV, ‘Best Blanc de Noirs’ and ‘Wessex Trophy’ for its Pinot Noir 2019, and the strength of the range contributed to it being awarded ‘Best Estate Winery’.
A great vineyard win
Poulton Hill Estate has been announced as Drinks Producer of the Year at the Cotswold Life Food and Drink Awards 2024. For over twenty years the Cotswold Life Food and Drink Awards have recognised the best of food, drink and farming enterprises across the Cotswolds. Poulton Hill is no stranger to winning awards but this is an exciting win for the vineyard.
Poulton Hill Estate planted in 2010 is located in Cirencester. The vineyard produces still wines including Arlington Red, which is a Regent/Rondo blend and a Rosé which is a
blend of Seyval Blanc, Phoenix and Pinot Noir. Poulton Hill Estate produce traditional method sparkling wines Bulari Rosé a blend of Seyval Blanc and Rondo and Bulari Brut a blend of Seyval Blanc and Pinot Noir. Cirencester is a Roman town and taking inspiration from this history the name Bulari is from a Roman word that means bubbles.
Poulton Hill Estate take responsibility to the environmentally seriously and have two flocks of rare breed sheep on site. The vineyard also offers tours and tastings on selected dates throughout the year and the Cellar Door is open Tuesday - Saturday.
In 2020, Langham Wine Estate won the coveted Best Sparkling Wine Producer at the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC), beating some of the best French champagne houses and sparkling wine producers from around the rest of the world. Located in the beautiful Dorset countryside, Langham Wine Estate is a single vineyard estate taking the greatest care and pride in their craft. The winery hand harvest their fruit and take a low intervention approach to winemaking, with all of their wines both vegan and vegetarian friendly. With a south-facing aspect, chalk soils and a unique microclimate, the vineyard spans 85 acres and provides the perfect terroir for ripening the classic Champagne varieties - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
Langham’s award-winning range of wines is now exclusively distributed by Liberty Wines, one of the UK’s leading wine distributors.
From left to right: James McLean, Becky Bowyer, Jean Langedyk, Justin Langham, Calum Chance, Tommy Grimshaw and Carl Pinto
Comprehensive insurance
Most would recognise that owning a vineyard, running a winery or managing a hospitality venue that revolves around wine is a real labour of love, so amidst the hard work of creating exceptional products and unforgettable experiences, it might be easy to overlook some crucial aspects of insurance that can protect your business from the unforeseen.
Here at Vineyard Protect, we believe you need insurance that is as comprehensive as the challenges you face. From extreme weather to product recalls and digital threats, today’s risks are more diverse and unpredictable than ever, but the right insurance cover can help ensure your business remains resilient in the face of adversity. Here are some elements of insurance coverage that every vineyard, winery and hospitality business should make sure is on their list:
Comprehensive business interruption solutions
Imagine this: after months of hard work tending to your vineyard, a freak storm damages your vines, halting production just before harvest. Or perhaps an issue with your equipment forces your winery to close for repairs during peak season. In both cases, business interruption can result in significant financial losses, putting the future of your business at risk.
Business interruption insurance is designed to protect your revenue when your operations are disrupted by unforeseen events; however, not all business interruption policies are created equal. Vineyards, wineries and hospitality businesses require tailored solutions that account for the unique nature of their operations, as generic policies often overlook critical factors such as seasonality, different production stages and supply chain dependencies.
Tailored business interruption coverage takes these nuances into account, ensuring you’re not just covered for lost revenue but for the unique disruptions that could severely impact your business.
Have you thought of everything when it comes
to your vineyard or winery insurance?
Product recall protection
In the winemaking industry, product recalls can be disastrous, both financially and reputationally. Whether caused by contamination, mislabelling or packaging issues, recalls have the potential to halt sales, damage customer trust and incur significant costs.
Product recall insurance should not be absent from your insurance suite. It helps mitigate the financial burden associated with recalling and replacing affected products, not just covering the direct costs of pulling products from the market, but supporting your business in repairing its reputation.
Climate change protection
As any vineyard owner knows, climate is everything in the world of winemaking, with the quality and yield of grapes highly dependent on weather conditions. From unexpected frosts to droughts and extreme heatwaves, the increasing unpredictability of weather patterns presents new challenges to the wine industry. While no one can control the weather, climate change insurance can help protect your business from its most severe effects. This coverage goes beyond traditional crop insurance, offering protection against unusual weather events, seasonal variability and longterm climate shifts. Climate change insurance can also provide financial support as you invest in new technology or alter your growing practices to mitigate risks.
Extended limits for D&O and cyber risks
Running a vineyard, winery or hospitality venue involves not only agricultural expertise but also savvy business management. In today’s complex business environment, it’s essential to consider the risks associated with leadership and digital operations, and Directors & Officers (D&O) insurance is missed off your insurance checklist at your
peril! This insurance provides coverage for your company’s leadership against claims of mismanagement or breaches of duty and ensures your management team is protected from any legal and financial fallout.
Cyber risks are another growing concern for wineries and hospitality businesses. With many businesses now relying on digital systems for operations, customer data storage and even online sales, the potential for a cyberattack is ever-present. Whether it’s a data breach that exposes sensitive customer information or a ransomware attack that disrupts your operations, cyber insurance provides critical coverage, including not only the cost of dealing with the immediate aftermath of a breach but also the financial losses associated with business downtime – plus reputational damage.
Competitive markets for agricultural fleets
The backbone of any vineyard or winery is its agricultural fleet: tractors, transporters and delivery vehicles. These vehicles are crucial for everything from maintaining the vineyard to delivering wine to retailers and customers, and a breakdown or accident could disrupt your entire operation and bring everything grinding to a halt.
So, don’t forget to add agricultural fleet insurance to your insurance coverage! It ensures your vehicles are protected without breaking the bank, and can cover damage or loss of vehicles from accident, theft, or damage caused by weather, allowing you to quickly repair or replace essential vehicles.
Running a vineyard, winery, or hospitality business comes with a unique set of challenges and risks. But with the right insurance coverage, you can make sure your business remains resilient and able to thrive even in the face of adversity.
Visit us at Vineyard & Winery Show stand M61. We look forward to seeing you.
phone-alt 01245 449060
Celebrating a decade of excellence
All Angels 10th anniversary Classic Cuvée.
Nestled in the heart of Berkshire, All Angels vineyard marked a significant milestone with the release of its 10th Anniversary Classic Cuvée. The picturesque setting of Church Farm, with its south-facing slopes and verdant meadows, provided the perfect backdrop for a day of celebration. As one of the fortunate attendees at this exclusive event, I was able to experience firsthand the culmination of a decade’s worth of passion, precision, and patience – all poured into this exceptional English sparkling wine.
The day began with a guided tour of the vineyard, led by All Angels' founder, Mark Darley. The history of the land and the evolution of the winery unfolded with each step, from the first vine planted in 2011 to the flourishing estate it is today. What was once a simple countryside retreat for the Darley family is now a celebrated producer of fine English sparkling wine, with a commitment to sustainability and quality at its heart. Mark's deep connection to the land was palpable as he spoke of nurturing the vines and the responsibility of leaving the land better than it was found.
The vineyard tour was followed by an exquisite five-course lunch prepared by local culinary talent, Henry Kermer-Ireson, chef and owner of Damson restaurant. Each dish was carefully paired with a selection of All Angels’ sparkling wines, showcasing the harmonious relationship between locally sourced cuisine and fine wine.
The menu was a celebration in itself. The standout pairings included the All Angels Classic Cuvée 2014, a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Gris that had spent nine years aging on lees, paired with a decadent Brioche French Toast and Mushroom Tartlet. The delicate scallop dish, accompanied by a rich crab sauce, was brought to life by the 2017 Classic Cuvée, a wine with remarkable depth and character. And who could forget the honey and cobnut mousse, the perfect partner to the crisp and refreshing Sparkling Rosé 2018.
Throughout the meal, conversations flowed as freely as the wine, and it was clear that All Angels is as much about community as it is
about craftsmanship. Mark Darley, along with Emma Rice, celebrated English winemaker who created the 10th Anniversary Classic Cuvée, shared stories of the winery’s evolution. Their dedication to quality was evident in every glass. Mark summed it up perfectly: “Quality before volume, patience before sales.”
What sets All Angels apart, beyond their exceptional wine, is their unwavering commitment to sustainability. It was heartening to hear about their efforts to transform Holtwood into a wildflower meadow and the ongoing work to support diverse birdlife, wild bees, and other local fauna.
If you haven’t yet experienced an All Angels wine, I highly recommend exploring their collection. Each vintage tells its own story, shaped by the terroir and the careful hands that craft it. For me, this event was a reminder that the best things in life – like a fine cuvée –are worth the wait.
A sparkling showcase of regenerative winemaking
A most enlightening panel discussion for Candover Brook vineyard. Hosted by co-founder Mark Sainsbury, in his own London abode, the event brought together members of the UK wine press to delve into the unique story behind Candover Brook’s award-winning English sparkling wines and the regenerative farming principles that underpin their viticulture.
The panel included Mark Sainsbury, vineyard manager Samuel Philippot, and Craig Livingstone, director of farming for the estate. Together, they shared fascinating insights into how the vineyard's philosophy is shaped by a deep commitment to sustainability, soil health, and community, while balancing these values with the need for a profitable business.
Mark Sainsbury opened the discussion with a look back at the origins of Candover Brook, crediting his father, Lord John Sainsbury, as the driving force behind the vineyard’s creation. Inspired by their family’s close friendship with renowned winemaker Hervé Jestin, Candover Brook was born with a mission to produce world-class sparkling wine, but also to lead the way in regenerative agriculture. Jestin, known for his expertise in non-interventionist winemaking, serves as a consultant for the vineyard, bringing a blend of tradition, innovation, and respect for nature that permeates every aspect of their production.
Mark, with his background as a restaurateur and his long-standing involvement in sustainable food systems, emphasised that their principles of conservation and regeneration aren’t just a hobby. “This isn’t a hobby; it’s a business,” he noted firmly. Yet, as he pointed out, these values do not conflict with profitability – in fact, they see long-term financial gain through practices that nurture the land and biodiversity. “We expect to make more money by following regenerative principles and getting out of the way of nature.”
One of the key takeaways from the discussion was the vineyard’s deep focus on soil health. “Balance in the soil is essential. If the vines have too much vigour, the fruit will be fragile,” explained Samuel Philippot. The team experiments with various regenerative techniques, from using cover crops to sheep fleeces as weed suppressants, in an effort to find the best ways to enhance soil vitality. Craig Livingstone added that while the benefits of these approaches might not appear immediately on a profit and loss statement, the long-term
results – healthier soil and better crops – are undeniable. “Soil quality is key,” he stressed.
The heart of Candover Brook’s regenerative approach is a willingness to give everything time. Mark Sainsbury acknowledged that they are at the beginning of a long journey, focused not on growing the vineyard’s size, but on perfecting everything they do, step by step. He also expressed hope that Candover Brook’s example would inspire other winemakers to adopt similar practices, educating both peers and consumers about the vital importance of soil health and sustainability.
Following the panel discussion, we were treated to a tasting of three of Candover Brook’s sparkling wines: the Brut NV, Rosé NV, and a special preview of the 2019 Brut. Each bottle told its own story, full of the vineyard’s elegant complexity and unmistakable connection to the land. Accompanying the wines was a delicious selection of tapas, expertly prepared by Mark’s friend and former business partner, Samuel Clark, co-founder of Moro restaurant.
The vineyard itself, nestled within the 2,000 acre Preston Farm, is a testament to the Sainsbury family’s conservation-driven ethos. The chalk stream running through the valley, home to the rare English white-clawed crayfish, is celebrated on the wine’s label – a symbolic nod to their dedication to the natural environment. As part of their commitment, Candover Brook donates 50p from every bottle sold online and in Hampshire to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, supporting crucial conservation efforts to protect this endangered species.
What stood out most from the day was how Candover Brook is as much about community and legacy as it is about wine. Their work extends far beyond the vineyard, championing regenerative farming practices across their Hampshire estates, restoring ancient woodlands, sequestering soil carbon, and enhancing biodiversity. Their estates are carbon neutral and LEAFcertified, reinforcing their commitment to sustainability at every level.
For those looking to enjoy an outstanding English sparkling wine that reflects both the elegance of its terroir and the integrity of its production, Candover Brook is a must-try. As they continue their journey, I look forward to seeing how their regenerative principles will influence the future of English wine – and inspire others to take a similar path.
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: ENVELOPE Posingwithalcohol@gmail.com
under @posingwithalcohol on Instagram.
INSTAGRAM Alice can be found on social media
First ROC in France
Domaine Mirabeau becomes the first vineyard in France to achieve
Regenerative Organic Certified® status.
Domaine Mirabeau, a regeneratively farmed B Corp wine estate in Provence, has become France’s first vineyard to achieve Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC™) status. The domaine is owned by Stephen and Jeany Cronk of Maison Mirabeau and the certification makes Domaine Mirabeau La Réserve Rosé one of the world’s first officially certified regenerative wines.
ROC™ is one of the most stringent agricultural certifications, going above and beyond USDA and Ecocert Certified Organic standards by building regenerative principles over a mandatory organic baseline. The framework is overseen by the nonprofit Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA) and assesses the full farm ecosystem across three pillars: animal welfare, social fairness and soil health. The Cronks pursued the certification to promote transparency in the regenerative space and build a foundation for their longterm plans to certify Maison Mirabeau’s partner growers.
Stephen Cronk, owner of Domaine Mirabeau and co-founder of the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation (RVF), a UK-based global charity that supports wine producers wishing to farm regeneratively, said: “In the wine industry, the importance we place on terroir must always be reflected in the way we treat our vineyards. When we bought Domaine Mirabeau in 2019, we found soils decimated by intensive farming and this served as an enormous wake up call for us. We realised we needed to find a path to rebuild a broken system, reclaim lost habitat and restore our soils, which is when our regenerative journey began.
“The overwhelmingly positive impact of our efforts, including increasing biological soil activity by a staggering 10 times since 2021, motivated us to think bigger. Certifying with ROC™ supports our aims to promote global awareness of regenerative principles, bring those principles into our wider supply chain and communicate their benefits to consumers in a transparent, ‘official’ manner. It is a key step in a longer journey that will take our regenerative ambitions far beyond Domaine Mirabeau.”
While regenerative certifications are a relatively recent phenomenon, with ROC™
Stephen
Cronk
established in 2017, they are expected to become increasingly sought after as regenerative agriculture (RA) continues to make significant breakthroughs in the public consciousness.
“The emerging science behind soil health has revolutionised our understanding of farming’s capacity to mitigate climate change and enhance biodiversity while increasing the quality of our crops,” said Elizabeth Whitlow, Founding Executive Director of the Regenerative Organic Alliance. “While the definition of ‘regenerative’ is still open to interpretation, the Regenerative Organic Certified® programme offers the gold standard for wine grapes, starting with a baseline of best practices from EU Organic, Fair Trade and Animal Welfare standards. Maison Mirabeau leads the pack as the firstever ROC™ vineyard in France.”
The regenerative movement took an important step into the mainstream when it featured in the latest series of Clarkson’s Farm, aired in May this year, through an appearance by Andy Cato and George Lamb of Wildfarmed. The California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) is in the process of legally defining the term ‘regenerative’ for the first time and RA is finding significant allies within the FMCG category, where it is the foundation of recently launched campaigns from Waitrose, Nestlé, Diageo, Unilever, Yeo Valley and Whole Foods.
Pierpaolo Petrassi, Head of Beer, Wine and Spirits at Waitrose, said: “Congratulations to Domaine Mirabeau on becoming France’s
first vineyard to achieve Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC™) status. In May, we highlighted our commitment at Waitrose to supporting more farmers to move to naturefriendly farming practices, helping to boost financial resilience of farms in the long-term and combat the effects of climate change. We look forward to continuing to work with Domaine Mirabeau on this exciting journey. “ Wine producers rallying to the regenerative cause include regenerative viticulture (RV) pioneers Tablas Creek, Neal Family Vineyards, Robert Hall Winery, Bonterra and Domaine Bousquet as well as some of the larger wine groups including the Perrin Family, Jackson Family Wines and Moët Hennessy. These producers are now joined by hundreds of other wineries at varying stages of their RV journeys. During its beta testing stage alone, the RVF’s online RV Guide was accessed by 173 individuals who registered 110 vineyards in the map.
Stephen Cronk concluded: “I believe there is an increasing number of ‘conscious consumers’ who will demand products that do their part to heal the planet. As the term ‘regenerative’ becomes more commonplace over the next few years, consumers will want to trust a product’s claim that it has been farmed regeneratively, hence us certifying our vineyard. The regenerative movement provides farmers an opportunity to do something positive to address some of the challenges around the environment and climate change, and we believe that the regenerative movement is on a roll now. One day, I hope all vineyards will be farmed this way.”
Ancient Land, Pastures New
The creation of a small English vineyard.
This is a new book on the English wine scene written from ‘the coal face’ by a boutique wine producer of sparkling wine. In Ancient Land, Pastures New, Christopher Cooke offers a monthly account of the trials and tribulations he and his partner experience planting a boutique vineyard from scratch on ancient pasture in a beautiful part of West Berkshire; the ups and downs of nurturing its development over ten years; the descriptions of the passing seasons in the vineyard as they grapple with a chaotic climate; and the huge pleasures provided by the helpers, friends and charming visitors who come to visit or lend a hand. Not forgetting, of course, the joys of producing English sparkling wine in a cool climate.
Told in a light style with wry humour, the book could be seen as a cross between a vigneron’s alternative to A Year in Provence and a vine-hikers A-Z guide to planting in England. The book is a mix of personal diaries covering the planning, creation and running
of the vineyard, with chapters on organics, what Mother Nature throws at us on a regular basis, and the art of ‘low intervention’ winemaking. The appendices cover the subject of viticulture and biodynamic wine growing in more detail. The discussion of regenerative viticulture and how Winding Wood Vineyard embraced organics should give the book an extra appeal.
Having been immersed in the English wine scene for over ten years and chairman of one of the English wine regions, Christopher is fortunate to know many of the movers and shakers in what is a young, exciting industry –the newest of new world wine regions.
Over the last few years, the sparkling wines from Winding Wood have won numerous wine awards in national competition. This year their brut rosé won a gold medal and the sparkling wine trophy at the Independent English Wine Awards. The brut and rosé wines have also just won gold medals at the WineGB 2024 Awards and the rosé won the trophy for
Christopher has spent most of his career in publishing, firstly in books and latterly in consumer magazines. He fulfilled a lifetime’s ambition in the early 2000s by buying a bookshop in Hungerford, Berkshire. It continues to thrive to this day. He now sleeps with a pair of secateurs under his pillow.
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An insurance worth having
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Contact us to discuss your requirements; our expertise will guide you on the optimal ways to safeguard your buds during spring, where bud burst is a risk.
the top rosé sparkling. Small can certainly be beautiful.
Impressive new winery for Domaine Evremond
‘Friendship’ was a consistent theme as Kent’s impressive new Domaine Evremond winery in Chilham, opened the previous day by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh GCVO, was unveiled to members of the press.
Taittinger’s decision to plant grapes in Kent represented the first investment by a major Champagne house in land in the United Kingdom, and has helped cement the South East’s reputation as the home of top-quality sparkling wine that can rival anything in the world.
Domaine Evremond is a partnership between Champagne Taittinger and the French company’s UK partner, Hatch Mansfield, and reflects a longstanding friendship between Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger and Patrick McGrath MW. Other friendships have grown up more recently but seem equally strong, with Taittinger’s vineyard director Christelle Rinville sharing the presentation on the ‘outside’ elements of the 125ha site (60ha of which has now been planted) with Mark Gaskain of Gaskains Ltd. Having sold the land on which the first vines were planted to the
partnership in 2015, Mark, who still grows 70 million apples a year, became a valuable part of the Domaine Evremond set up, and his team now carries out all the vineyard management tasks under Christelle’s guidance and with agronomy support from Agrii.
The first vines – unsurprisingly Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier – were planted in 2017, with renowned UK viticulturalist Stephen Skelton MW also contributing his expertise to the team.
Following a small harvest in 2019, Domaine Evremond’s first full harvest was in 2020 and the first bottling took place in 2021. The first edition of Domaine Evremond’s Classic Cuvée, a blend of 55% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Meunier, has spent three years on the lees and went down well with the guests at the launch. It will be on sale from next spring.
Patrick McGrath MW
Work began on the striking winery at the top of the site in 2022 following a lengthy planning battle with a resident who opposed the plans, which had been readily approved by Ashford Borough Council. The building, much of which is buried deep in the ground and features a natural cellar, involved digging a 40,000 cubic metre hole in the chalk.
After Christelle and Mark had outlined the surface elements of the operation, Champagne Taittinger’s chef de cave Alexandre Ponnavoy showed guests around the impressive winery.
At the Royal opening, Patrick McGrath MW commented: “Domaine Evremond has been more than 10 years in the making. It has been an incredible and exciting journey for all the team, and the driving force throughout has always been that of friendship.”
Alexandre Ponnavoy
Have-a-go heroes
Three wines inspire this story in this month’s column. A few others could probably join this trio, but these three epitomise my resounding theme. They do it with unwavering commitment, unshakable confidence, and unfathomable persistence, and they don’t need any support from the cheap seats.
Sam Lindo bounded up to me at the WineGB tasting, thrusting a glass of red wine in my hand. I hadn’t even tasted his sparklers or whites, and yet his ear-to-ear grin and unquenchable enthusiasm meant I followed his lead and, after a sip, was delighted to have done so.
The story of this wine is set out opposite, but it was not only the flavour that impressed me but Sam’s ability to think outside of the box, solve a problem and have a bloody good go.
Suppose I had to sum up one attribute that most impresses me about people from all walks of life. If anyone has a bloody good go at something, I invariably migrate to them, wanting to learn and draw inspiration from their positivity.
These radiant souls are often prepared to throw
Tom Barnes was at pains to inform me that his grandparents picked the site for their vineyards, and his dad, Julian, planted the Gewurztraminer vines in 2011, the first year he returned home after his studies. All Tom had to do was to get it into a bottle which he did last year. He sent me a sample of the first vintage, which wasn’t illuminating. It must be nigh on impossible to make the most characterful white grape of all taste in any way neutral, but this was squarely achieved with the 2022 vintage of this wine. We laughed about it. I did anyway. But what genuine have-a-go-types do is they get back
caution to the wind and wing it, trialling and failing before stumbling across initiatives or techniques that create new and fascinating inventions.
We are spoilt as a nation in the UK because of our tacit eccentricity and desire to experiment and rectify an issue before calling in ‘the experts’ or having to pay someone for advice. I love that we usually have at least a few goes even if we sense a problem, or a challenge is unlikely to be solved.
I call those of us more likely to succeed Have-A-Go Heroes, and Sam ought to be the wine business’s honorary chair. ‘If at first you don’t succeed; try, try again” is possibly one of the most irritating expressions of all, whereas ‘Have-A-Go’ (capitalised because it is usually shouted, not whispered) has a charm to it that implies one doesn’t expect success, but if it happens, then bravo!
Our wine trade is filled to the brim with Have-A-Go Heroes, some of whose wines might not have seen the light of day, but for others, these creations have proved that from a lightning strike of inspiration, the results can be utterly delicious, spawning newfound pathways to ever more success.
on the horse, and so, while unsuccessfully suppressing a smirk, Tom offered me a taste of the 2023 vintage, and I am thrilled to report that this tri-generational dream has come to fruition. Of course, it would work.
All it needed was for Tom and his team to keep trying and never give up. They have even planted more vines. This tiny production will go on sale after this edition is published, so if you are not a Biddenden Vineyards Gold Card Member, you are likely to miss out on the UK’s first Gewurz that actually looks and tastes like delicate rose petals and juicy lychees while retaining a stunning, crisply teasing dry finish!
I remember visiting Camel Valley many years ago. Bob Lindo proudly introduced me to his son, Sam, who at the time was a wisp of a chap who barely looked like he was out of short trousers. Bob’s intro was anything other than timid, “Sam is amazing. He can fix anything in the winery.”
I must have commented that it was useful to have a handyman around, whereupon Bob firmly put me right. “He doesn’t just fix things that are broken. He engineers new parts from scratch, redesigning all manner of equipment so it works better and lasts longer.”
OK, so he might just have been the most useful young’un in our fledgling trade back then, and he certainly has proved his worth ever since, not least when he embarked upon making red wine in a wholly fascinating and, dare I say it, rather logical manner that has Vagabond
£35.00
www.vagabondwines.co.uk
I went a little weak at the knees when I tasted winemaker Jose Quintana’s Solena Batch 001 a couple of years ago.
This faintly crazy, multi-vintage, skin-contact, orange-style, fantasy Ortega project was started in 2018. In 2022, the first release of this NV Ortega, which included 20% 2018 skin contact Ortega and 80% 2021 skin contact Ortega, was electrifying, if ever so slightly unnerving.
Two years on, and if you have not learned that Jose was born from Have-A-Go genes, you ought to by now because his entire range
resulted in a stunningly attractive conclusion. So this is how this Have-A-Go Superhero did it – The grapes were picked as if for sparkling wine production, so there was no need to “drop fruit” and no “waiting until November to pick”. Sam then blended the grapes (yes – Magimix-ed them), pressed them off after 12 hours and fermented the juice like a white wine. He then “malo’d, mox’d and very light oak chipped” (I love his abbreviations, which everyone reading this mag will understand, and no one else!) to truly respect the “industrial nature of the process.” And that was that.
Sam is a genius because if it tasted like a hair-brained concoction, it would not find its way onto this page. Instead, it is dark, smooth, enchantingly perfumed, varietally precise, silky, forward-drinking and complete. Who’d have thought it? Sam, that’s who – our very own Have-A-Go Hero.
of wines is jaw-droppingly sublime, with the erstwhile tree-hugging-funkiness wholly replaced with Cool Hand Luke confidence and this is showcased by Solena Batch 003, a wine that is so unique and also so tear-jerkingly beautiful it defies comprehension.
It makes me wonder – if we didn’t have this wine in the ether, and, more importantly, I hadn’t tasted it, would my life be complete. Toothsome, invigorating, kaleidoscopic and with a peacock’s tail of tone and shimmer, this landmark wine ought to inspire even the most risk-averse dullard to have a bloody go.
A logical choice
Warehorne Vineyard set in the Kent countryside is strikingly pretty. Vines fully laden with ripe bunches of red grapes are to be seen either side of the driveway as visitors arrive at the site a few miles outside the bustling town of Ashford, Kent. Views from the site stretch across to Dungeness and the vineyard wraps around the buildings so the outside world literally disappears.
Warehorne Vineyard however has depth and interest far beyond the cosmetic beauty of the site. In 2020 Peter Constable decided to plant vines on land that surrounded his family home, a former derelict oasthouse in the Kent countryside.
Peter said: “Twenty years ago the oasthouse was without electricity or water and we initially bought it with an acre of land from a sheep farmer.” Peter and his family became friends with the land owner and when a decision to sell the land was made the land owner offered the land to Peter. “The oasthouse was left over from the days when this land had been used to grow hops and although it had been a sheep farm for 99 years, if historically it had been used for hops I knew it would also be good for grape vines,” said Peter.
After many years spent thinking about the prospect of planting a vineyard Peter was able to purchase the necessary land and initially 15,250 vines were planted by S J Barnes.
This initial planting was predominantly Pinot Noir but also consisted of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Meunier. Interestingly this initial planting contained a small plot of 300 Divico vines. “I wanted to plant Piwi varieties but found it very difficult to source them, 300 was all I could get,” said Peter. “At that time I tried to go direct to the supplier in Switzerland but there was a language problem,” he added.
Peter always had the intention that Warehorne Vineyard would become known for producing English red wine, he explained: “Right from the beginning I wanted to make sure that we produced more red wine than white and rosé combined.”
In a country that is still considered a marginal climate for winemaking and with premium English sparkling wine gaining international recognition this determination for Warehorne to produce red wine seems at first glance both remarkable and brave. Peter’s explanation for this decision is both insightful and logical.
“In 2023 there were 21.6 million bottles produced with 76% of that being sparkling and 23% being still (of that 23% only 13% was red) with an additional 1% including products such as vermouth. So that means that red wine was only 2.99% of the overall production figure for the year,” he explained.
Peter works as a freelance IT consultant which has allowed the gradual organic expansion of the vineyard. “I have to work to pay for the planting, the trellising, the vines…it has been a continuous struggle,” he said.
Sitting in the late September sunshine surrounded by vines the struggle has certainly had benefits. “In 2021 I managed to plant 2,000 Caberet Noir vines and in 2022 8,000 more Divico vines were planted,” Peter said. All the vines are planted on a single guyot, Pendalbogen system with the arched style allowing for even growth.
Peter’s determination to realise his dream of planting Piwi red varieties once again saw
him directly contact the supplier in Switzerland arranging for the importation of the vines himself. “This is currently believed to be the largest planting of Divico in either England or Wales, and 2024 is the first crop,” he added with a smile.
For the first crop from these 8,000 vines the results are impressive but Peter is not surprised as the initial 300 Divico vines planted in 2020 have given him experience to understand how this variety will perform on the site. “If they are cropping at 2kg a vine in the first year it will produce 4kg-5kg a vine in the next year,” said Peter. His analytical approach to the vineyard gives him a grasp of production figures that is truly impressive. “In their second season 300 vines produced 1.49 tonnes, averaging 5kg a vine,” he continued. For the first year to ensure the young vines are not stressed half of the bunches are removed.
“The vines produce four bunches on each shoot so we removed half of the bunches.”
With both Caberet Noir and Divico growing on the site Peter is ideally placed to discuss the differences between these interesting Piwi varieties both from a flavour profile point of view and a viticulturist perspective. “I personally feel that Divico is a little bit fruitier than Caberet Noir but they are very different vines.
“Divico are extremely vigourous vines, a little bit late in starting with a tendency to grow sideways. If you do not continuously manage the growth the vines grow from one bay into another. The Divico vines also give an amazing amount of fruit.
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Peter Constable
“The first harvest of Caberet Noir took place in 2023 and 3.5 tonnes were harvested from 2000 vines so that was about 1.5kg per vine, which is still very good for a first harvest. I do think last year was a good harvest and levels are down this year. We are a young vineyard so it is difficult to look at what an average year would be but this year the vines have struggled to ripen the fruit. The leaves, bunches and berries are all smaller on the Caberet Noir than the Divico and the vines are very upright and the canopy on balance is slightly easier to maintain.”
The balancing act
As a Piwi variety the Divico vines have not suffered any fungal problems at all even in such a difficult growing season. “The bunches are very loose giving protection against Botrytis,” he explained. For preventative purposes there have been three sprays across the year, one at woolly bud stage, one in late July and one in September and the vines are looking lush, green and clean. This is in stark contrast to the traditional Pinot varieties that are on this site, “they are a constant fungal challenge,” said Peter. Growing experience of these Piwi vines has also given Peter anecdotal
The balancing act
As a Piwi variety the Divico vines have not suffered any fungal problems at all even in such a difficult growing season.
evidence regarding Divico and its relationship to SWD. “This area was particularly affected by SWD in 2023. We have a Burgundy clone, Pinot Noir planted alongside our original 300 Divico vines. The Pinot Noir was hit by SWD, I sprayed as soon as I was aware but it had already caused damage and I lost six rows although I was able to contain it. The Divico was right next door and remained untouched, so the evidence suggests the SWD would have flown over the Divico to get to the Pinot Noir,” he said laughing. This is an interesting observation and may have many explanations. Peter’s theory is: “The Divico have very thick skins and from my experience are therefore less attractive to SWD
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I have also noticed that SWD like to attack the bunches from the middle rather than the outside so I think that the open bunches make it harder for the SWD to enter.”
Pests in the vineyard are not limited to SWD. In previous years wasps have been a problem and the vineyard has taken proactive steps to reduce wasp numbers and there are wasps visible in traps around the site. (It is interesting and encouraging to note that there have been no sightings at this vineyard of the invasive Asian Hornet.)
One pest that Peter has noticed are pheasants which wander into the vineyard from a local shoot and seem rather partial to the grapes but other birds are more of a problem and both kites and a bird scarer (sympathetically placed so as to cause very little noise nuisance to any neighbouring properties) are employed at the vineyard.
“There are power lines that go through the site and the starlings like to sit on them and eye up the fruit and they literally swoop down in their hundreds and gorge themselves for about thirty seconds, and then fly up again. In our first year we should have had about 1000kg from the Pinot Gris and after the birds had finished we had about 220kg left, they took 75% of the fruit,” he said.
To combat the starlings, Peter now nets the vines. Peter devised a roller system, utilising a UTV to drive the rows with the nets then clipped in place, that makes the process of netting easier but it is still too labour intensive to net all 25,000 vines. In another example of Peter’s logical approach, the fact that there are only a small number of Pinot Gris vines (1000) and considering their appeal to the resident starling population he made the decision that these are the vines that will be netted. “I can’t
afford to lose any of the crop to bird predation,” he said.
There are rabbits and badgers “but the badgers are lazy they will only take the very low hanging fruit,” said Peter.
The vineyard has not suffered from a lack of labour availability at harvest and this year a 12 strong picking team supplied by VineWorks, efficiently harvested the Divico crop during the first week in October. The vineyard also has volunteer days at the weekends during harvest and this allows them to fully engage with the local community. Taking place on the weekend allows as many of the local community to get involved as possible and Peter spoke of the atmosphere created on these occasions. <<
Smiths
Smiths of the Forest
Dean
Half of the grapes grown are sold under contract and this has allowed the small family business to fund the production of their own wines.
<< Half of the grapes grown are sold under contract and this has allowed the small family business to fund the production of their own wines. Currently the wines are made by local winemaker Defined Wine in Canterbury under the brand name Oasthouse. “Defined Wine are the authority on making Divico wines,” said Peter.
The decision to separate the vineyard name from the brand was taken because Peter wanted to use something that immediately identified with Kent and south east England to ensure consumers could at a glance associate the wines with their geographic origin. There is also a wistful note in Peter’s voice when he talks about the oasthouse that he so lovingly turned from a derelict building into a family home that is now at the centre of a beautiful vineyard. It seems that the oasthouse and now the vineyard have become part of the family and it is therefore fitting that both should be linked together in the label for this range of wines.
The wines include a single varietal Divico which is a finalist for the Great British Food awards 2024, this is a competition that celebrates artisanal products. It is encouraging that this English red wine is attracting national attention especially since Divico is a less well known variety than Pinot Noir. Matthew Jukes has selected the wine for his masterclass at the Vineyard & Winery Show and the Divico and the Red Reserve will be available at the tasting hubs. So there will be plenty of opportunity for visitors to the Vineyard and Winery show to discover these English red wines for themselves.
“I really value awards but the red wines were bottled too late to be entered into the WineGB competition,” said Peter. The Red Reserve is a blend of 60% Divico and 40% Pinot Noir and
there is also a 100% Pinot Noir. As the vineyard reaches full production in the next few years the production of red wine will extend to 50,000 bottles of red wine.
Peter and members of the family along with Andrew Trussell the vineyard assistant all conduct tours of Warehorne Vineyard for the public. Wine tour companies like our tour because we talk about the growth of the vineyard showing how the vines have been pruned over the years and how pruning decisions are made at year one and the following years. We explain about rootstock choices and then about varieties, we make it educational because we have found that people really want to learn something when they do a vineyard tour,” said Peter.
“Although there are a wide range of people who come on tours there are a significant number of the visitors to the vineyard that fall into the 25-35 age range, usually working professionals looking for interesting experiences. Ashford has great rail links to central London with a journey time of just over 35 minutes and so unsurprisingly many of the vineyard visitors come from the city. “Most of the visitors on the tours will buy wine, it is a very rare exception if someone does not buy wine from the cellar door.”
People on wine tours often specifically ask for the tours to include red wine. As the
figures quoted earlier show there are not that many English red wines currently and “we are able to offer people three red wines. We are hoping to make a fourth red wine from Caberet Noir from the 2025 harvest.” The reaction of people taking part in the red wine tasting has given Peter encouragement. “The first thing people say when they try the Divico is: Wow I didn’t expect that.” Peter points to those consumers who like Malbec as those who particularly enjoy the Divico. This was one of the reasons Peter was initially keen to plant Divico as the variety was achieving levels of 15% abv in Switzerland.
Peter explained that on the tours he gives the story of Divico as a Piwi grape that is good for the English and Welsh wine industry as it is suited to our climate. Whilst Peter is committed to Piwi as a “game changer” for English and Welsh wine he looks to these varieties as an addition to the traditional not a replacement.
A new tasting room was opened on site in August 2024 and commands an elevated position offering fabulous views across the vines. Like everything at Warehorne vineyard there are already future plans for the space which include kitchen facilities and a balcony that will bring the guests such close proximity to the vines it will feel like you could reach out and touch them.
Initially Peter had considered planting a
vineyard as a project that would keep him busy. “I dread retirement so now I have made sure I will never retire,” he said laughing.
Peter and his family have definitely embraced the vineyard and Peter and his son Seb, who is an analytical chemist, have both taken the oenology course at Plumpton. Although Seb works full time he still uses his skills in the vineyard. “He came home last night and was doing TA analysis in the barn (the hard way),” said Peter. “He will eventually be the winemaker and we are looking forward to the future when we can work together in the vineyard,” he added with warmth in his voice. Other family members have been involved in building the website.
Peter and his family have plenty of plans for the future and the main aim is to fund an onsite winery and there is already a suitable building which could be used for this purpose. A winery combined with the possibility of machine harvesting the red grapes would mean that the fruit would move into tank within hours.
At Warehorne vineyard unique decisions have been made and whilst these decisions have a logical foundation they have been taken with a passion for good wine and a love of the land. There is so much that this vineyard has to offer both now and moving forward, Warehorne Vineyard is a place where the future does not just look rosy… it looks like a very good red.
Forgotten parcels of traditional method English sparkling wine
This month Vineyard magazine chatted with Tim Wildman, MW about his exciting new English Wine business, Lark and Folly.
What is Lark and Folly?
Lark & Folly is the umbrella brand for an ever changing range of small parcels of English traditional method wines that I’ve been discovering as I travel around the country. The tag line is “lost and found fizz”.
Where did the idea for the business come from?
Back in 2020 I was doing the initial detective work for my English pét-nat brand, Lost in a Field. I was travelling around the country looking for the remaining vineyards of German heritage grape varieties, such as Madeline Angevine and Schönburger. Whilst on my travels I came across these parcels of old, often forgotten English traditional method wines, often still sitting on their less, and it was too good an opportunity to pass up. I wanted to find a way to rescue these old parcels and take them to market, and Lark & Folly was born.
What is the inspiration behind the name?
The name is a pun, we’re having a lark with somebody else’s folly. The label of a skylark flying over a folly tower hopefully distracts people from the hidden meaning. When I first moved to London in the mid 90s I lived in Clapham Junction, just around the corner from Philglas & Swiggot, I must have walked past that shop a hundred times before I saw the joke.
How many forgotten wines have you discovered on your business journey so far?
About half a dozen so far, but cash flow is a killer, so we’re just buying two or three parcels at a time. I found an incredible parcel of a thousand bottles of 1996 Somerset Sparkling Pinot Noir, still on its lees. There was a certain amount of bottle variation, but the best bottles were stunning. Unfortunately the owner, who is in his eighties, is holding onto the stock for sentimental reasons. But I’m sure there’s plenty more out there like that.
As a Master of Wine what makes you excited about these wines?
How many times do you discover a whole new corner of the wine world that nobody knows anything about? The story of English sparkling wine is a pretty new and exciting discovery for many people in the wine world outside of the UK, but the Lark & Folly wines are like peeling back another layer of the onion. So you know about English traditional method, how about aged and mature English traditional method? Made from rare heritage grape varieties? The uniqueness is incredibly exciting. There is also the thrill of the chase, finding these parcels, negotiating the purchase then the winemaking challenge of dosage trials to polish the wines to match their style and age. I love the sense of discovery, and then sharing that excitement with other people.
What can these wines tell us about the journey of the English and Welsh wine industry?
The first release of Lark & Folly wines are made from varieties that people may not be that familiar with, Schönburger from Kent and Reichensteiner and Huxelrebe from East Sussex. They show what can be done with these heritage grape varieties planted before the sector became a monolith of the champagne varieties. Until very recently these varieties had a stigma attached to them due to being associated with the amateur period of English wine. I’d like to think that thanks to a renewed interest in them for making contemporary styles such as pét-nat they are having their reputation reappraised, and the Lark & Folly wines are part of that new story.
How do you find these forgotten wines?
So far I’ve discovered most of them whilst travelling the country looking for heritage grape varieties, and these lost parcels of wine are often associated with lost vineyards. As the wines have got out into the market I’ve had some people start to contact me with leads for other parcels, and I hope that continues.
How do people respond to the wines and their story?
The reception has been fantastic. People love stories, our 2010 and 2011 Lark & Folly Kent Schönburger was discovered in the cobwebbed ballroom of a country house that was part of a deceased estate. The trade also loves wine that will surprise and delight their customers and our 2006 East Sussex Reichensteiner/Huxelrebe that retails at £36 is the oldest English traditional method on the market, and at a price where people can take a risk and try it.
Will the project expand in the future?
How?
When I was travelling around the country playing detective work for Lost in a Field, I became aware of the extent of the recent plantings in the UK, and that a colossal overstock was heading our way. For the last ten years there have been four or five million vines a year being planted, and not all, but many of them by people who haven’t the first idea of who they’ll be selling to. Annual production is set to exceed twenty million bottles a year, with projections estimating forty million in less than a decade. After a Covid-19 peak, annual sales are back to around six million. There’s already probably well over 50 million bottles sitting in sheds and warehouses around the county, and that stock is being increased each year to the tune of ten to fifteen million bottles, and growing. The way I explain this to people is that it’s not even mathematics, it’s basic physics, you can’t fit a gallon into a pint pot. There’s going to be an ocean of overstocks, but unlike most wine lakes, which are often lower grade wine, this will be pretty good quality traditional method sitting on its lees and getting better each year. Of course there’s a limit to how long it can improve, but ten to fifteen years is the sweet spot that we’re interested in. And if we can take that stock off people’s hands at a sharp price, essentially helping them to clear their
shed and avoid storage costs for wines that have no home, then we can cover the cost of disgorging, dosing, labelling and packing, and still get the wines on the shelf that will match or beat equivalent current vintage wines that are only three or four years old. And that’s the market opportunity for Lark & Folly. The overstock won’t last forever, but I reckon it could take a good five to ten years to work its way through the system, during which time we’ll help people to offload unwanted inventory, and provide customers with really interesting aged traditional method wines at an affordable price.
What is your favourite grape variety/ wine style? Why?
Because I make pét-nat, in both England and Australia, I drink a lot of pét-nat, not only because I enjoy it, but that’s the only way to learn and keep improving what you do. In terms of grape varieties, for my English pét-nats I love the juiciness and exotic flavours of Madeline Angevine. The pét-nats I make in South Australia use climate appropriate Southern Italian such as Nero d’Avola, Fiano and Zibibbo. They require a lot less water in the vineyard, are heat resistant, drought tolerent and come into the winery with fantastic natural acidity, meaning we can make minimum intervention pét-nats that are fruity and fault free. If I’m honest about what I spend my money on it’s mostly Madiran, Alsace whites and whatever Nebbiolo I can afford.
Preparing to plant
Part 2
In last month’s Vineyard magazine I dealt with the basics of getting your vineyard in the ground: measuring your site, ordering your vines, vine density, rootstocks, site preparation and planting. For November I propose to deal with four other very important issues: pruning, trellising, weed control and post-planting care.
Pruning
Pruning is something that needs to be considered along with vine density as the two are bound together, plus the type of pruning usually fixes the type of trellising.
Of course, some types of pruning systems need wider rows: cordon-pruned systems such as GDC (Geneva Double Curtain) and Sylvoz: and Lyre and bush (or gobelet) trained vines – there are others. These types of pruning are more common in hot regions, where large yields are possible, but now rarely (if ever) seen in England and Wales.
Some types of pruning lend themselves to narrower rows and are more commonly found in cooler regions of which England and Wales are prime examples.
Whilst there is no official data on pruning systems, it is my guess that the vast majority of vineyards planted here in the last twenty years have been single or double Guyot trained with a few growers adopting an arched cane system, known as Pendlebogen in Germany.
There are also a few plantings of Scott Henry, which can be cordon or cane pruned, a few
GDC diehards, and a few spur-pruned fans, but these are very much in the minority.
The reasons that cane pruning is now the industry standard are easy to see. Higher planting densities, as discussed in last month’s article, have higher yields and better-quality fruit. Cane pruning is easy to understand, to teach and to carry out, something new vineyard owners appreciate.
Additionally cane pruned vines will give you a fair crop in year three (sometimes a small crop even in year two), great for cash-flow. Whereas once 1.2m -1.4m between vines was considered normal, with two-cane double Guyot as the standard, many growers are now planting at 0.8m -1m and using single Guyot pruning. It is my experience that single Guyot allows next year’s replacement cane more space to grow and it gets more exposure to light and air, both helping promote fruiting.
Trellising
As well as ordering your vines and booking the planting contractor, you will need to give some thought to trellising, both timing of and materials.
Unless there are financial or other constraints, putting the trellising up in the first summer is best for the vines.
In most soils, given the opportunity, coupled with the right post-planting treatment, your vines should reach 1.5m high and, in many cases, even higher. This is far too high for them to be unsupported and as a minimum they need a planting cane or rod to grow up.
Don’t worry too much if your vines have only made 75mm growth by the end of their first season as long as most of the vines are around the same height. What you don’t want to see is some tall ones, some smaller ones, and some that have made very little growth. That’s a sign of poor soil preparation or poor planting technique.
The best planting cane is undoubtedly a 1.2m x 6mm galvanised steel planting vine ‘tutor’ (as they are known in France). These have ‘waves’ in them which provide anchorage for the vine’s own tendrils to latch onto, saving you time and materials. These rods are best left attached to the vine for life as not only do they provide support vertically for the vine’s trunk and keep it straight – important when you want to use a double-sided undervine weeder – but also
provide support horizontally for the fruiting wire to which they are clipped.
Try to think of your trellis as a complete unit with each element: vine rods, intermediate posts, end-posts and (most importantly) end-post anchors all playing their part in supporting the vine’s foliage and of course, its crop. The intermediates need to be 70mm75mm in the ground, the end-posts a bit further. The anchors – and please never trellis a vineyard without good anchors – must be suitable for the soil they are going into and the length of the rows they are servicing.
One element to the trellising which I feel is often ignored is the height of the leafwall. With 2.40m intermediates, the fruiting wire at 0.75m, and allowing the leafwall to extend around 0.20m above the (single) top wire, you will end up with a leafwall of around 1.20m. This is the minimum you need in our climate to get enough leaf area to both ripen the fruit fully, plus produce enough carbohydrates to replenish the vine’s canes and permanent woody parts (trunks and root system) for it to survive the winter and produce lots of viable flowers in the early summer.
Do not be tempted to raise the height of the fruiting wire to a more back-friendly height of say 0.90m (and I have even seen them higher) as without increasing the height of your intermediates, this will only reduce the leafwall height and thus the area of leaf needed for photosynthesis. It goes without saying that if you want a trellis that will last the life of the vineyard, galvanised steel for everything is the only sensible choice. Whilst timber may look nice, try telling me that after you have replaced an end-post after only five years in the ground.
Weed control
It seems strange to be planning for weed control before the vines are even in the ground, but believe me, you need to. If vines will grow and succeed in your soil, then so will weeds, that is unless they are controlled.
As I said above, newly planted vines have a very small root system when they are planted and they need to grow as fast as possible to access the fertilisers and other nutrients that are in the soil, plus of course the water they need to grow.
Weeds of course also need these and if you let them grow up amongst and around your vines, they will compete for those same resources. Until your vines are all well established with good root systems and good vigorous growth – which is probably by year three – the best practice is to keep a weedfree corridor directly beneath the vines of at least 60cm wide.
There are many different ways of keeping weeds away from your vines: some work, but only on a small scale; some work, but are prohibitively expensive and time consuming; some half-work, which is as good as not working at all; a few work well as long as the right equipment is on hand and used at the right time. You can forget mulches and undervine cover crops, they are just not practical or economical, and don’t get me started on sheep or other ‘weed eating’ animals.
The only two methods that really work are undervine cultivation and herbicides. Undervine cultivation means a tractor mounted hoe (of which there are many types) used regularly and at the right time for the weeds, which is not necessarily the right time for you. There are both single-sided and double-sided versions and none of the effective ones are cheap.
Most growers find that one type of undervine hoe works with the soil in one state (say dry with a light weed cover) and not in another (damp with lots of weeds). This means that many growers, especially larger ones, will have two different types in order to cope with all eventualities.
In order to keep your undervine area clean you will need to hoe around every two weeks during the (weed) growing season and unless you have a double-sided hoe, this will mean up and down each row twice. The wear on blades and the burning of diesel can soon add
up. Many growers, whose primary method of weed control is undervine hoeing, will use a half-rate glyphosate in the early spring, in order to start hoeing with a clean(ish) vineyard to start with, and then follow up with a postharvest clean-up spray.
And then there are herbicides. These work well if applied correctly and at the right time for the weeds. There is one pre-emergent herbicide permitted in English and Welsh vineyards (Kerb) which will stop most germinating seedlings, but which must be used by 31 January and four effective herbicides, some contact and some translocated.
Typically two to three sprays a year will be enough, but this depends very much on how much weed cover you start with. If you start early, within a few weeks of planting, with your vines protected by rabbit guards that double as spray guards, then the job will be much easier than if you start once the weeds have had a chance to grow and establish themselves. It goes without saying that you need a dedicated weed sprayer of which there are many different types. Fully shielded ones work well in vineyards.
The decision over which system to use is a tortuous one for most vineyards, but believe me, it needs taking sooner rather than later. Starting with herbicides and after a season or two, changing to cultivations (or a dual herbicide-cultivation system) is what many decide to do.
Care of vines after planting
Many growers seem to think that once planting is over, they are done for the year and all they have to do is sit back and watch their vines grow. How wrong can they be?
If you have done all your site preparation correctly, got the nutrient status right, and planted your vines into a receptive soil, the
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.
work of vine-building can start. There are (of course) several ways of achieving this, but in my half a century of involvement with viticulture, the best way to get your vines cropping, evenly and as quickly as possible so that you get your first crop and start recouping the considerable sums already spent, is to start early, and start properly. This means as soon as you see shoots growing which will probably be around three to four weeks after planting. At this stage, you need to ‘single out’ your vines, rubbing off all but one shoot, typically the best positioned to grow into your vine’s trunk. Be careful not to select a rootstock shoot, which will be coming from the lower part of the graft, or even from the rootstock itself. You will probably need to do this twice over a two to three week period as not all vines will be as vigorous as each other and not all parts of the vineyard will push the vines at the same rate. After this you will need to start removing side shoots, so that the ‘leader’ shoot is not distracted from its task of trunk-building.
Whilst there are some who think that just leaving the vines to get on with it, allowing every shoot to grow in the first (and sometimes even the second) year on the basis that ‘more shoots equals better roots’, the fact is that the taller a young vine grows, the more leaf area it has, and the more leaf area it has, the more roots it will grow. More leaf area also gives you more area for sprays which will keep the vines healthy and photosynthesizing to their maximum. Except on the smallest vineyards, you will not be able to do the work of singling out and side shoot removal on your own, so plan to hire in labour in your first summer to help.
Agricultural matters
Biodiversity Net Gain
Borrowing against stored wine
Business sale/purchase/transfer/set up
Commercial property sales/purchases/leases
Contracts advice/drafting/disputes
Employment matters
Grape broking/growing contracts
Land sourcing/sales/purchases
Planning permission
Tenancy issues
Wine storage arrangements
Plant with a plan
Map out your wine journey, target markets and investment strategy.
Planting a vineyard, creating a brand and producing your own wine can be exhilarating. It is not only a fabulous industry to be a part of; if you get your strategy right, over time it can also be a profitable endeavour.
In our experience working across the UK and in locations around the world, we have developed a keen understanding of the factors which help clients not only plant impressive, productive, and sustainable vineyards but also navigate a path for financial and market success.
Access expert advice
The Vinescapes team is led by viti-climatologist Dr Alistair Nesbitt and ACCA certified accountant Paula Nesbitt who has more than 20 years of financial forecasting experience with Blue Chip organisations. Together they work with clients to map out business strategies and financial forecasts before any decision is made about planting a vineyard.
Recently, Vinescapes also welcomed Kerrie Lyons to the team, who has a Masters in Wine Business and more than 20 years of experience in marketing and communication including 15 years within the Australian wine industry, working across many prominent Australian wine brands and regions.
Plant with a plan
Our core message to clients and anyone thinking of planting a vineyard is to only ‘plant with a plan’.
Without a well-defined business strategy, it may become increasingly difficult to sell the 5,0000-6,000 bottles of wine produced per hectare of vines. If your stock holdings increase every vintage your business will face the critical challenge of maintaining a steady cash-flow, particularly with rising storage costs.
A clear business plan which identifies your customer marketing, promotional and product strategies, financial forecasting and investment priorities, will shape your operations, determine what grape varieties to plant and determine the size of your vineyard.
In other words, without a plan which maps your whole wine journey from ground to grape to glass, your wine business could make numerous missteps before it takes any step in the right direction.
Identify your unique selling points
Establishing a marketing and brand strategy means you can be an industry leader, rather than one which follows the pack. One of the key tactics for reaching your target consumer is by identifying your unique selling points. This requires a detailed analysis of the market, understanding your competition and building a vision for what sets your brand apart from the rest. This work will help to determine your product positioning, pricing, promotions, consumer experiences and importantly the stories you tell to reach the people you want to be a part of your wine journey.
Invest wisely
To achieve success requires a level of investment across all facets of the business. Identifying priorities and allocating funds accordingly ensures there is sufficient investment beyond the vineyard and winery. It is an exceedingly rare event when a product or brand attracts a loyal consumer base organically, without any pre-planning. Successful businesses plan to proactively manage risks and invest strategically to achieve long-term profitability.
So, if you are about to plant a vineyard, or you already have and would like support with a business strategy, marketing plans or just a review of your assumptions and product potential, get in touch with Vinescapes.
Which trellis post is right for your vineyard?
Vineyard trellis posts are integral to the strength, longevity and durability of your trellising system. They provide the optimum angles for distributing weight and securing anchors and wires. With many different options available, how do you choose which post is right for your site?
There are two main types of vineyard post
In both processes, the steel is run through a molten zinc bath which chemically bonds to the steel.
◆ Hot-Dipped Galvanised, (aka Post-Galvanised)
– The highest quality, premium level on the market
– Raw, uncoated steel is rolled into shape; tags and holes are laser-cut, and then the whole post is galvanised in zincaluminium
– Ensures there are no exposed edges/ holes
– Hadley provide a 25-year guaranteeother manufacturers may vary
◆ Pre-Galvanised, (aka Band Galvanised, Inline Galvanised or Continuous Galvanised)
– The standard option
– Flat sheets of steel are galvanised in zinc-aluminium, then rolled into shape; tags and holes are laser-cut
– Edges/holes are not coated which can potentially lead to corrosion
Other
considerations
◆ Budget
– As with every project, forward-planning is key and being aware of the costs involved at every stage of establishing your vineyard ensures decisions can be based on knowledge and information
◆ Soil type/wind exposure/desired canopy height
– These factors can influence the length of post you require
– Exceedingly rocky sites may require slightly shorter posts or use of a rockspike to aid installation
– Highly exposed sites may require slightly longer posts to push further into the ground and/or include anchor side plates for added protection against the wind
– Your future vine training system will determine your desired canopy height which can impact your trellis post decisions
◆ Powder-coating options
– Many opt for natural browns and greens to sympathetically blend with the surrounding countryside
– Visibility in public places/conservation areas may dictate the need for powdercoating
– Powder-coating can be applied to both Hot-Dipped Galvanised and Pre-Galvanised posts, but does come at an additional cost
◆ Spares
– Minimum/multiple order quantities will likely come into play for any non-standard length or powder-coated posts
– No matter how perfect your vineyard operatives, there will always be the need for the occasional replacement post
◆ Row breaks/trees/footpaths
– Anything which interrupts a straight row will require additional end posts, anchors and assemblies and alter the calculation for intermediate posts
– Whilst a long row may be referred to as one Row X on your vineyard map, it may need to be considered as two rows for product calculations
◆ Installation
– Whether installing by hand with a petrol post driver/sledgehammer or using a tractor-mounted rammer, ensure you use a post protector to absorb the initial impact and avoid damaging the top of each post
◆ Access
– An imporant consideration for every stage of your vineyard establishment
– The length and weight of posts can make deliveries tricky if your site doesn’t have hard-standing, is situated down narrow roads, and/or you lack an offloader on site.
Alternative phrases
◆ End Posts, (aka Strainer Posts, Anchor Posts or Trellis Posts)
◆ Can be aesthetically pleasing for publicfacing areas
◆ Most commonly used for end posts
◆ Typically shorter lifespan than metal postsexpect to install replacements
◆ Extensive research is recommended into each manufacturer’s offering - consider wood type, treatments, warranties, corrosion-resistance etc
The role of your vineyard posts is to provide structure and support to your entire trellising system. All configurations should be considered before committing to your final decision – you want your trellis to last the lifetime of your vineyard, (or at least 25 years without costly replacements).
Photo: VineWorks, 2023
Trellis posts
Five steps towards a regenerative approach
As interest in regenerative viticulture continues to grow, Hutchinsons agronomist Megan Fitzpatrick highlights some steps growers can take.
Regenerative viticulture, or agroecology to give it another term, is being increasingly talked about, but the basic principles are nothing new, and often simply reflect good agronomic practice.
Fundamentally, regenerative viticulture views the vineyard as an ecosystem, seeking ways to make it more sustainable through integrated cultural and chemical options, utilising natural processes wherever possible.
Soil health, nutrition, disease control, weed management, and biodiversity are all key parts of an interlinked jigsaw. The quieter winter months are an ideal time to start planning any future changes, so here are five areas to focus on.
1. Plan carefully
Changing to a more regenerative system is a long-term process, so ideally you need at least a two to three-year plan in place. Evaluate everything you currently do in terms of vineyard management, the products and inputs used, then identify where changes can be made, discussing options with your agronomist.
2. Focus on soil and nutrition
Protecting and improving soils by building organic matter through reducing soil disturbance, or adding compost or other mulches, increasing soil biology, storing carbon, and improving natural nutrient cycling, is fundamental to the principle of regenerative viticulture.
Get soils tested in early spring to benchmark current condition and highlight any nutrient deficiencies or other issues that need rectifying (e.g. compaction, pH level). Support this with in-season tissue analysis (e.g. leaf petiole at early flowering) to identify what vines are accessing from the soil.
TerraMap high definition scanning is particularly useful pre-planting on new sites, as it highlights spatial variations in multiple soil properties.
Some may worry that adding organic matter to soil will encourage vigour and favour vegetative growth over grape quality. While canopies must be managed well, we are only really replacing nutrients taken at harvest, and supplementing nutrient cycling via leaf-fall and annual pruning.
Where prunings and other material are to be used as a compost mulch, material should be pulverised to promote breakdown, or collected and composted away from the vineyard to help minimise disease carryover risk.
Also consider the nutritional products to be used next season and alternatives to traditional fertilisers. Hutchinsons has seen promising results from processed pelleted chicken manure, for example, which offers slow nutrient release and is more suited to building and supporting soil biology rather than rapidly meeting requirements.
When planting new vines, adding mycorrhizal fungi to soil with compost is good practice, given the broad range of benefits offered.
3. Maintain cover
Establishing a diverse multi-species cover crop in alleyways and around the perimeter can bring many benefits to soil and biodiversity. Flowering species, such as phacelia, attract pollinators and other beneficial insects, while the variation of root architecture improves soil structure and natural drainage, aids water holding capacity, and reduces compaction risk on areas exposed to heavy traffic. Maintaining green cover also means plants are photosynthesising and ‘feeding’ soil biology year-round.
There are inevitable challenges in the undervine strip, given the benefits of keeping this clear to reduce competition and aid ripening. Some may consider allowing weeds to naturally grow over winter to provide ground cover, however be careful, as weeds will be harder to control with herbicides once they get too large.
4. Weed management
Targeted herbicide use remains important within regenerative viticulture systems, but other forms of weed control should be considered too. Options include, strimming/mowing, mulches (e.g. compost, weed membranes, sheep fleece), or novel non-chemical systems.
Sheep grazing is increasingly popular, but remember, sheep will eat vine leaves, so is only really an option in winter. Some have considered raising fruiting wires beyond the reach of sheep to extend the grazing window.
5. Plan disease controls
Another aim of regenerative viticulture is to reduce reliance on chemical disease control, utilising natural disease management solutions within an integrated programme.
Optimising nutrition to make vines less susceptible to infection and better able to fight it off, effective canopy management to aid airflow and integration of biological and chemical controls, are all part of this.
Many biological controls for Botrytis or mildew control are preventative measures that must be used within a well-planned programme, so if considering biologicals for next year, discuss the options with your agronomist as they work differently.
Amylo-X, for example, is based on a strain of Bacillus bacteria, which produces anti-fungal compounds, and works by inhibiting the development of pathogens on plant surfaces. Procrop ISR in contrast, features a blend of natural ingredients that activate the immune defence system of the plant.
Carbon accounting partnership
International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) partners with North Star
Carbon
Management to enhance carbon accounting and management in the wine industry.
International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with North Star Carbon Management, selecting them as the preferred platform for IWCA member companies to quantify, track, report, and manage their carbon emissions. This collaboration represents a significant advancement in supporting IWCA member wineries on their path towards sustainability and climate action.
North Star Carbon Management, led by co-founder and CEO Josh Prigge, brings a unique perspective to this partnership. Josh has extensive experience in sustainability within the wine industry and was the consultant IWCA contracted to develop its first excel-based carbon calculator for use by its members. This deep-rooted understanding of the industry’s specific needs forms a strong foundation for this collaboration.
The International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) is a collaborative group of environmentally committed wineries focused on reducing carbon emissions across the wine industry. IWCA aims to lead the way in creating climate action solutions that have a positive impact on the global wine industry.
“We are thrilled to partner with North Star Carbon Management to provide our members with a cutting-edge solution for carbon accounting and management. It is crucial for IWCA members and the broader wine sector to be able to quantify and manage their carbon emissions efficiently and accurately, as well as provide the ability to begin developing GHG reduction targets and decarbonization roadmaps,” said Charlotte Hey, Executive Director of IWCA.
“Having worked in sustainability within the wine industry for many
years, I am excited to see North Star Carbon Management become the preferred platform for IWCA member wineries. Our goal has always been to make carbon accounting and management as seamless and effective as possible, and this partnership will enable us to support more wineries in their sustainability journey by providing them with the tools they need to achieve their climate goals,” said Josh Prigge, CEO and co-founder of North Star Carbon Management.
As part of this partnership, North Star Carbon Management will offer a reduced cost for its platform to IWCA members, making it more accessible to wineries of all sizes. Additionally, very small IWCA member companies that may not have the resources to invest in a carbon accounting software platform will have free access to the tool, ensuring that all members can benefit from advanced carbon management capabilities.
The North Star platform offers IWCA members the easiest-to-use and most intuitive carbon management solution on the market. The platform includes customisable dashboards that provide a clear overview of emissions data, AI-enabled decarbonisation planning tools to develop effective reduction strategies, and the ability to collect supplier-specific emission data through a robust supplier engagement function.
Furthermore, North Star ensures 100% auditability and transparency of all calculations, with one-click audit reports that streamline third-party verification processes.
By formalising this partnership, IWCA and North Star Carbon Management are poised to make a significant impact on the sustainability efforts of wineries worldwide, helping them achieve their climate goals with advanced tools and support.
Growing year on year
ONE VINE AT A TIME
Like a fine wine, the Vineyard & Winery Show has developed and matured over the years – and after four years in the cellar, the 2024 event on 20 November promises to be something really special.
Unveiled by Vineyard magazine in 2021, this celebration of UK vineyards, growers, winemakers and wines has grown year on year, with more stands, more features, more opportunities to do business and, of course, plenty of great wines to sample.
Organisers this year took the brave decision to add a third hall to the show, held at the Kent Event Centre in Maidstone, and were rewarded by an impressive uptake from exhibitors, with the result that visitors will be able to chat to representatives from around 130 different companies at this year’s event.
From viticulturists to label designers and from machinery dealers to specialist equipment manufacturers, the Vineyard and Winery Show will bring together a huge range of suppliers, advisers and potential collaborators.
“We increasingly hear from people who have done real business at the show,” commented
Vineyard publisher and show director Jamie McGrorty. “They chat to like-minded people, discuss ways of working together, come up with plans and do deals, all in the friendly and supportive atmosphere the show generates.
“We are also expecting a number of product launches again this year, and the wide range of exhibitors, seminars and professional help on offer under one roof makes this year’s show the place to be for anyone connected with this industry.”
At the heart of the show, of course, is the wine, and there’s no shortage of that as the UK continues to produce wines that rival the best in the world, particularly when it comes to the sparkling variety.
This year’s innovations include a new approach to the ‘wine hubs’ that have proved so popular in past years by giving visitors a chance to sample some of the best vintages
produced in the country.
For 2024, the hubs have been separated into three distinct areas, providing more focused opportunities to sample wines of a similar type. There will be a hub featuring WineGB’s Golden 50 wines, another featuring world renowned wine writer Matthew Jukes’ favourite 36 wines from the past year, as featured in Vineyard, and another featuring more than 25 Piwi wines.
“Modern Piwi varietals, with their increased disease resistance, are becoming more and more popular with growers and will be given a more prominent role at this year’s Vineyard & Winery Show,” said Jamie. “Last year’s Piwi wines were predominantly grown and bottled overseas, but this year’s selection is of UK-grown wines, so our visitors will know how they perform in our climate and soils.”
Pattingham Vineyard’s Norton Brook 2022 highlights the rise of Piwi wines, with its
In association with
Vitifruit Equipment Sales and Hire
85% Solaris and 15% Siegerrebe blend good enough to have earned it a gold medal in this year’s WineGB awards and a place in the show’s Golden 50 hub.
WineGB’s ‘Golden 50’ wines have been selected from 123 UK wines that have won Gold medals across competitions during 2024, including: Decanter World Wine Awards, IWSC, The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships, Sommelier Wine Awards, London Wine Competition, Sommeliers Choice Awards, Wine GB Awards and the Welsh Wine Awards.
Exhibitors, which will include professionals such as lawyers and accountants as well as big-name machinery dealers, packaging experts and winery suppliers, will fill the John Hendry and Maidstone halls at the event centre along with a temporary – but solid – additional hall built specifically for the event.
“We have been overwhelmed by the response from exhibitors, some of whom will be at the show for the first time having realised what a great opportunity it is to meet growers and other potential customers,” said Jamie.
“With things getting busy, we decided to add temporary extra space and were delighted when that was quickly snapped up, too. Rest assured that while temporary, it will be warm, dry and well-lit!”
The 3.15pm wine tasting of Piwi varieties will be curated by Defined Wine and sponsored by Kent-based branding agency Oak Creative. It will be held in the tasting marquee.
With Piwi wines very much to the fore, Italian nursery Vivai will be at the show displaying some of the wines they have produced from bespoke vines grown ‘to order’ based on the terroir and climate specified by the grower and the disease resistance required. After creating the specific vine, Vivai produces a small batch of wine that the grower can taste before buying and planting the vines.
Other first-time exhibitors that will add to the buzz around this year’s show include Chichester Farm Machinery, which offers an impressive range of tractors, mowers and ground care equipment, and Willis European, which has more than 50 years’ experience in supplying
Don’t miss out
◆ Network with the key players in the UK wine industry
◆ Meet with industry experts
◆ Learn the cutting-edge technology and see demonstrations of the latest machinery
◆ Visit the Wine Hubs and taste some the UK’s best wines – over 100 different wines available to try on the day
◆ Attend the WineGB seminars – Expert speakers will cover viticulture, winemaking and marketing topics – aimed at new entrants to the industry as well as those already established
◆ Talk to some of the biggest names in the industry such as Core Equipment, Vigo, Vitifruit, NP Seymour, Agrii and Defined Winel – and many more
TASTING SPONSOR
HOSPITALITY SPONSOR
HOSPITALITY SPONSOR
brewing, bottling and process equipment.
Kreston Reeves will be hosting a seminar breakfast at 8.30am, while the full day’s fascinating seminar programme will feature three talks and a keynote address by Patrick McGrath MW.
With four decades of experience in the wine trade, Patrick passed his Master of Wine examination in 1993 and became managing director of wine distributor Hatch Mansfield a year later. He is also the co-founder of Champagne Taittinger’s English estate, Domaine Evremond.
The seminar programme, sponsored by Ferovinum, will continue with the launch of WineGB’s three-year strategy and a presentation of the organisation’s work-plan by chief executive officer Nicola Bates.
A panel discussion entitled Future Climate Impact on Vineyards: Insights and Updates will be led by Professor Steve Dorling of Weatherquest and Dr. Alistair Nesbitt of Vinescapes, who will deliver an update on climate predictions and the impact on viticulture.
Communications manager Phoebe French will then talk about the Innovate UK-funded frost project, which began earlier this year, with a representative from Plumpton College providing an update on its work focusing on different grape varieties and frost tolerance. The final session of the day will focus on sales, specifically the importance of restaurant sales.
The ever-popular Matthew Jukes’ winetasting masterclass at 1pm will be sponsored by Gullands, while Orchard Cooling and OnePay are jointly sponsoring free coffee for visitors throughout the day. Refreshments will also be available throughout the event, which begins at 9am and closes at 5pm.
Headline sponsors of the event are Core Equipment, Hutchinson’s, Vitifruit, Autajon, NFU Mutual and VineWorks, while Rankin is again providing the popular visitor bags and Agrii is sponsoring the tasting glasses.
Get your free ticket to the show
The Vineyard & Winery Show will be an unmissable event for anyone working in viticulture and wine production in the UK. The show takes place on 20 November 2024 at the Kent County Showground, Detling, Kent.
Organised by Vineyard magazine and supported by WineGB, it will be an invaluable opportunity for all viticulturalists, winemakers, suppliers and the trade to come together. There will be a packed programme including a series of seminars from WineGB, tastings
of the UK’s top wines, lots of machinery and equipment to see – as well the opportunity to network with peers.
To register for your free ticket go to ww.vineyardshow.com
VISITOR BAG SPONSOR
SEMINAR SPONSOR
GLASSWARE SPONSOR SPONSORS
PIWI WINE TASTING
WINE HUB SPONSOR
HOST OF PIWI WINE TASTING
MATTHEW JUKES’ STRUCTURED WINE
SEMINAR BREAKFAST SPONSOR
The seminars
Sponsored by
WineGB is once again hosting the seminar programme which will take place during the Vineyard & Winery Show on 20 November. This year, the programme will feature three talks on WineGB’s strategy, frost research and restaurant wine sales as well as a keynote address from a leading industry figure.
Mitch Fowler
Founder and CEO of Ferovinum
09.10 - 09.20
The programme will be kicked off with a welcome from the seminar programme sponsor.
Keynote speaker: Patrick McGrath MW, CEO of Hatch Mansfield and Co-Founder of Domaine Evremond 09.20 - 09.34
We are excited to announce that Patrick McGrath MW will be delivering this year’s keynote address. Patrick has spent over four decades in the wine trade, working for the likes of Champagne Bollinger, Grant’s of St James’s and Victoria Wine. Having passed his Master of Wine examination in 1993, he joined wine distributor Hatch Mansfield as Managing Director a year later. He is the Co-Founder of Champagne Taittinger’s English estate Domaine Evremond alongside his role as CEO of Hatch Mansfield.
Photo: Thomas Alexander Photography
Patrick McGrath MW and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh at the official Domaine Evremond winery opening
SEMINAR 1
10.00 - 10.30
Delivering for members
WineGB’s three-year strategy and action plan
Nicola Bates
WineGB CEO
SEMINAR 2 11.00 - 12.00
Patrick’s talk will be followed by the launch of WineGB’s three-year strategy and a presentation of the organisation’s work-plan by WineGB CEO, Nicola Bates. This follows an extensive member consultation and our first Strategy Day, held at Denbies Wine Estate in September.
Future climate impact on vineyards
Insights and updates from Innovate UK’s groundbreaking frost project
Professor Steve Dorling
Head of Innovation at WeatherQuest and Specialist Meteorology Trainer with Capita and the Ministry of Defence
Phoebe French
Communications Manager at WineGB
This will be followed by a panel discussion entitled: Future Climate Impact on Vineyards: Insights and Updates from Innovate UK’s Groundbreaking Frost Project. The panel will consist of Professor Steve Dorling (WeatherQuest) and Dr Alistair Nesbitt (Vinescapes) who will deliver an update on future climate predictions and the impact on viticulture. WineGB’s Communications Manager Phoebe French will then provide an overview of the Innovate UK funded frost project,
Dr Alistair Nesbitt
CEO of Vinescapes
Representative
Plumpton College
Ian Beecher-Jones
Founder of JoJo’s Vineyard
which began earlier this year. A representative from Plumpton College will provide an update on its work on behalf of this project, focusing on different grape varieties and frost tolerance. The session will conclude with summary of how digitisation and technology can help vineyards react quickly to climatic events by Ian Beecher-Jones (JoJo’s Vineyard).
SEMINAR 3 14.15 - 15.00
Restaurant bottleneck Do listings matter?
Tim Wildman MW
Owner and Winemaker at Lost in a Field
Simon Huntington
Client Manager at Itasca Wines
Al Thorp
Director of Wines Under the Bonnet
Further speakers to be confirmed
The final session of the day will focus on sales, specifically the importance of restaurant sales. Entitled Restaurant Bottleneck: Do listings matter the panel will discuss how to develop relationships with key on-trade partners and how sommeliers can act as brand ambassadors as well as the challenges and barriers that our industry faces. Joining the panel will be Tim Wildman MW (Lost in a Field), Al Thorp (Wines under the Bonnet), and Simon Huntington (Itasca).
Meet the exhibitors
Leading rural insurer
NFU Mutual, the UK’s leading rural insurer, are proud to support the thriving vineyard and winemaking community across Britain.
Viticulture expert at NFU Mutual, David Harrison, said: “Our goal is to provide tailored insurance and risk management solutions that meet the evolving needs of grape-growers, vineyard owners, and winemakers, helping them succeed now and into the future.” With years of experience across the entire production process, from vine to bottle, NFU Mutual is here
to support businesses at every stage.
As a key sponsor of the Vineyard & Winery Show 2024, David shared: “This show is a fantastic platform to reconnect with our valued customers, engage with fellow industry professionals, including our partners at WineGB, and meet new faces joining this exciting sector.”
NFU Mutual look forward to welcoming you at their stand or one of the wine hubs, where their team will be serving some of the best wines England and Wales have to offer.
For more information, or to contact your local viticulture Agent, email: winegb@nfumutual.co.uk
Attaining optimum yields and quality
Agrovista UK is a provider of agronomy advice, management advice, precision services and inputs to farmers and growers across the whole of the UK.
At Agrovista the fruit team support growers of vines, tree fruits, and soft fruits with in-depth industry knowledge, helping attain optimum yields and quality. For some time now Agrovista have championed Integrated farm Management (IPM) and are considered leaders in this area, with the only LEAF accredited fruit agronomist in the UK as the technical lead.
Agrovista can provide as much, or as little, input as you require, from site selection, variety choice, planting guidance and canopy
management to pest and disease monitoring and control, soil and tissue analysis, nutritional advice, and pre-harvest assessment.
Rural Consultancy colleagues can help navigate the new world of the Sustainable Farming Initiative, making sure you are aware of all the support that is available to all farmers across the UK.
Agrovista weather stations offer growers the chance to plan for, and monitor, weather events, and include pest and disease prediction models to support crop protection decisions.
Whether you are growing a conventional, organic or biodynamic crop, Agrovista would be very happy to discuss what services their team is able to offer.
Innovative, cost-effective
As viticulture enterprises become more commercial and expand, so sound business management will become as important as growing a great crop of grapes or producing a top wine.
From its Sussex headquarters, CLM is perfectly placed to help your vineyard or winery with everything from business plans and contracts to planning applications and land acquisitions or sales.
CLM are a friendly, professional team of viticulture, land, property and environmental specialists with a reputation for innovative, cost-effective advice. CLM work with clients of all sizes ranging from viticulture start-ups and established winemakers to landed estates and family-run farms.
Day-to-day and strategic guidance helps unlock the full potential of assets, with the in-house team including business consultants,
planners, environmental experts, agriculturalists, property specialists, ecologists and land agents.
CLM help clients navigate complex financial and emotional choices, making their businesses more profitable, resilient and sustainable.
With local knowledge, national connections and a global perspective, the CLM approach blends new ideas with traditional values.
The viticulture specialists are often asked to share their insight and expertise at events including those run by the CLA and WineGB, and their opinions are frequently sought by respected publications such as Spears and The Drinks
Business
Call CLM on 01892 770339 or visit www.c-l-m.co.uk
Challenges for English vineyards
Katie Hodson, Partner at Azets looks at the challenges for English vineyards with year-on-year yield variability.
The English wine industry has experienced remarkable growth over the last decade, fuelled by rising temperatures, changing consumer preferences and improved wine-making techniques. However, vineyards in England face a unique set of challenges, especially in managing cash flow due to the fluctuating nature of yields year on year.
Cash flow management strategies
◆ Diversification of Income Streams: These additional income streams help vineyards maintain steady revenue during low-yield years, reducing reliance solely on wine sales.
◆ Smart financial planning and reserves: Building financial reserves during high-
yield years is essential for vineyard owners to weather low-yield periods.
◆ Forward contracting: Some vineyards may benefit from entering into forward contracts with buyers, locking in prices for future production. This can help smooth out revenue fluctuations and reduce the impact of yield variability.
◆ Optimising vineyard efficiency: Investing in technology and vineyard management practices that improve yield consistency can help reduce the risk of poor harvests.
◆ Long-term supply chain relationships: By establishing contracts and securing demand for their product, vineyards can plan their production and sales more effectively.
For more information on how Azets advisors can support you, please get in touch by emailing katie.hodson@azets.co.uk
Automated pest monitoring system
Landseer Limited is a crop protection and horticultural advisory company, committed to providing the fresh produce industry with innovative, cost-effective solutions. With over 25 years of experience, the team are recognised as experts, particularly in the post-harvest sector. Landseer are proud to have a team of highly qualified professionals, including BASIS-certified specialists, FACTS advisors, researchers, and trained crop protection applicators.
One of the cutting-edge solutions for vineyards is Trapview, an automated pest monitoring system that captures, photographs, and identifies pests with precision. Customers can easily access daily images and temperature data through the app or web portal. As part
of the service, Landseer delivers weekly reports that summarise pest activity and weather conditions, keeping growers informed about local pest trends. Using Trapview's predictive model, Landseer offer insights into future pest developments. Additionally, Landseer handles regular maintenance of the traps, ensuring the system operates smoothly throughout the season.
In addition, Landseer are marketing agents for Corteva's horticultural crop protection products in the UK and are actively involved in field trials for innovative new products, many of which are conducted in vineyards throughout south east England. For a firsthand look at Landseers traps, visit them at this year’s Vineyard & WInery Show, stand M75.
Seize the SFI opportunity
Emma Smith, Agrii agronomist specialising in fruit production, explains why the Sustainable Farming Incentive is an easy win for vineyards and other horticulture businesses.
The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) has much to offer growers. From payments for environmental actions to incentives that promote practices that improve sustainability, productivity and, importantly, business resilience. With 102 actions spanning a multitude of activities, the SFI has something for every farm and with a defined payment schedule, participants can plan with confidence.
Vineyards, as with many horticultural businesses, are well-placed to capitalise on the SFI. It does not offer payments on a scale with those of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) but as L. P. Hartley wrote in his society novel, The Go-Between: “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there”. Instead, the SFI offers payments for actions that many consider good farming practice, including soil organic matter tests, integrated pest management (IPM) plans and variable rate application. What’s not to like about that?
For many businesses, IPM is already widely practiced, but it has gained prominence since becoming a condition of the SFI. Including an IPM Plan with your SFI application is worth about £1,200, so a worthwhile exercise in every way. With every plan it is important to reflect and review. For IPM, this is not just good practice, but a statutory requirement. Your records will need to demonstrate evidence of a review with consideration given to what worked well and what could be done better to deliver an IPM strategy that is fit for future seasons. Your Agrii BASIS registered agronomist can help you with this or fully undertake it for you.
Easy wins
Landscape features such as hedgerows, ditches and watercourses are often seen as an asset to vineyards, not the encumbrance they can be on a broadacre arable farm. As a result, many businesses actively manage these assets because they are intrinsic to supporting the biodiversity needed to deliver a healthy environment. The hedgerow actions (HRW1,
HRW2 and HRW3) offer payment for doing what in many cases is already being done to protect vines from harsh weather and as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) plan. Where more labour-intensive management is required, such as hedgerow laying (BN5), coppicing (BN7) or gapping up (BN7), there are capital grants available to help with the cost. The buffer strip action AHL4 pays for 4 metre or 12 metre grass strips to provide a habitat for wildlife, prevent pollution from leaching and support the broader objectives of an IPM plan. The wildlife actions are equally appealing with options for pollen and nectar mixes (AHL1), winter bird food (AHL2) and grassy field corners and blocks (AHL3).
As with much of the SFI, being paid to maintain landscape features, sow seed mixtures that support birds and mammals or establish cover crop strips between rows of vines are easy wins for the land manager. And this is the point: it’s not onerous or complex and it is designed in such a way that it works alongside the core activities of the farm. Many of the agreements have a variable period of commitment (one to three years) and some of them are movable, meaning they can be delivered on the same area of eligible land or rotated as desired.
Some actions, such as cover crops and wildflower strips require a little more consideration, mainly around the species mix, but the good news is much of the thinking has already been done for you. The Agrii Viti Master Mix, for example is a specialist cover crop mixture that was developed in partnership with a vineyard customer near Cirencester. It is designed to be both practical and agronomically suited to UK vineyards. The blend contains a high proportion of dense grasses that give excellent ground cover and outcompete most weeds, while providing good traction for vehicles. The broad leaved plants provide an array of flowers all season – producing pollen and nectar for pollinating insects and beneficial predators. The inclusion of complementary nitrogen-fixing species (red
Discuss how you can incorporate SFI into your vineyard businessvisit us on stand M59
clover, white clover, bird’s-foot trefoil), helps support the mix and ensures it has the nitrogen to meet its needs through the season. Other actions, such as soil and nutrient management plans, while equally rewarding need to be demonstrated in the form of a report produced by a suitably qualified person such as a FACTS registered adviser. Again, much of the hard work has been done for you. Agrii’s team of FACTS-qualified crop input specialists and agronomists are trained in the finer details of a nutrient management plan and will be able to balance the use of bagged fertiliser with lime, soil-applied iron, organic soil improvers and novel micronutrient products. RHIZA, Agrii’s precision farming service, can produce the variable rate data files and workplans needed to fulfil the PRF1 action while also saving the grower unnecessary expense by ensuring only what is needed is applied.
Emma
Smith
Bourrassé leads the way in cork closures, achieving high standards by keeping the whole process in house, from harvesting the cork through to marketing a range of end products that includes CRISTAL®, the most technically advanced stopper of its generation.
Bourrassé, a major player in the cork closures industry, prepares the material and then manufactures a large range of quality closure solutions. Each stage is carefully controlled, with the company taking great care to ensure it fully complies with, or exceeds, specifications.
As part of its unwavering focus on excellence, Bourrassé has its sights permanently set on controlling aromatic profile. That focus means it provides increasingly reliable, high quality solutions that ensure an organoleptically neutral closure that preserves the integrity of the wine and offers the right level of permeability. It is that consistent, controlled performance that makes Bourrassé stand out from the crowd.
Within its range of technical closures, CRISTAL® is the most advanced of its generation.
The closure is de-aromatised using the next-generation supercritical CO2 process. CRISTAL® adds the finishing touch to the
Photo: KANALU PROD/Bourrassé
control of aromatic profile and guarantees that every closure is taste-free.
The CRISTAL® formula is based on just two ingredients and is made up of 96% microgranules and a neutral binding agent that preserves the functions of the cork material. Its absolute neutrality and manufacturing process using individual moulds ensures consistency from one bottle to the next, making it a precise ally for wine.
Supplied in a range of three, five and 10-year storage capacities with controlled permeability, CRISTAL® adapts to the style of each wine, making it a winemaking partner that delivers great performance from a natural product.
CRISTAL is a brand designed specifically for still wine closures. Contact Bourrassé on 00 33 558 499 926 or email export@ bourrasse.com
The most technically advanced cork of its generation Optimise the search process for both candidates and companies
The Carling Partnership Ltd (CPL) is the leading international search company working exclusively within the wine, brewing, distilling, cider and soft drinks industries.
The drinks industry is a growing market internationally, and CPL recognises the demand for professional and talented individuals to help clients meet their goals in a competitive marketplace. Providing a first-class recruitment service for a wide network of clients from global and international wine companies to small producers, CPL sources and recruits the talent for the future, specialising in middle to executive level.
In order to meet the highest standards required by employers in the wine sector, CPL has the right experience and extensive network of
contacts necessary to optimise the search process for both candidates and companies. CPL clients enjoy the advantages of working with a sector-specialist search company and the company help talented and ambitious applicants secure the best opportunities to meet their career plans.
As a small company, CPL are proud of the professional and dedicated service they offer in a highly competitive market. Julie Carling and Shaun Parry-Jones look forward to meeting you at the Vineyard & Winery Show and can be found at Stand M65. Call them on 01483 893 100, visit www.carlingpartnership.com or email enquiries@carlingpartnership.com
UK agents for
Oeno Concept
Les Pressoirs Coquard
TDD Griliat
MDC Mignon
Développement Conception
Cazaux rotoflex
TR Equipments
Vineyard & Winery Services
We work in the vineyard and winemaking industry, offering full winery set up, maintenance servicing and repairs
As viticulture enterprises become more commercial and expand, so sound business management will become as important as growing a great crop of grapes or producing a top wine.
CLM can help with:
• Business plans and structuring
• Contracts
• Planning applications
• Environmental schemes & grants
• Leases and joint ventures
• Wine tourism
• Staff recruitment and management
• Residential and commercial property management
• Finance and loan advice
• Market positioning
• Land acquisitions & sales
• Site-finding
We are a South East-based rural business consultancy with wide experience of viticulture.
Please contact:
Matthew Berryman on 07710 765323 or Mark Weaver on 07836 343297
www.c-l-m.co.uk
Harvest is the time the cream of the crop is chosen, to ensure the finest possible outcome.
We o er placements that are right for the job, right for the culture and right for you.
+44 (0) 1483 893 100 enquiries@carlingpartnership.com carlingpartnership.com Recruitment for the drinks industry
Committed to long term business support
If deciding to bring in professional marketing support is a big decision for a wine producer or farm business, then deciding which agency to choose can be an even bigger one.
With so many branding agencies offering to help companies that are looking to turbo-charge their growth with professional help, finding one that offers long-term support and shares the company’s vision is critical.
Step forward Oak Creative, the Kentbased full-service marketing agency which has been supporting businesses in the tourism, agricultural and food and drink space for some 35 years and has built up an impressive customer base.
Alongside a range of prestigious Kentbased businesses such as the county’s oldest commercial vineyard, Biddenden Vineyards, Oak Creative has cemented an impressive reputation with some of Kent's leading organisations.
The agency, which has been part of the wellknown Holiday Extras group since 2020, works with The Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce and Kent County Agricultural Society, is a Produced in Kent industry partner and, significantly, a silver patron of Wine GB. If those weren’t credentials enough, brand manager Jessica Banks has a personal interest in grape growing and wine making, since her family has just planted five acres near Woodchurch in Kent with a mix of Pinot Noir and the Souvignier Gris Piwi varietal. Like many new entrants to the industry, the family turned to the expertise of Sam Barnes, of S J Barnes Ltd, to establish the vineyard. For her own part, Jess studied Principles of Vine Growing at Plumpton College and will naturally take a lead in branding and marketing their yield.
Supporting growing businesses has become Oak Creative's mission," Jess commented. “Nothing gives us more pleasure than working in partnership with a company that has reached a certain level of success and knows that to reach the next level they need some outside help.
“We usually get approached by businesses after around five years, when the company knows they have a great product but just wants a bit of professional support to push on further.”
The passion for helping businesses is shared by studio director Laura Baker, who commented: “Kent has become a real hub for food and drink businesses, and Oak has helped to establish many brands in their market. Working with business for the long term is beneficial to the brand and the bottom line.”
The agency, which has grown from five employees at the end of the pandemic to 13 now, offers a full marketing and creative service. The Vineyard and Winery show has become a highlight event of the year for the team, with Oak Creative having attended every year to date.
“It’s been interesting to see the change in attitude as the industry has evolved,” Jess said. “The first time we had a stand, people were quite wary of the idea of ‘marketing’. Last year, though, companies were approaching us to talk about how they could improve their bottom line with better branding and a more targeted approach to their sales.
“With an increasing number of English and Welsh wines on the market, the innovative brands are realising they need to highlight their strengths and reach out to their customer base.”
As well as having a bigger stand at this year’s show, Oak Creative is sponsoring the Piwi masterclass, while the agency has also designed the logo for WineGB’s Golden 50, a celebration of wines that have this year won gold medals across the industry’s various competitions.
The agency also delivers marketing workshops for WineGB members and developed an eCommerce platform called FoodE during the pandemic to support food and drink producers who suddenly had to move all their sales online. While a
commercial venture, it reflected Oak Creative’s commitment to the sector and its future.
“We see ourselves as trusted partners who can provide branding, graphic design, marketing advice, web services and a range of creative resources to diversifying agricultural businesses, vineyards, wineries and food and drink clients who want to increase their market share,” said Jess.
“The first thing we do is take stock of where the business is, before setting aspirational targets. We appreciate that companies invest in marketing because they want to increase their bottom line, so we set trackable goals and work in partnership to achieve them.”
To talk about branding with Oak Creative, visit Stand F20 at the Vineyard & Winery Show.
Laura Baker and Jessica Banks
Mechanical handling solutions
Glosrose have been supplying mechanical handling equipment to the viticulture industry for over 10 years to sites across the south and south east.
Founded in 1976, Glosrose is one of the UK's leading suppliers of mechanical handling and construction equipment offering a comprehensive range of services, including the sale of new and refurbished equipment, available for purchase or on contract rental. With over 150 trucks on their short-term hire fleet they can also offer flexibility for high demand periods and harvest without longterm commitments.
With their expertise in mechanical handling equipment Glosrose offers a wide range of solutions specific to the needs of wineries from the most compact telehandler available
to forklift trucks and pallet trucks to bin tippers and rotators.
New to the market the Manitou ULM412 telehandler at only 1.48m wide has the versatility and capability to work across a range of applications in a winery.
Jake Butcher, Glosrose CEO said: “We think
A library of free advice from regenerative experts
Sectormentor is a leading regenerative vineyard management app in the UK, created by Vidacycle.
It makes it easy to listen and learn from natural systems – helping growers to produce quality grapes. Sectormentor has recently launched the Regen Viticulture Hub – a library of free advice from expert regenerative practitioners.
These videos share practical on-the-ground knowledge on how to build a healthy vineyard ecosystem, encourage your vines and soils to thrive, build resilience against flooding, drought and pests, as well as improve grape quality. Topics covered include cover cropping, grazing, sap testing, composting and more.
As vineyards experiment with new practices,
Sectormentor facilitates the monitoring of soil health using 10 key regen indicators, developed alongside world-renowned agroecologist Nicole Masters. These soil metrics feed into a dashboard allowing a quick and visual assessment of how soil performs against benchmarks, compares against other vineyards in a similar context and how results are changing over time.
Visit vines.vidacycle.com to find the Regen Viticulture Hub, alongside case studies of top UK vineyards using Sectormentor such as Roebuck Estates, Albury Organic, Gusbourne and Davenport Vineyards. Get in touch with the team on info@vidacycle.com to learn how Sectormentor can support your vineyard management.
this lightweight and compact telehandler is perfect for the viticulture industry, there will be one on our stand at the show, and we invite attendees and exhibitors to come and see for themselves and meet the Glosrose team who will be able to answer any questions. Come and find us on stand J2.”
Make great ideas stick with a flexible label printer
With a compact design the OKI Pro1040 and Pro1050 narrow format printers offer the perfect solution for all your label printing needs. The Pro1000 Series has the flexibility to reduce costs, speed up production and achieve specialist finishes on a huge range of media, all to the highest possible quality.
With minimal setup required and speedy print times, the Pro1000 Series gives the freedom to print what is needed, when it is most needed. Whether printing 1 label or 10,000, it will be financially viable. Wastage and minimum quantities pose no problems
because it is possible to print as much or as little as needed, while simple replacement of media rolls means you can quickly jump from job to job.
OKI’s dry toner technology allows printing on paper and synthetics as well as textured, coloured, clear or metallic-effect media – all with outstanding print durability. Resistant to water, sub-zero temperatures and solvents, rest assured the quality of your printed labels will never be compromised.
OKI Pro1000 Series can make any wine look irresistible from the outside and make sure branding never comes unstuck.
Crafting compelling brands
Oak Creative Design is delighted to return to the Vineyard & Winery Show for 2024. The Kent branding agency is known for their expertise in crafting compelling brands, campaigns, and websites. This year Oak Creative are proudly sponsoring the Piwi Wine Tasting session, and their stand will be opposite the Piwi Wine Hub in the new First Hall, at stand F20.
As part of sponsorship of the show, Oak Creative has also crafted the Golden 50 logo in collaboration with The Vineyard & Winery Show and WineGB. The Golden 50 wine tasting event at the show, celebrates a carefully curated 50 wines which have won gold awards in the past year.
Oak Creative will be on hand to discuss branding, whether you're a new vineyard, a well-established winery or a business in the viticulture sector. The agency’s ongoing partnerships with renowned brands like Biddenden Vineyard and Wine Garden of England underline their commitment to fostering strong, collaborative relationships within the industry.
See us on stand M34
Full winery set ups
WR Services started working in the wine industry primarily as a service and maintenance company, but now offer full winery set ups.
This includes bespoke walkways and fabrication in stainless steel and other materials. The family run business is continuing to expand as WR Services support vineyards and wine producers across England and Wales. WR Services are proud to work alongside French partners- Oeno Concept gyro pallet systems, Les Pressior Coquard, TDD, MDC, TR Equipments and Cazaux. Alongside Maxime Poisot and other partners from across Europe, WR Services look forward to seeing customers old and new at the Vineyard & Winery Show 2024 and are excited to display some of the best equipment on the
market with a larger stand than ever before. 2024 has been another busy year for WR Services who work for some of the largest wine producers in the UK, but no job is too small. WR Services pride themselves on bringing new knowledge and equipment to the UK. In 2024, the company undertook more training, working alongside the engineers and design teams in Champagne. Like previous years, the team worked in the factories and champagne houses alongside the engineers who design, build, and maintain these machines to the highest standard. This brings new knowledge and expertise to England and Wales that has never existed before. Sales, installation, maintenance, and repairs. From grape to glass. WR Services have got it covered.
Safeguarding the health of vines
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) explains who they are and how they aim to support the UK vineyard industry.
Last year we reported on the fact that we as an Agency had undertaken the first survey of UK vineyards focussed on the detection of harmful bacteria/phytoplasma and viruses which are termed Quarantine Pests and Diseases (QPDs) and listed in schedule 1 of the UK Plant Health regulations. Wherever these are found action must be taken to eradicate their threat to industry and the wider environment.
We have just completed our second survey and at the time of writing no QPDs have been found (the full results of the survey are being collated).
Our role as an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs covers a range of activities which include identifying and controlling exotic pests and diseases in animals, plants and bees, and surveillance of new and emerging pests and diseases. In addition to this we are committed to facilitating international trade.
As part of that role, we see the great importance of the UK vineyard industry and are committed through the work of the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate to help safeguard the health of vines. This work carried out by our Inspectors involves surveillance, survey work, and border controls. Our work in respect of UK vineyards is to protect them from potential quarantine pests and diseases that could compromise
Experienced mobile engineers
Mobitech Lift Trucks is a family run business, established in Kent since 1986. With experienced mobile engineers Mobitech are able to cover the whole of the south of England. As a company Mobitech support your business with a full range of new and used materials and handling equipment, manufactured by the world’s leading brands.
Mobitech are able to provide longterm and short term rental equipment or sell machinery that will meet all your requirements to enable you and your company to work at full potential increasing your productivity. As a company Mobitech
APHA is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and is responsible for:
◆ Identifying and controlling endemic and exotic diseases and pests in animals, plants and bees, and surveillance of new and emerging pests and diseases.
◆ Scientific research in areas such as bacterial, viral, prion and parasitic diseases and vaccines, and food safety
◆ Facilitating international trade
◆ Protecting endangered wildlife through licensing and registration
◆ Managing a programme of apiary (bee) inspections, diagnostics, research and development, and training and advice.
their health and productivity.
Our recent surveys are part and parcel of this work, and an opportunity for vineyard owners to work in partnership with APHA. Whilst our role is regulatory, we are here to help. Please free to contact us if you have concerns about quarantine pests and diseases or would like one of our skilled Inspectors to come and talk to you about concerns you might have about biosecurity.
Come and join us at this year’s Vineyard & Winery Show where we have a stand in the Maidstone Exhibition Hall (M8). Our dedicated staff will be on hand to discuss the work that we do and an opportunity to discuss our surveillance work as well as a number of displays on important pests and diseases to look out for. We look forward to meeting you.
See us on stand J6
supply equipment that will handle all types of terrain from the roughest to the smoothest of surfaces and from diesel to the all-new Lithium-ion products which will
reduce customers carbon footprint. Please visit us on the Mobitech stand to book a free site survey or discuss and requirements.
GLOBAL SOLUTIONS, POWERED BY FRENCH INNOVATION
MEET US AT THE | STAND J5
INNO’VIN, the French vine and wine innovation cluster, presents 6 experts showcasing game-changing technologies from the vineyard to the cellar and beyond.
Discover our wide range of ceramic jars, amphorae and eggs: an innovative material for making and aging wine, beer and spirits. > biopythos.fr
Automated monitoring solutions for winemaking processes. > onafis.com
Equip your tractor with a full range of vineyard equipment! > terral.fr
Make your winemaking process easier thanks to our automated temperature control system with remote access. > lamouroux.com
Expert vineyard consulting from planting to harvest, maximizing both yield and quality. > consultants-viticoles.fr
Smart Aging Systems®, a range of intelligent, reasoned solutions for aging your wines. > wine-and-tools.com
Real life practical experience
Hadlow College are proud to be part of the Vineyard & Winery Show, with viticulture playing an important role in many of our courses.
This was aided greatly by the launch of a sustainable orchard and vineyard in March last year. Covering a three hectare site, apples, plums, cherries and apricots are grown and a section of the orchard is dedicated to producing a crop of grapes, with a training emphasis on how to set up and manage a vineyard.
The crops are grown with sustainability in mind at all times. Drones are used to monitor bud set, predict yields and monitor the growth of
Vetreria Etrusca is a glass maker with a difference, more than 100 years old but with a thoroughly up-to-date outlook, using the latest technology to create containers from a material mankind has been using for millennia.
Along with a comprehensive catalogue of beautiful designs, Vetreria Etrusca offers bespoke and personalised bottles and has the flexibility to make small minimum quantities while also being big enough to be able to grow production to meet your needs.
Vetreria Etrusca’s three glass colours display the company’s heritage from the famous Tuscan “Fiasco” which appears in medieval frescos in churches in Florence.
the crop allowing precise applications of nutrition, pest and disease control methods to be used.
Sensors are installed throughout the orchard to monitor amongst other things: moisture, relative humidity, PAR, rain fall plus there are other exciting sensors which are currently being developed.
Like many of the top class facilities at the College, this allows students to get real life practical industry experience, something Hadlow College know is hugely beneficial to both the students and potential employers.
To learn more visit www.hadlow.ac.uk
A glass maker with a difference
The company offers its traditional half white colour, through sparkling clear extra white flint to its signature antique green VerdEtrusco, which features at least 80% recycled glass.
As a family business, Vetreria Etrusca is concerned for the future of the planet and acts upon this with huge investments in sustainability and the environment at the
factory, backed up by certification to prove commitment.
Whether you are looking for a bottle for traditional method, sparkling or still wine or you want to make a statement with your own bottle, Vetreria Etrusca can find the right one for you.
Global solutions, powered by French innovation
Inno’vin, the only vine and wine innovation cluster in France, based in Bordeaux and Cognac, supports the networking, innovative projects, and business development of the wine industry ecosystem.
At this year’s Vineyard & Winery Show, you’ll find six innovative French supplier companies showcasing their expertise at the Inno’vin stand – J5. These key players provide turnkey solutions for your production needs from the vineyard to the cellar, through different technologies. At the Inno’vin stand, you’ll find:
◆ Biopythos: innovative ceramic jars, amphorae and eggs for making and aging wine, beer and spirits with controlled oxygen supply.
◆ Lamouroux: Automated temperature control system with remote access
◆ Onafis: Monitoring solutions for the winemaking process to track and analyze the evolution of your wines, beers, and spirits from wherever you are.
◆ Terral: A full range of vineyard equipment, adapted to your vineyard.
◆ RVS Consultants Viticoles: Overall agroecological approach through technical consulting, with a specificity of optimizing inputs with geolocated vigor mapping.
◆ Wine & Tools: New Smart Aging System – a range of intelligent and reasoned solutions for aging your wines in innovative and optimised tanks.
Come and see us at the trade fair or contact Gracie Boland from Inno’vin gracie.boland@innovin.fr to get in touch with the companies.
Over 30 years of expertise in winery automation
Based in the Bordeaux wine region, Lamouroux has been specialising in the design, manufacture, and installation of automated temperature control systems for the winemaking industry for over 30 years. The in-house engineering department enables Lamouroux to create bespoke solutions that meet the unique requirements of every customer, from small family-owned wineries to the largest and most prestigious Châteaux. Quality is central to everything Lamouroux do. All the products are manufactured in-house by skilled technicians, ensuring the highest standards at every stage. State-of-the-art regulation systems make managing your winery easier than ever. Not
only can you control the temperature of your tanks, but you can also monitor key factors such as density, automated pump-overs, micro-injections, and environmental conditions like temperature and humidity across various winery rooms. Additionally, you’ll have real-time oversight of your technical room and receive automatic email alerts if any issues arise. The systems even allow you to track and manage energy consumption throughout your facility.
This comprehensive system gives you complete control of your winery operations, whether you are on-site or receiving information remotely via smartphone.
In addition to control systems, Lamouroux has developed a range of complementary winemaking equipment, including heat
exchangers, air conditioning and ventilation systems, harvest exchangers, barrel cleaning systems, and water heating/cooling kits. Each solution is designed to streamline and automate the winemaking process.
Lamouroux offers customers the benefit of decades of industry expertise, robust, long-lasting products, and reliable service, ensuring that your winery operates efficiently and effortlessly.
At the Vinyard & Winery Show, Lamouroux hopes to identify new thermoregulation projects in England where the demand for automated systems is growing. Our team is also looking forward to visiting local vineyards and wineries and meeting owners and managers.
Low carbon footprint, multi-nutrient fertiliser
How fruit and vine growers can simply address yield-sapping nutrient deficiencies.
ICL is making its increasingly popular low carbon footprint, multi-nutrient fertiliser polysulphate (48% SO3, 14% K2O, 17% CaO and 6% MgO) available to fruit and vine producers in a special ‘Mini Granular’ formulation packed in simple to manage 25kg bags.
“As sulphur and other key nutrient deficiencies increase across the UK and growers seek sustainable methods for boosting soil fertility, the new format could bring the benefits of polysulphate to a much wider range of producers,” said ICL’s Andrew Judd.
“Mined in North Yorkshire, polysulphate is a natural product with the lowest carbon footprint of any fertiliser at 0.0029kg CO2e/ kg product, making it an ideal choice for growers looking to decarbonise their production.
“It’s been proven to lift yields and improve crop quality significantly in a wide range of crops including in top fruit and grape production.
“Polysulphate is approved by the Soil Association and Organic Farmers and Growers, plus it is a perfect fit for growers following the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (SWGB) certification scheme.
“Applied at a recommended 50g/m2 (500kg/ha) to top fruit and vineyards by hand, domestic spreaders or tractor mounted equipment, polysulphate provides
four essential water-soluble nutrients in a single application,” he explained.
“The slow release potassium, magnesium and calcium in polysulphate will be of significant interest to wine grape growers. Particularly potassium, as this is essential for fruit quality and sugar development and vines use about 3kg of potassium for every tonne of grapes harvested.”
Significant results
Leading crop production company Agrii will be working with ICL to make the new Mini Granular product available to fruit and vine growers across the country.
“Agrii fruit agronomists use polysulphate in many forms when advising nutrient management plans for our wine grape growing customers and top fruit customers,” says Agrii agronomist Matt Greep.
“Be it Potash Plus or Agrii Fruit 50 – the Polysulphate component is perfectly balanced for fruit crops that have a high potassium requirement for yield and quality of the crop.
“This bespoke mini-granule Polysulphate in a 25kg bag is going to help vineyards of all scales make a more targeted and sustainable approach to the fertilisation of their grapes.”
Agrii has seen many crops benefiting from polysulphate in both trials and on-farm, he added: “Polysulphate brings large amounts
of sulphur to depleted soils, safely and efficiently with its mineral nature providing phased release of all of its four nutrients throughout growing season.
“The fact that it’s a 100% soluble organic fertiliser and has no effect on soil pH with all the potassium in the product being potassium sulphate with no chloride in its granule, is a real bonus for fruit and vine producers.”
Further information is available at www.icl-growingsolutions.uk or @ICLplantnutriUK
Ensure vines reach the grower in peak condition
The Velletaz Group is one of the leading grapevine nurseries in France, priding itself on keeping close control over the whole production process to ensure vines reach the grower in peak condition.
The family nursery guarantees the best physical and phytosanitary quality of its vines by keeping the whole process in house, using the expertise handed down through the past three generations.
“We're more than just a nursery – we're a producer,” explained the Velletaz Group’s manager Sébastien Velletaz. “Keeping total control over our production is our family's way of adding value by bringing you excellence in the supply of your vine plants,” he continued.
The nursery produces more than 16 million plants annually and has
supplied more than 4,000 satisfied winegrowers over the years.
The Velletaz Group prides itself on delivering high quality vines using certified plant material from clonal selection and guaranteed free of viruses, using its own equipment for hot water treatment. It guarantees total traceability and transparency across its huge range of varieties, which includes 600 possible blends.
“Our vision is to provide quality grapevines, relevant to the terroir and production targets for each vinegower, together with a personalised follow-up service and recognised international logistics,” added Sébastien.
Speak to the Velletaz Group team at the Vineyard & Winery Show.
Ergonomic durability
For the first time at the Vineyard & Winery Show, Berthoud sprayers and knapsacks will be on display at stand F31 and available to play with. Under the banner of parent company Hozelock Exel, Berthoud maintains its 129 year old prestigious lineage with an array of backpack and compression sprayers renowned for their quality and durability.
The range boasts a number of sizes, specifications and a hoard of spares and accessories suitable for all spraying jobs around the vines and winery estate, such as; weeding, fertilising, moss treatment or cleaning sprays. Advances in recent years have focused on ergonomic
durability and all models now offer padded harness straps while the flagship Vermorel 2000 Pro Comfort lives upto its name with a full body comfort harness, clinically proven to reduce user fatigue.
Berthoud are made in France and knapsacks are guaranteed for five years. All of the products are repairable thanks to the variety and availability of spare parts – including their guaranteed availability for at least 10 years after product commercialisation.
The National Account Manager, Richard Wheatcroft, who has experience in weed agronomy and as a pesticide trainer will be on hand for all knapsack and spraying enquiries.
High-quality organic certified IPM products and solutions
Russel IPM Group are thrilled to be part of in the Vineyard & Winery Show 2024.
On the stand, you will discover a range of high-quality organic certified IPM products and solutions. The products include specialist traps and lures, novel trapping systems, push pull systems and adjuvants. As well as a leading range of biological fermentation and formulation products including biostimulants, biofertilisers and biopesticides.
Russell IPM Group are particularly excited to showcase TruePest which will launch in 2025. TruePest is an advanced pest monitoring solution that utilizes AI technology to provide efficient and accurate monitoring of pest populations. TruePest is designed for the monitoring
and identification of key economically important insect pests, such as the spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii), Thrips and White fly on sticky boards. TruePest represents a significant advance in pest monitoring technology, providing precise and efficient, cost-effective solutions for smart farms.
Come and meet the team of experts with extensive specialist knowledge, ready to offer product information, advice, and solutions tailored to your needs.
Russell IPM Group invite you to visit them on stand M19 to explore how Russell IPM, Russell BioSolutions and Russell IOT are leading the way in innovative, sustainable viticulture solutions.
Exclusive
Specialist Vineyard Agronomy
From vineyard establishment through to post-harvest management, our dedicated agronomists are able to ensure that you maximise your yields of
“Working
enquiries@agrovista.co.uk agrovista.co.uk/fruit
@AgrovistaUK
@AgrovistaUK
Vineyard Show
Future winemaking challenges require a sustainable solution that addresses labelling concerns, provides Calcium stabilisation, uses a trustful tartaric stabilisation process with less energy, and provides more flexibility in scheduling wine availability on the market.
STARS® can do all at once
STARS® technology was developed by Oenodia thirty years ago.
It is an additive-free membrane-based process that stabilizes 1.5 billion bottles
Less is more
worldwide annually. It is a unique solution that removes potassium tartrate and calcium, which uses only 0.2 kW/hl, making it a sustainable and reliable solution.
STARS®Stab is dedicated to tartaric stabilisation. Paired with STARS®XF, it is now feasible to crossflow filter and stabilize streamline at cellar temperature, offering even more flexibility.
Oenodia has a strong global presence,
serving customers in key wine-producing regions such as Australia, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom.
Oenodia’s team is happy to be present at the Vineyard & Winery Show and are looking forward to meeting with local winemakers and discussing the benefits that STARS® technology can bring to their operations. Oenodia are looking forward to meeting you on stand F9.
Vogelsang’s wine pump returns to the Vineyard & Winery Show.
Wine Pump manufacturer, Vogelsang, is returning to the Vineyard & Winery Show, once again alongside winemakers, Itasca.
Vogelsang’s Richard Love will be on-hand to show how the pump works, and talk through it’s benefits to the winemaking industry. Richard said: “The Vineyard & Winery Show really is a highlight in our calendar. The word about the effectiveness of the wine pump is spreading, so we’re looking forward to showing how it works in person.”
Available as a portable or stationary unit and built for a variety of uses, the wine pump is run in every stage of the winemaking process; moving grapes, must and lees, bottling and transportation.
It has been especially designed with winermakers in Italy to be as gentle when operating as possible. As it’s pulsation-free and perfectly still, it carefully moves grapes and wine without shaking and creating foam, reducing the chances of oxygenation of the wine, whilst maintaining the wine’s flavours.
Richard added: “We will be running demonstrations of the WinePump at various locations next year, so anyone interested should visit Itasca’s stand for more details.”
Following an exciting partnership with Collard who are world leaders in the manufacture of vineyard equipment, Vitimech will be exhibiting at the Vineyard & Winery Show this year for the first time. Vitimech will be the sole importer and distributor for Collard equipment, providing all UK sales, spares and service back up. Vitimech boss Lewis Ramm said: “We are
Show debut
and pre-pruners, Collard has supported the mechanization of English vineyards from the very start. Established in the heart of the French wine-growing Champagne region for
distribution of our Collard equipment to Vitimech. All services will be implemented jointly to provide a fast and efficient local service, drawing on our shared experience
Experts in your field
Vinescapes is with you on every step of your wine journey. A team of wine business and viticultural experts, Vinescapes will help you to shape your wine or vineyard business – setting you up for success in a competitive wine market.
Vinescapes will work with you to create your business plan, investment strategy, discuss your market positioning and vision for growth before preparing your vineyard. With Dr Alistair Nesbitt’s expertise in Viticulture and Climate Science, Vinescapes will assess and prepare your site, varieties, product potential and sustainability practices.
Vinescapes can work with you to establish or transition your site to a regenerative vineyard and provide winery design expertise, winemaking advice, build your brand strategy and support your viticultural needs with ongoing vineyard management and consulting services. Working across the United Kingdom, Vinescapes also has extensive experience working with wine businesses around the world. Get in touch with Vinescapes today to support your business vision and build a sustainable wine or vineyard business by calling 01306 733960, emailing info@vinescapes.com or visit www.vinescapes.com
Dr Alistair Nesbitt, Vinescapes
Cutting-edge technology
At this year's Vineyard & Winery Show, Crawfords Group is excited to showcase an impressive selection of the latest equipment designed to help vineyard owners and managers optimise their operations. Visitors to the Crawfords Group stand can expect to see cutting-edge technology and innovative machinery from some of the industry’s leading brands.
One of the key highlights will be the latest tractor technology from Fendt and Massey Ferguson. These tractors are renowned for their reliability, precision, and advanced features, making them ideal for the challenges of modern viticulture. Whether you’re looking for efficiency, comfort, or versatility, Fendt and Massey Ferguson have solutions that can help improve vineyard productivity.
Also on display will be the compact and powerful Manitou ULM Telehandler. This punchy machine is perfect for handling tasks in tighter spaces without compromising on performance, offering excellent manoeuvrability and lifting capacity that make it a great asset for any vineyard.
For those focused on specialised equipment, the Crawfords stand will feature a variety of tractor-mounted machines from Pellenc and ID David. Known for their innovation and high-quality design, these tools provide vineyard owners with the precision and performance needed to streamline operations, from pruning and spraying to harvesting and canopy management.
Additionally, visitors will have the opportunity to explore a range of hand tools from both Pellenc and Felco. These tools are designed to deliver the highest standards of efficiency and ease of use, ensuring that vineyard workers can carry out daily tasks with precision and comfort.
Crawfords Group’s viticulture specialist, Dan Turner, along with the rest of the knowledgeable team, will be on hand throughout the show to offer expert advice and answer any questions you may have. Whether you’re interested in the latest tractor innovations or need help choosing the right-hand tools for your vineyard, the Crawfords Group team is looking forward to welcoming you to their stand and discussing how their range of products can help meet your needs.
Steel frame buildings • Building conversions • Sheeting and cladding • Refurbishment and change of use
Demolition and asbestos removal
Groundworks and drainage
Concrete flooring and external concrete
Concrete frame and steel frame repairs
Internal stainless-steel drainage • Insurance and general repairs
Guttering and repairs
more information contact us:
01233 623739
07860 414227 e: office@gjelgarconstruction.co.uk
Discover the joy of vine growing
Capel Manor College, London’s environmental college, is excited to introduce new viticulture courses at Forty Hall Vineyard in Enfield. As a certified organic vineyard, Forty Hall Vineyard is dedicated to demonstrating environmentally sustainable farming and vine-growing practices. This collaboration offers aspiring winemakers and enthusiasts the chance to explore the world of vine growing through hands-on learning.
Whether you’re a wine lover, industry professional, or dreaming of starting your own vineyard, our introductory courses and workshops are tailored to suit you. Viticulture lecturer Christian Malnig said, “We are thrilled to offer a range of courses that combine the science and hands-on skills of vine growing within the boundaries of London’s thriving wine industry. Our partnership with Forty Hall Vineyard provides an unparalleled educational experience.”
Courses cover essentials such as vineyard
management, wine production and pruning techniques, all taught by experienced industry professionals. You will also learn the sustainable practices behind Forty Hall Vineyard’s success, equipping you with the skills needed to succeed in the growing wine sector.
You can meet the team and sample award-winning wines at Stand F26 at the Vineyard & Winery Show on 20 November. For more information, visit www.capel. ac.uk/viticulture, and start your vine growing journey today.
Wines of the future
The Vivai Cooperative based in Ruscedo Italy produces in excess of 80 million vines a year and will for the first time be visiting the Vineyard and Winery show offering growers a chance to benefit from new clonal varieties that are particularly suited to the climate of England and Wales. With disease resistant properties that will benefit both the grower and the environment these vines are specifically chosen for their relationship to the parent vines. This is an exciting opportunity for growers, winemakers and buyers to experience wines from these new clonal varieties.
The issues of sustainability of wine production are the subject of increasing attention by the public opinion and the operators of the vine&wine supply chain worldwide.
The new generation resistant varieties represent a first positive approach to the sustainability of viticulture and wine production which is, to date, the main issue of world public opinion and professionals.
Already in 2006, the Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo had perceived the importance of giving tangible answers to the emerging needs in terms of nursery-viticultural sustainability, and for this reason they started a fruitful collaboration with the University of Udine and the Institute of Applied Genomics with the aim of providing wine growers with new wine grape varieties resistant to the main diseases (downy mildew and powdery mildew).
The resistant varieties are obtained through interspecific crosses between susceptible Vitis vinifera varieties and a selection that bears the characteristics of resistance. By using these varieties, it is possible to reduce phytosanitary treatments by about 70%, limit water waste, avoid unnecessary soil compaction and reduce production costs. All this, without compromising the quality, healthiness and characteristics of the wine obtained, as demonstrated by the analyzes and tastings carried out, which highlighted that the aromatic and organoleptic profile of the wines obtained from these varieties is highly appreciated by the final consumer.
The first ten resistant Italian varieties, of which VCR is exclusive licensee, were created thanks to a research activity started in 1998 by the University of Udine. VCR actively
Sample Vivai wines
The wines from Vivai will be available on the Piwi hub and on Stand M15 in the Maidstone Hall
participated in the last stage of this project, evaluating agronomic and enological traits of the new resistant varieties, which led to their registration in the National Catalogue in 2015:
◆ Fleurtai® (W.)
◆ Soreli® (W.)
◆ Sauvignon Kretos® (W.)
◆ Sauvignon Nepis® (W.)
◆ Sauvignon Rytos® (W.)
◆ Merlot Khorus® (B.)
◆ Merlot Kanthus® (B.)
◆ Cabernet Eidos® (B.)
◆ Cabernet Volos® (B.)
◆ Julius® (B.) and in 2020:
◆ Pinot Iskra® (UD. 109-033 – W.)
◆ Kersus® (UD. 109-052 – W.)
◆ Pinot Kors® (UD. 156-537 – B.)
◆ Volturnis® (UD. 156-312 – W.)
The latter have been created from the crossbreed between Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc with new and more performing resistance donors, out of which “99-1-48” was kindly allowed by the breeder Pal Kozma.
In 2015 VCR have started their own crossbreeding program with the aim of obtaining new resistant wine, table and rootstock varieties. Particular attention has been given to autochthonous varieties and their clones, which represent the core asset of Italian viti-viniculture.
Pinot Kors
dOWNY MILdEW
GOOd
CABERNET EIDOS ®
CABERNET VOLOS ®
KERSUS
CABERNET EIDOS ®
Red cultivar obtained from the cross Cabernet Sauvignon x Bianca (code UD. 58-083).
CABERNET VOLOS ®
Red cultivar obtained from the cross Cabernet Sauvignon x 20-3
White cultivar
Red cultivar obtained from the cross Cabernet Sauvignon x Bianca (code UD. 58-083).
Ampelographic characters: shoot tip hairless and pinkish. The leaf is of pentagonal shape with U base petiolar sinus. Elongated cylindrical cluster, with a short wing, compact or semi-compact. Small berry size with a thick skin and average pruinosity. Pulp is juicy of neutral taste.
Bud break: average-late.
Flowering time
Ripening time
Bud break: average-late.
Yield: medium-high.
Flowering time
Ripening time
Yield: medium-high.
Red cultivar obtained from the cross Cabernet Sauvignon x 20-3
Ampelographic characters: shoot tip hairless and pinkish. The leaf is of pentagonal shape with U base petiolar sinus. Elongated cylindrical cluster, with a short wing, compact or semi-compact. Small berry size with a thick skin and average pruinosity. Pulp is juicy of neutral taste.
Bud break: average.
Sauvignon Kretos®
Flowering time
Ripening time
Bud break: average.
Cultural aptitude: grapevine with good vigour and semi-upright growth habit.
Yield: medium-high.
Flowering time
Ripening time
Trellising and pruning: adaptable to all trellising and pruning systems because of the high base bud fertility.
Cultural aptitude: grapevine with good vigour and semi-upright growth habit.
Yield: medium-high.
White cultivar
Ampelographic sinus. Medium-large is medium-to-small pruinosity. Soft Bud break: average-early.
Ampelographic characters: the foliar characteristics are similar to the parent, Cylindrical cluster, relatively compact with a wing always present. The small It has a thick skin, blue-black colour with a thick pruinosity. The pulp is soft herbaceous flavour.
Ampelographic characters: the foliar characteristics are similar to the parent, Cylindrical cluster, relatively compact with a wing always present. The small It has a thick skin, blue-black colour with a thick pruinosity. The pulp is soft herbaceous flavour.
Flowering time Ripening time
Yield: high.
Resistance to disease and adverse conditions: good-to-excellent resistance to downy (Rpv 3) and powdery mildew. Good winter hardiness with resistance up to -22°C.
Trellising and pruning: adaptable to all trellising and pruning systems because of the high base bud fertility.
Cultural aptitudes: grapevine with medium vigour and semi-upright growing
Ampelographic sinus. Medium-large is medium-to-small pruinosity. Soft Bud break: average-early. Flowering time Ripening time Yield: high.
Cultural aptitude
Trellising and pruning: adaptable to different trellising and pruning systems spur systems because of the high base bud fertility.
Enological potential: grapevine able to achieve a good sugar accumulation with balanced total acidity of the must. The aromatic profile shows intense floral-fruity and spicy notes with excellent polyphenol profile for quality and composition of tannins and for the intensity and tonality of pigments. It is conducive to wines of medium to long refinement period.
Resistance to disease and adverse conditions: good-to-excellent resistance to downy (Rpv 3) and powdery mildew. Good winter hardiness with resistance up to -22°C.
PINOT KORS ®
PINOT KORS ®
Pinot Iskra
Cultural aptitudes: grapevine with medium vigour and semi-upright growing
Enological potential: grapevine able to achieve a good sugar accumulation with balanced total acidity of the must. The aromatic profile shows intense floral-fruity and spicy notes with excellent polyphenol profile for quality and composition of tannins and for the intensity and tonality of pigments. It is conducive to wines of medium to long refinement period.
Cultural aptitude
Trellising and on the Guyot-type Resistance and good resistance
Resistant to disease and adverse conditions: good resistance to downy mildew good resistance to powdery mildew. Reduced sensitivity to botrytis. Attention Phomopsis. Excellent winter hardiness with resistance to minimal temperatures
Trellising and pruning: adaptable to different trellising and pruning systems spur systems because of the high base bud fertility.
Trellising and on the Guyot-type Resistance and good resistance
Resistant to disease and adverse conditions: good resistance to downy mildew good resistance to powdery mildew. Reduced sensitivity to botrytis. Attention Phomopsis. Excellent winter hardiness with resistance to minimal temperatures
Enological potential: grapevine is able to achieve an excellent sugar accumulation acidity. The aromatic profile is complex with intense fruity notes that are reminiscent Cabernet Sauvignon. Polyphenols complex of excellent quality. Suitable for requiring medium to long refinement periods also thanks to the high content
Awards
International
Enological potential notes of Pinot that transform and remarkable periods of refining.
Enological potential: grapevine is able to achieve an excellent sugar accumulation acidity. The aromatic profile is complex with intense fruity notes that are reminiscent Cabernet Sauvignon. Polyphenols complex of excellent quality. Suitable for requiring medium to long refinement periods also thanks to the high content
Enological potential notes of Pinot that transform and remarkable periods of refining.
and the silver medal , with 82.25 at the BLACK SEA REGION WINES&SPIRITS CONTEST in Moldova.
PINOT ISKRA®
Red cultivar obtained from the cross Pinot Noir and 99-1-48 (code UD. 156-537).
White cultivar obtained from the cross SK-00-1/7 and Pinot Blanc (code UD.
PINOT ISKRA®
Red cultivar obtained from the cross Pinot Noir and 99-1-48 (code UD. 156-537).
Ampelographic characters: the leaf is small or medium, cuneiform with 5 lobes and V base petiolar sinus. Medium or medium-large conical clusters, tendentially sparse with 3-4 wings. The berry is medium-to-small of spheroidal shape. Blue-black coloured rather thin skin with medium pruinosity. Soft pulp with neutral flavour.
Bud break: average-early.
Flowering time
Ripening time
Bud break: average-early.
Yield: medium-high.
Flowering time
Ripening time
Yield: medium-high.
White cultivar obtained from the cross SK-00-1/7 and Pinot Blanc (code
Ampelographic characters: the leaf is small or medium, cuneiform with 5 lobes and V base petiolar sinus. Medium or medium-large conical clusters, tendentially sparse with 3-4 wings. The berry is medium-to-small of spheroidal shape. Blue-black coloured rather thin skin with medium pruinosity. Soft pulp with neutral flavour.
Ampelographic characters: the leaf is small of pentagonal shape with 3-5 lobes sinus. Medium or medium-small cylindrical clusters, tendentially compact sized wings. The berry is medium-to-small of spheroidal shape. Golden-green thick skin with medium pruinosity. Soft pulp with neutral flavour.
Bud break: average-early.
Flowering time
Ampelographic characters: the leaf is small of pentagonal shape with 3-5 lobes sinus. Medium or medium-small cylindrical clusters, tendentially compact sized wings. The berry is medium-to-small of spheroidal shape. Golden-green
Ripening time
Bud break: average-early.
Yield: average.
Flowering time
The
thick skin with medium pruinosity. Soft pulp with neutral flavour.
Cultural aptitude: grapevine with high vigour and horizontal growth habit. It requires green pruning to limit the excessive growth.
Cultural aptitude: medium-high vigour grapevine with semi-upright growth
Ripening time
Yield: average.
Trellising and pruning: adaptable to different pruning and trellising systems, but performs best on the Guyot-type trellis.
Cultural aptitude: grapevine with high vigour and horizontal growth habit. It requires green pruning to limit the excessive growth.
Enological potential
Enological potential
SENSORY PROFILE t EIdOS ®
Yield: more
Trellising and pruning: adaptable to different pruning and trellising systems, on the Guyot-type trellis.
Cultural aptitude: medium-high vigour grapevine with semi-upright growth
Resistance to diseases and adverse conditions: excellent resistance to downy (Rpv 1, Rpv 12) and powdery (Run 1) mildew.
Cultural aptitude
Trellising and pruning: adaptable to different pruning and trellising systems, but performs best on the Guyot-type trellis.
AGREEABLENESS
to overgrow.
SENSORY PROFILE t EIdOS ®
Resistance to diseases and adverse conditions: excellent resistance to downy (Rpv 1, Rpv 12) and powdery (Run 1) mildew.
wine is similar to the parental variety Pinot Noir. The aromatic profile opens with delicate floral notes reminiscent of rose, and transforms into intense notes of red fruits and spices. The polyphenolic profile is more than excellent for quality, intensity and roundness and for the high anthocyanin content. It is conducive to wines of medium to long refinement period.
RESISTANCE
bLaCK ROt
Resistance to diseases and adverse conditions: excellent resistance to and powdery mildew (Run 1, Ren 3). Good winter hardiness with resistance
Trellising and pruning: adaptable to different pruning and trellising systems, on the Guyot-type trellis.
Resistance and good resistance under conditions
Enological potential wine is very similar Pinot blanc. The aromatic profile shows a good intensity of fruity-fermentative, aromas. The wine has remarkable freshness and persistence. It is suitable of high quality sparkling wines or perfumed wines with short periods of refining.
wine is similar to the parental variety Pinot Noir. The aromatic profile opens with delicate floral notes reminiscent of rose, and transforms into intense notes of red fruits and spices. The polyphenolic profile is more than excellent for quality, intensity and roundness and for the high anthocyanin content. It is conducive to wines of medium to long refinement period.
Trellising and de-suckering to overgrow. Resistance and good resistance under conditions
Resistance to diseases and adverse conditions: excellent resistance to and powdery mildew (Run 1, Ren 3). Good winter hardiness with resistance
SAUVIGNON KRETOS ®
Enological potential wine is very similar Pinot blanc. The aromatic profile shows a good intensity of fruity-fermentative, aromas. The wine has remarkable freshness and persistence. It is suitable of high quality sparkling wines or perfumed wines with short periods of refining.
Awards: in 2018 Pinot Kors VCR won the , with 94 points out of 100, at the International PIWI WINE AWARD
SAUVIGNON KRETOS ®
HONEY
Soreli
SORELI®
White cultivar obtained from the cross Sauvignon x 20-3 (code UD. 76-026).
Fairly good winter Enological potential of the must. intensity amplitude; have an intense refinement period.
Awards: in 2018 Pinot Kors VCR won the , with 94 points out of 100, at the International PIWI WINE AWARD
Awards: in 2018 Pinot Iskra , with 85 points out of 100, PIWI WINE AWARD
Awards: in 2018 Pinot Iskra VCR won the , with 85 points out of 100, PIWI WINE AWARD
Fairly good winter Enological potential of the must. intensity amplitude; have an intense refinement period.
Awards: in 2017 of 100 respectively,
Awards: in 2017 of 100 respectively,
VOLTURNIS
White cultivar from the cross Tocai Friulano x 20-3 (code UD. 34-113).
Red cultivar
SORELI®
VOLTURNIS
White cultivar obtained from the cross Sauvignon x 20-3 (code UD. 76-026).
Ampelographic characters: the mature leaf characters are similar to its parental grapevine Sauvignon. Medium-long cluster length, conical, semi-loose with two notable wings. Medium-small round berry. Thick green skin with golden hues and light pruinosity. Firm pulp and neutral flavour.
Bud break: early.
Flowering time
Ripening time
Bud break: early.
Yield: medium-high.
Flowering time
Ripening time
Yield: medium-high.
COOKED VEGETABLES
PEPPER-TOMATO
Volturnis
Ampelographic characters: the mature leaf characters are similar to its parental grapevine Sauvignon. Medium-long cluster length, conical, semi-loose with two notable wings. Medium-small round berry. Thick green skin with golden hues and light pruinosity. Firm pulp and neutral flavour.
White cultivar from the cross Tocai Friulano x 20-3 (code UD. 34-113).
Bud break: average.
Flowering time
Cultural aptitude: excellent vigour grapevine with semi-upright growth habit.
Ripening time
Bud break: average.
Yield: medium-high.
Flowering time
Trellising and pruning: adaptable to different trellis and pruning systems because of its high basal bud fertility.
Cultural aptitude: excellent vigour grapevine with semi-upright growth habit.
Ampelographic sinus. Medium is medium-to-small
Red cultivar
Ampelographic characters: shoot tip hairless, without anthocyanin pigmentation. is medium-large, wedge or circular shaped, with U base petiolar sinus. The its length is above the average, from medium-compact to semi-loose with two spheroidal and uniform berry. Thick green skin with golden hues and medium is slightly compact and has a neutral flavour.
Ripening time
Yield: medium-high.
Resistance to disease and adverse conditions: good resistance to downy mildew (Rpv 12) and fairly good resistance to powdery mildew. Reduced sensitivity to botrytis, acid rot and secondary diseases. Survives minimum temperatures to -22°C.
Trellising and pruning: adaptable to different trellis and pruning systems because of its high basal bud fertility.
Soft pulp with Bud break: average-early.
Flowering time Ripening time
Ampelographic sinus. Medium is medium-to-small Soft pulp with Bud break: average-early.
Ampelographic characters: shoot tip hairless, without anthocyanin pigmentation. is medium-large, wedge or circular shaped, with U base petiolar sinus. The its length is above the average, from medium-compact to semi-loose with two spheroidal and uniform berry. Thick green skin with golden hues and medium is slightly compact and has a neutral flavour.
Yield: medium-high.
Flowering time
Cultural aptitude
Ripening time
Cultural aptitude: medium-high vigour grapevine with semi-upright or drooping
Yield: medium-high.
Resistance to disease and adverse conditions: good resistance to downy mildew (Rpv 12) and fairly good resistance to powdery mildew. Reduced sensitivity to botrytis, acid rot and secondary diseases. Survives minimum temperatures to -22°C.
Enological potential: sugar accumulation is good with average acidity in the must even in hot and dry summers. The aromatic profile of free volatiles is of medium intensity and amplitude but the potential intensity of the glycosidic aromatic compounds is above average. The aromatic profile of this variety is reminiscent of Sauvignon 108. It is conducive to production of young wines or wines to be consumed after a brief refinement period.
Enological potential: sugar accumulation is good with average acidity in the must even in hot and dry summers. The aromatic profile of free volatiles is of medium intensity and amplitude but the potential intensity of the glycosidic aromatic compounds is above average. The aromatic profile of this variety is reminiscent of Sauvignon 108. It is conducive to production of young wines or wines to be consumed after a brief refinement period.
Trellising and pruning: adaptable to different trellis and pruning systems fertility of the basal buds.
Cultural aptitude
Cultural aptitude: medium-high vigour grapevine with semi-upright or drooping
Awards: in 2017 Sauvignon Kretos silver medal , with 86 points out of 100, at the International in Germany.
Trellising and on the Guyot-type Resistance 12), susceptible Winter hardiness
Trellising and on the Guyot-type Resistance
Trellising and pruning: adaptable to different trellis and pruning systems fertility of the basal buds.
Awards: in 2017 Sauvignon Kretos ® VCR won the silver medal , with 86 points out of 100, at the International in Germany.
Enological potential Noir. The aromatic and wild strawberries, excellent for to wines of medium
12), susceptible Winter hardiness
Resistance to diseases and adverse conditions: excellent resistance to mildew and good-to-excellent resistance to powdery mildew. Reduced sensitivity acid rot. Attention to Phomopsis and black rot. Good winter hardiness with Enological potential: sugar accumulation is excellent and acidity is within the in hot years. The aromatic profile is intense for the volatile aromatic compounds, glycosides associated with tropical notes, pineapple and passion fruit. The is above average with a positive sensorial profile and above average structure It is suitable for blending with Fleurtai for well-structured and balanced wines after short periods of refining. It resembles the parent Tocai Friulano.
Enological potential Noir. The aromatic and wild strawberries, excellent for to wines of medium
Awards: in 2020
Resistance to diseases and adverse conditions: excellent resistance to mildew and good-to-excellent resistance to powdery mildew. Reduced sensitivity acid rot. Attention to Phomopsis and black rot. Good winter hardiness with Enological potential: sugar accumulation is excellent and acidity is within the in hot years. The aromatic profile is intense for the volatile aromatic compounds, glycosides associated with tropical notes, pineapple and passion fruit. The is above average with a positive sensorial profile and above average structure It is suitable for blending with Fleurtai for well-structured and balanced wines after short periods of refining. It resembles the parent Tocai Friulano.
Awards: in 2020 PIWI WINE
Awards: in 2017 Soreli VCR won the , with 88 points out of 100, PIWI WINE AWARD
Awards: in 2017 Soreli VCR won the , with 88 points out of 100, PIWI WINE AWARD
Awards: in 2019 Cabernet Eidos silver medal , with 85 points out of 100, at the International in Germany.
Awards: in 2019 Cabernet Eidos silver medal , with 85 points out of 100, at the International
Awards: in 2020 Cabernet Volos ® VCR won the silver medal , with 89 points International in Germany, and the silver medal , with 82.25 at the BLACK SEA REGION WINES&SPIRITS CONTEST in Moldova.
: in 2020 Cabernet Volos silver medal , with 89 points
in Germany,
Piwi wine tasting hub
MASTRECLASS 3.15 PM TASTING MARQUEE
For the first time the Vineyard & Winery Show will have a dedicated Piwi wine tasting hub, offering an opportunity for visitors to the show to sample wines that are made from Piwi grape varieties. The wines will include both single varietals and wines where Piwi varieties make up part of the blend. With Piwi varieties offering significant benefits in terms of early ripening and disease resistance this is a chance for all the visitors at the show both growers and wine buyers to become better acquainted with these varieties and their benefits. This is a space that should not be missed.
FEATURED WINES AT THE HUB
Quoins Organic Vineyard Rondo Rosé
A Decanter award winning rosé made from the first pressings of the Rondo grape made to Soil Association organic standards. It has a red blush and wild strawberry hints on the palate.
Williams Family Wines
2023 Solaris
The 2023 Solaris was meticulously crafted in a small family winery nestled in Cambridgeshire. Only 379 bottles of were made. Grapes were whole bunch pressed, retaining only the cuvée juice from the initial pressing, then fermented in stainless steel. The wine has won awards in both the International Wine and Spirit Competition and in the International Wine Challenge. The wine is refreshingly crisp, revealing gooseberry, green asparagus, sweet pea aromatics with an element of minerality.
PIWI TASTING HUB SPONSORS
Williams Family Wines
2023 Sweet Rebel
Named “Sweet Rebel” as the variety provides unusually high sugar levels from an early harvest unlike others in the “Sweet” category. The name also reflects the life at home with Nick and Julia Williams own sweet rebels (with a baby, toddler and Labrador, things rarely go to plan but they always make the journey a lot of fun). Produced from Solaris grapes, only 256 bottles of our Sweet Rebel were made. Grapes were whole bunch pressed, retaining only the cuvée juice from the initial pressing, then fermented in stainless steel. Fermentation was halted by SO2 and sterile filtration to leave 105 grams residual sugar. The wine offers peach and apple intertwined with silky honey, vanilla, and a hint of orange peel.
Oxney Organic Seyval Blanc (Rosé)
A vineyard blend of Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, it’s dry, refreshing and precise, with red apple, pear and toasty flavours carried on a thread of beautifully crisp acidity.
Wildwood Vineyard Thieving Badger Regent 2023
A light bodied red wine boasting a rich complexity of black fruits, from blackberry crumble and blackcurrant jam, to fresh prune and figs, along with notes of vanilla, smoky cigar box and coffee. Aged in old French oak barrels and named after the badgers that live in our wild woods who try to steal our ripe Regent grapes.
◆ 100% Regent
◆ 11.5% Alc
◆ Retail £17
Warehorne Vineyard Oasthouse Divico
A full bodied, medium dry red wine showcasing an intense deep purple colour in the glass. Allow time for the wine to breathe to enjoy vibrant notes of ripe dark fruits, blackcurrants and black cherries. This smooth wine has gentle acidity with medium tannins.
Yorkshire Heart Latimer White
100% solaris grapes makes this wine a light, fresh and fruity wine with floral aromas.
Warehorne Vineyard Oasthouse Estate Red Reserve
A medium dry red wine with low acidity and an earthy minerality. Purple-red in colour with notes of ripe red fruits including spiced red plum, blackcurrant and cherries. Made from 40% Pinot Noir and 60% Divico.
Yorkshire Heart Solaris White
The Solaris grape juice was left in a tank to fement on its own natural yeast, no additives have been added.
The resulting wine produces flavours of pink grapefruit, apples, lime and melons with crisp, intense flavours.
Deer Park Hall Solaris
Indulgent ripe fruits and hints of pear and apricot tempered by a balanced acidity, a touch of oak provides depth and character.
Hidden Spring The Catalyst Caberet Noir 2022
Small batch produced under Hidden Spring Vineyards Limited Alchemy range. Aged for two years in oak – rich, opulent, fruity, complex – delicious!
CALLING ALL UK PRODUCERS OF PIWI WINES Do you have a piwi wine you would like to enter? You still have time.
jamie@ vineyardmagazine.co.uk
Pattingham Vineyard Divico
Rudge Heath is a full bodied red wine, rich in colour with black cherry notes, lightly oaked in French barrels.
Best of the best
WineGB, in partnership with the Vineyard & Winery Show are launching a new award for UK Producers at this year’s event. Entitled the ‘Golden 50’ WineGB’s top 50 choices will be taken from over 100 UK wines that have won Gold medals across competitions during 2024, including: Decanter World Wine Awards, IWSC, The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships, Sommelier Wine Awards, London Wine Competition, Sommeliers Choice Awards, Wine GB Awards and the Welsh Wine Awards. Ensuring that the best of the best is fully appreciated and receive the acclaim that they deserve, the Golden 50 will have a WineHub dedicated to them where all the wines will be available to taste during the day.
A TASTER OF THE GOLDEN 50
Aldwick Estate
Woodlands Oak 2022
Artelium
Curators Cuvée 2018 or Blanc de Blancs 2018
Ashling Park Estate
Selection Pinot Noir 2022
Balfour
Leslie’s Reserve Brut NV
Breaky Bottom
Cuvee Oliver Minkley 2011
Camel Valley Bacchus 2023
Candover Valley Wines
Candover Brook Rose NV
Castle Brook
Classic Cuvee 2017
Coolhurst Vineyards
The Millers Tale 2018
Denbies Wine Estate
Cubitt Blanc de Noirs 2015
Digby Fine English
Blanc de Blancs 2013
Domaine Hugo Hugo 2022
Dunesforde Vineyard
Still Pinot Gris 2022
Chapel Down Rosé Brut NV
Roebuck Estate Rosé de Noirs 2018
Exton Park Reserve Blend 28 Blanc de Noirs NV
Fox and Fox Mayfield Eclipse Brut 2019
Greyfriars Vineyard Goldenford Chardonnay 2022
Hambledon Premiere Cuvee NV
Harrow and Hope Brut Reserve No 8
Hattingley Valley Kings Cuvée 2015 Hampshire
Hattingley Valley Kings Rosé 2015
Hawkswood Vineyard Pinot Rosé
Langham Wine Estate Corallian Classic Cuvée NV
Louis Pommery England Rose Brut NV
Lyme Bay Winery Pinot Noir 2021
Mousehall Estate
Tidebrook Staddle Stone Chardonnay
Pattingham Vineyard Nurton Brook 2022
Sandridge Barton Pinot Noir 2022
Silverhand Blanc de Blancs 2018 MDCV
Simpsons Wine Estate Railway Hill Rosé 2023
Squerryes Brut Late Disgorged 2013
The Grange White from Black 2020
Two Beacons Vineyard Pinot Noir Précoce 2021
Vagabond Wines Solena NV
Vale Vineyard White
Vale Vineyard Rosé
Wayfarer Wines
Wandering Wayfarer Bacchus 2022
Westwell Wine Pinot Meunier Multi Vintage
Wiston Estate
Library Collection Blanc de Blancs 2010
Wiston Estate Culver Hill 2022
Wyfold Rosé Brut 2018
Estate
GENTLY PUMPING QUALITY
POWERFUL AND VERSATILE PUMPS FOR ALL WINEMAKING PROCESSES
Gusbourne Blanc de Blanc 2019
Roebuck
Classic Cuvée 2018
Gusbourne Pinot Noir 2022
Woodchester Valley Rosé Brut, 2021
Matthew Jukes selection
The wines selected are from those featured by Vineyard magazine’s wine columnist, Matthew Jukes. It is a great opportunity for wine producers to benchmark their wines.
Kinsbrook KIN 2022
Camel Valley Atlantic Dry 2023
Knightor Mena Hweg 2023
Dunleavy Sparkling Rosé Extra Brut 2022
Dunleavy Sparkling Red 2022
Albury Organic Silent Pool Rosé 2023
Greyfriars 2023 Yolande
Camel Valley 2022 Pinot Noir
Greyfriars/Goldenford 2022 Chardonnay
Great Wheatley Vineyard 2023 House on the Hill Bacchus
Biddenden Vineyards 2023 Gewurztraminer
All Angels Classic Cuvée 2015
Digby Fine English Vintage Reserve Brut 2014
Gusbourne Pinot Meunier Mill Hill East Single Vineyard 2022
Thorrington Mill Bacchus 2022
Penn Croft Village Bacchus 2022
Nyetimber Cuvée Chérie Demi Sec
Rowton Late Harvest Solaris 2022
Oxney Organic Rosé 2022
Oxney Organic Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2019
Oastbrook Pinot Gris Block 1 2023
Oastbrook Pinot Blanc 2023
Oastbrook Pinot Meunier 2023
Mudwall Marlpit Bacchus 2023
Whitwolfe KC1 Chardonnay 2022
Whitwolfe KC2 Chardonnay
Whitwolfe KC3 Chardonnay
Woodchester Valley 2022 Culver Hill
Vagabond Wines 2023 Night Tripper
Vagabond Wines Solena Batch 003
Warehorne Vineyard 2023 Oasthouse Divico
Saffron Grange Classic Cuvée 2021
Rathfinny Blanc de Noirs Brut 2019
Rathfinny Rosé 2019
Rathfinny Classic Cuvée 2019
Sugrue South Downs Rosé Ex Machina 2018
The Heretics Pale Rosé 2023
Matthew Jukes’ masterclass
1 PM TASTING MARQUEE
Sponsored
by
All proceeds raised go to
World-renowned wine writer and monthly Vineyard columnist Matthew Jukes will be conducting a structured wine tasting for 120 guests on the day.
Starting at 1pm each guest will be presented with six UK wines to sample. Selected by Matthew, these will include still, sparkling and rosé. Over the course of an hour, Matthew will explain why he feels each one is special and warrants acclaim. This is your opportunity to have an exclusive insight into the very best of British wines with one of the world’s leading wine writers.
At just £25 early booking is advised. Proceeds of ticket sales will be donated to the Drinks Trust.
Sparkling installation for Gusbourne Estate
Evolution Bottling and Packaging Solutions have recently installed and commissioned an MBF Rinser, Filler and Capper block at award winning Gusbourne Estate in Kent.
As the only three time winner of the IWSC English Wine Producer of the year, Gusbourne’s wine producing team have exacting standards at every stage of the wine making process, and accordingly require the highest standards and best technology to ensure the very careful handling of the product during the very delicate process of filling.
Gusbourne and Evolution BPS first partnered in 2022 when Evolution installed and commissioned a Robino and Galandrino Capsulator and a P.E. Labelling Machine. When producing a premium product, ensuring a premium finish to the bottle dressing is vital, as such the expertise and credibility of Evolution and their partners in premium drinks sectors was an important element of the selection process.
Specialising in all types of secondary sealing, R&G supply many of the most important wine bottling facilities in the world.
The R&G Capsulator installed at Gusbourne is predisposed for the orientation and prepleating of capsules, handling capsules for still and sparkling products and also combines cork and/or wirehood presence detector.
The P.E Labelling machine is equipped with three labelling stations for the self adhesive application of neck label, partial or wrap around front/body label and back label.
Evolutions UK based team of engineers worked closely with Gusbourne to install and commission the machines, remaining lineside until the customer became confident with the technology, and beyond, via the customer service team at Evolution.
This successful project ensured Evolution
were considered when Gusbourne sought to expand their line with the inclusion of in house filling technology. Evolution’s partnership of nearly twenty years with MBF, world renowned manufacturer of rinsing, filling and capping equipment, made an excellent proposition for Gusbourne. MBF is celebrated for its market-leading innovations in bottling solutions for wine and spirits producers, particularly for its expertise in maintaining product integrity during the delicate filling stage.
Filling expertise from MBF
MBF specialise in filling premium and delicate products, minimising oxygen pick up during the filling process, ensuring the highest standards of product integrity are
maintained. MBF understands how critical bottling is in the lifecycle of wine and the patented technology ensures that it is managed with competence and accuracy. MBF have particular understanding of the importance of oxygen control and how this is key to achieving the correct oenological and qualitative balance of the product. Each wine has its own personality, therefore it is important it is treated with extreme care in all stages in order to maintain its quality and organoleptic characteristics. Precise attention must be given to the delicate stage of bottling which if mishandled can affect the integrity of the product due to excessive introduction of oxygen, thereby invalidating all previous interventions to minimise oxidation.
Extensive research by MBF has led to the development of a system for managing, measuring and controlling oxygen pick up. The methodology facilitates accurate determination of the increase of oxygen in the wines due to the filling phase, quantifying the performance of the filler.
Determining the optimal conditions for atmospheric inertisation inside the bottle before filling, relative to bottle size, reduces the contact of wine with oxygen. MBF have defined the optimal conditions for atmospheric inertisation inside the bottle before filling. The innovative system for inert gas injection creates perfect intertia of the head space of the bottle while avoiding loss of pressure. The MBF patented system facilitates minimum nitrogen consumption and optimal injection of inert gas in the bottle independent of bottling speed.
Crafting premium wines at Gusbourne
Since planting their first vines in 2004, Gusbourne has pursued a vision of crafting the finest vintage wines, using only grapes grown in their vineyards.
Gusbourne Founder, Andrew Weeber, encapsulates their dedication to excellence: “Making exceptional wine takes craftsmanship, respect for nature… and uncompromising attention to detail,” reflecting the winery’s commitment to producing outstanding products for their customers.
It is in line with this vision that Gusbourne has decided to expand their production facility bringing the important stage of filling in house with the addition of a new MBF Synchrofill Monoblock machine, fully installed and commissioned by Evolution Bottling & Packaging Solutions Ltd's UK-based engineering team.
Filling installation at Gusbourne
Evolution worked closely with the Gusbourne winery team to help them define their needs and to ensure that the solution provided was sufficiently future proofed to meet the needs of the winery now and moving forward. The technologically advanced Synchofill Monoblock incorporates rinser, filler, capper, corker and additional features facilitate bidule insertion, crown capper and vinolok meeting the requirements for traditional method sparkling, and still wines.
Operating at speeds of up to 4,500 bottles per hour, the advanced machinery supplied by Evolution ensures precise fill levels, optimal oxidation management, and superior cleaning processes, all designed to preserve product integrity with minimal maintenance.
Alastair Benham, Head of Wine Operations at Gusbourne, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership: “This has been an exciting project to collaborate on with Evolution and
MBF as Gusbourne continues its commitment to crafting premium English wines. A big thank you to everyone at Evolution, MBF, and Gusbourne for their hard work in bringing this project to life!”
Business Development Manager at Evolution, Dylan Bradshaw added: “Evolution are thrilled to have partnered with Gusbourne on this project and we look forward to continuing to work together, strengthening this successful collaboration in the future.”
Evolution BPS work in partnership with a carefully selected group of Italian based equipment manufacturers. In addition to MBF, PE Labellers and Robino and Galandrino, the Evolution portfolio includes TMG for depalletisers, palletisers, case packing machines and all end of line machinery as well as Logics and Controls highly advanced inspection systems for fill level, label, empty bottle and closure inspection. Their team of UK based engineers work in tandem with their customer service team to deliver first class after sales and technical support.
Healthy soil, healthy plants
With a long background in farming, Tom Clifton, who has set up The Soil Doctors with wife Maggie, has always been fascinated by soil, its impact on plants and how to get the very best out of it. Tom grew up on the family farm on the Cambridgeshire/ Norfolk border, where his grandfather Harry ran the last threshing contracting business in Cambridgeshire.
“I was doing what’s now called ‘regen agriculture’ before it was a thing,” he recalled. “I’ve always worked with the soil and tried to cut down on expensive chemicals. Healthy plants don’t need a lot of chemicals – just decent soil.”
Back in his farming days, Tom Clifton would have planted a deeprooting variety of radish to alleviate soil compaction and drain and aerate his fields. Now, he’s using an impressive piece of soil injection equipment, allied to 40-plus years of experience, to tackle the problem.
Tom has invested in a Vogt Geo Injector Pro, a high-tech soil injector that injects vital soil improvers and other additives into the soil at regular intervals while opening it up to ensure better drainage. While the additives – such as biochar and zeolite - are important, the main component of the injection will always be air.
Before work starts, The Soil Doctors carry out a full assessment of the soil. “Clearly soil varies enormously, so we take a sample, analyse
it and then use our experience to calculate the best mix of nutrients and additives to make it as good as it can be while also improving the drainage if that’s an issue,” Tom explained.
For more information on how to improve soil health Visit Soil Doctors on stand M55.
Tom and Maggie
Public rights of way (PROWs) are highways that the public can legally pass along. PROWs include footpaths, bridleways, restricted byways and byways open to all traffic.
The Definitive Map is held by the local highway authorities and shows local PROWs. Under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW), a cut-off date of 1 January 2026 was introduced to record PROWs on the Definitive Map. This meant that if a PROW was not applied for by then, it would be extinguished immediately. Furthermore, after the cut-off date, CROW would prohibit the removal or modification of any PROW even if it was “wrongly” recorded. Without consultation, however, the government in February 2022 repealed the cut-off date entirely. In March 2023, under pressure from farmers and landowners, a cut-off date was re-introduced: 1 January 2031. After the cut-off date, it will no longer be possible to apply to have a path recorded on the Definitive Map.
Many of these claimed PROWs run through land under viticulture. The reinstating of long-forgotten PROWs will adversely impact landowners because the Definitive Map cannot
Resisting applications for public rights of way
be changed after 2031. A landowner subject to a PROW has responsibilities to maintain the access, keep the route visible and ensure that there are no obstacles that may endanger users. If a landowner fails to comply with these measures, he may be prosecuted.
However, in August 2023, DEFRA introduced statutory guidance, known as Presumptions Guidance to advise local authorities on reinstating, diverting or extinguishing PROWs when there are concerns over the privacy, safety and security of the landowner. Where the route of the PROW is through a garden, farmyard or business premises, the impact on the landowner should be heavily weighted against the interests of public access. The guidance also states that it is in the public interest to consider diversion of the PROW rather than extinguishment, should the local authority find for the landowner. DEFRA are currently considering further reforms for possible introduction in the coming months.
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Michael McNally
Low and no alcohol wine
It has been widely reported that the low and no alcohol market is enjoying significant growth in recent years. Vineyard Magazine looks at the processes involved, legislation and a case study that has found success with Spanish grapes.
Although wine accounts for a relatively small percentage of that market, with beer and spirits taking up the lion’s share, big names and smaller independents have leapt in with great gusto globally. Not so much in England and Wales, yet, which is perhaps unsurprising given the significant technical challenges that making a high quality alcohol-free wine pose.
The methodology
Demand has reportedly been rising across the year. Low and no-alcohol products are now selling well year round, rather than just in the traditional windows of Dry January and Sober October.
What growth there has been is thanks to the evolution of the production and technology – which has improved the overall quality astronomically over recent years.
Photo: Adilson Sochodolak / Shutterstock.com
There are a number of methods used to make wines with low or no alcohol. At first, these methods were clumsy, as a lot of the aromas and body of the wine were stripped away along with the alcohol. But the processes have now been greatly improved. Of course, the main difficulty is ensuring that the wine is properly calibrated after the alcohol is removed. Alcohol, at whatever level, is an important sensory ingredient in wine as we know it. Reconstructing a familiar and desirable profile of aroma, weight and mouthfeel is a fine art, particularly without using excessive sugar or artificial additions.
Reverse osmosis
This process passes wine through a semipermeable membrane at pressure. Since water and ethanol are the smallest molecules in the liquid, they pass through the filter most easily, along with some acids.
Most elements, like pigment, polyphenols and tannin are stopped by the filter. This process occurs in a closed circuit, so the wine passes continuously through the membrane until the desired level of alcohol is reached.
The resulting mixture of water and alcohol is distilled to separate out the alcohol. The water is recombined with all of the other elements, creating a wine with reduced alcohol.
Some studies suggest that there is no negative effect on the main aroma compounds of the wine when using reverse osmosis. Others suggest a significant change in the sensory qualities of the wine after the alcohol removal process.
Vacuum distillation
The cost of installing a vacuum distillation system is a degree lower than the equipment required for reverse osmosis, but it is more expensive to run. The vacuum created lowers
Photo: Darya Lavinskaya / Shutterstock.com
the boiling point of the liquid so that the alcohol evaporates out at a much lower temperature – around 35°C. This makes for a gentler treatment of the wine aimed at retaining the flavour and aroma unchanged while removing the alcohol.
As with reverse osmosis, some proponents claim that vacuum distillation gives a “true to taste” result, while others are more cynical, suggesting that there is still a certain degree of aroma, and particularly freshness, that comes from heating the wine – however gently.
Vacuum distillation is a common approach for making low and no alcohol wines. The popular 0.0% wines in the Noughty range from Thomson & Scott are made using this method, for example.
Spinning cone
In the early nineties, the Spinning Cone Column was developed to use centrifugal force in conjunction with vacuum distillation to remove volatile aromatic compounds. The remaining liquid is then distilled at a higher temperature on a second pass to remove the alcohol before the two parts are recombined. Here, the alcohol can be retained for other uses. That technique has since been refined by makers ConeTech, who have introduced GoLo – a single step process that allows for dealcoholisation using a very low temperature distillation. This preserved the subtle aromatics without the need for multiple passes through the cones.
The increased demand for low and no alcohol products has been welcomed by the government as a sign that more people wish to moderate their alcohol consumption. In turn, they are working to stimulate product development in this area through use of legislation.
The rules on the production and marketing in GB of partially de-alcoholised and de-alcoholised wine have not changed. As such, drinks with an ABV of less than 8.5% (or 4,5% if that wine has a Protected Designation of Origin or Protected Geographical Indication) currently cannot be labelled as wine and should be labelled as a “wine-based drink, or something similar ”.
The Government is keen for consumers to have access to clear information on the bottle about how much alcohol each product contains and so earlier in 2024 DEFRA consulted on various wine reforms, which included proposals that would allow for the production and marketing for partially de-alcoholised and de-alcoholised wine. DEFRA are currently considering feedback from this consultation and will issue a response in due course.
Some areas under consideration are wine terminology such as “‘Partially de-alcoholised’ and ‘reduced alcohol’ wine. DEFRA are proposing that a wine using terminology such as ‘partially de-alcoholised’ or ‘reduced alcohol’ etc, should have no more than 8.5% alcohol by volume (abv) when marketed. DEFRA are also proposing that these wines will be required to have had at least 30% of their alcohol removed compared with their original levels to qualify to use this terminology.
The government has separately consulted on no and low alcohol labelling guidance, including the maximum level of alcohol that can be present in products claiming to be alcohol free, and whether de-alcoholised should be used as a marker for alcoholic strength. The Department for Health and Social Care is now considering responses, with values of 0.05% or 0.5% abv under consideration for use of the term ‘alcohol free’. We intend to set the level of alcohol and descriptors for wine that are consistent with broader government policy.”
READ MORE IN THE DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD & RURAL AFFAIRS’ WINE REFORMS CONSULTATION: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/alcoholic-drinks-geographical-indications-team/wine-reforms
Low labelling Research in the field
As we’ve seen, there are significant drawbacks and difficulties to producing low and no alcohol wines, which is probably why there are so few English and Welsh producers yet to take the plunge. However, the demand is well documented, leading to the National Institute of Agricultural Botany to lead the way on research into creating high quality alcohol-free wines here in England and Wales.
“With increasing consumption of alcohol-free drinks, there is a significant market need for an alcohol-free wine. NIAB is working with The HWB Group who have successfully introduced over 50 beverage brands over 20 years, to create the first UK-based alcohol-free wine,” said Scott Raffle, Knowledge Exchange Manager NIAB.
“Together they are exploring innovative fermentation and de-alcoholisation techniques using locally sourced produce from Kent. The vision goes beyond tradition, incorporating cutting-edge technologies and know-how to deliver a refined de-alcoholisation process that preserves the intrinsic character of the fruit,” said Scott.
The Zeno story
Zeno is a British wine company using Spanish base wines to make what they describe as “alcohol-liberated” non-alcoholic wines. They are made using the GoLo process.
Stocked in Waitrose since December 2022, their wines have been turning heads and winning awards for the last few years as this new start up has found its feet and found a market for its flavourful products. They are looking to take alcohol free wine in a whole new direction. Founder and CEO David Hodgson told Vineyard Magazine their story.
How did Zeno begin?
I was at a trade show in Helsinki with Will [Willis, Zeno co-founder and commercial director]. We were both representing traditional wine brands. We had a great time because our tables were relatively near each other. I’d been doing some research on alcohol free, because I was watching the brewers and I told Will I thought there’s something really happening in the alcohol free sector – but wondered why can’t anyone make a decent alcohol free wine?
I’d been buying them online and in the supermarket. They were so sweet, it was just awful. I said, I wonder how hard it is? And we just looked at each other and said, let’s have a look at it. And just over three years later, we launched Zeno.
Will’s got a background in fine wines, he’s got a killer palate and he’s really good technically, whereas I was interested in drinking less or just eliminating
alcohol. I had 25 years in the traditional wine trade. I’d say I’ve had enough drinking for five lifetimes really. So I took the plunge and stopped drinking alcohol to be a really authentic part of the research. I suddenly had basically nothing to drink that I could enjoy. But it really drove me, it was a bit selfish, to want to be able to have a good glass of wine.
How did you approach making a “decent alcohol free wine”?
The big brands have a job to do and they want to get their toes into it because the category has such a great growth trajectory – they need to show their shareholders that they’re represented in it. The issue is that there are a lot of commercial alcohol free wines out there that are just propped up with sugar and they use the more unloved tanks in the winery. We are coming from completely the opposite direction. We started with the product first. We use the best baselines, the best organic products we can.
We were absolutely determined to not rely on sweetness and sugar to fill in the gaps on the palate. We wanted to make wines that were true to their place. And we both knew Jane Masters MW. I’d worked with her in traditional wine when I was in Australia. We knew that she was a qualified chemist as well as an oenologist, and a Master of Wine. She came in to direct the technical side.
Will Willis and David Hodgson
I wanted to find the best dealcoholization partner that we could. From my research it was Bev Zero. I approached them to do a qualitative project – they were reducing the alcohol in tankers of wine, ticking the analysis and sending it back. But I wanted them to partner us, making something really quality driven. I’m really happy to say that only a few years later it is part of their businesses to do white labelling for wine producers. And that’s sort of on the back of us.
We went to their plant in Spain, which covers all of Europe for them. We went through the whole process and we broke it down then put it back together to see how we could make the output wines better. They were so helpful.
Then we were hit by the Covid-19 lockdowns. That really affected us because we were working remotely, working with Bev Zero in Spain and sending trial samples across. We had Brexit customs issues as well. They didn’t know what to do with them so they got stuck. And when they arrived we had a few good ones and a few that were fizzing away!
We started to get disheartened because we weren’t able to do it remotely. We needed to be in the winery. Will had been working with a winery in Castilla Mancha, which is very near Bev Zero. It’s fantastic logistically because when we are moving bulk wines around, they’re only travelling an hour. The winery is close and they know the Bev Zero teamthe stars aligned for us so many times.
We were allocated a winemaker who really gets what we’re doing and is really engaged. Their resources are fantastic. It’s a single organic vineyard called La Carrasca that we source all of the Zeno wines from. We’re one of the only true estate alcohol free wine brands and that makes a big difference. And on the back of that we have one team working from vineyard to glass on our wines and that’s terrific.
Do you think we will see more UK winemakers moving into low and no alcohol products?
There’s not a great deal of infrastructure in the UK and I think it just doesn’t make sense logistically to be taking local base wines over to Spain. But that could change as the demand grows.
Looking at the fantastic wines that are coming out of the UK I would love to experiment with some of them and see how they would work with the techniques that we’ve come up with and see how a UK one would work. I’d love to see British winemakers actually take that step for themselves, but it may not be the right time yet. But the quality would be really interesting. Looking at the structure of the wines they’re making; the aromatics and acidity. The alcohol free segment overall is growing at a great trajectory, but we’re still on a really small base. It is up to us as brands to collectively keep really delivering and getting sips to lips.
What does the future hold?
We started off with three SKUs: the white, red and sparkling. You can’t please all of the population with that. So as we extend we’ll be releasing more varietals. We’re working on a very exciting project at the moment, which is the next level up. We’ll be leading with a red wine, which will be Tempranillo based. And the wine is actually in barrel at the moment. We’re looking at a Crianza style that’s really gastronomy focused. Big, layered, with lashings of smoke. That’s really exciting because no one’s done it yet. We’re working with Bev Zero on this next level red. They will do benchtop analysis on the best way to nurture that oak complexity and all the layering that ageing and oak gives.
The core wines that we have out at the moment, we’re working on making them better at each bottling and reducing the sugars. We’re always talking about what we can do to increase sophistication and reduce sugar. We’re really pleased with the latest release. Zeno wines started at around the 28g per litre mark. We’ve been ratcheting down every time we bottle. The 2023 white is down to 18g per litre.
It takes so much work with texturizing and balancing in the winery lab to make sure they’re the right structure for us. This is where Jane is so handy because she can interpret what we wanted in scientific speak to the winery, to the laboratory.
We envisage the day when the customer is asked if they’d like their wine “with or without alcohol” and that choice can be made without compromise.
Yeast rehydration technology
EASYFERM® - The Juclas solution for yeast rehydration and the preparation of Pied de Cuvée for sparkling wine.
With over 30 years of experience in the winemaking sector, JUCLAS specialises in the production of technologies applied to winemaking. The applications of these technologies cover various stages of the process: must flotation, microfiltration, cross-flow filtration, gas management in wines, are just a few of Juclas' specialisations.
In this article, Juclas want to highlight the effectiveness of the yeast rehydration technology, EASYFERM®
In the winemaking industry, the quality of fermentation is crucial to the final product, and yeast plays a vital role in this process. EASYFERM® is a cutting-edge automatic system designed specifically to optimise yeast rehydration and preconditioning, ensuring high-quality fermentation. Here is an overview of its importance and benefits.
Why use EASYFERM®?
EASYFERM® ensures that yeast cells are rehydrated under optimal conditions, increasing their vitality and viability. This process is especially important for preventing fermentation interruptions and achieving consistent results across batches. It can be used both for yeast rehydration in standard
fermentations and for preparing Pied de Cuvée (PDC) for secondary fermentation. In this article, Juclas want to emphasise the importance of using EASYFERM® in the preparation of PDC.
The role of yeast in sparkling wine
Proper yeast rehydration and conditioning are crucial to ensuring a smooth, complete secondary fermentation, and this is where EASYFERM® excels. Yeast performance during this stage is essential for generating the necessary carbonation and developing the wine’s flavour profile.
Key benefits
◆ Optimised rehydration for secondary fermentation: Sparkling wine yeast faces additional challenges compared to primary fermentation, such as higher alcohol levels, pressure, and nutrientdeprived conditions. The EASYFERM® system ensures that yeast is properly rehydrated and conditioned to withstand these challenges, reducing the risk of sluggish or incomplete secondary fermentation.
◆ PDC function: EASYFERM® includes a “pied de cuvée” feature, which helps acclimatize rehydrated yeast cells to the harsh conditions of secondary fermentation. This function, dedicated to sparkling wine production, can be fully managed through EASYFERM®'s automation capabilities.
◆ Prevention of fermentation interruptions: EASYFERM® minimises the risk of fermentation interruptions by ensuring that yeast cells are healthy and ready for the fermentation environment. This leads to more consistent CO2 production and better control over the effervescence of the final product.
◆ Automation and consistency: The automated nature of EASYFERM® ensures consistency in yeast rehydration and preconditioning across batches. This makes it ideal for wineries looking to scale production without compromising on quality. It reduces manual labour and eliminates variations in yeast handling, which can otherwise affect the outcome of sparkling wines.
◆ Clean fermentation: Proper yeast rehydration and acclimatisation result in a cleaner fermentation process with fewer off-flavours, allowing for a clearer expression of the yeast’s properties.
What does
EASYFERM® do?
◆ Yeast rehydration
◆ Temperature control
◆ Aeration and agitation
◆ Inoculation
◆ Monitoring critical parameters such as temperature, time, oxygen dosage, nutrients, and sugar dosage.
EASYFERM® is available in several models with capacities ranging from 8kg to 40kg of rehydratable yeast.
Conclusion
EASYFERM® is a valuable tool for sparkling wine producers looking to optimise yeast health and improve fermentation outcomes. By automating the yeast rehydration process and offering specialised features like “pied de cuvée,” EASYFERM® addresses the unique challenges of sparkling wine fermentation, ensuring consistent quality, better carbonation, and reduced risk of fermentation interruptions. EASYFERM® is an excellent choice for those seeking to enhance the reliability, efficiency, and quality of their fermentation processes while saving on labour and resources.
What grows together goes together
This month saw the launch of the Plumpton Estate Market, showcasing fresh vegetables and fruit, breads from the bakery department, works of art from our florists, and more. Plumpton Estate wine of course makes an appearance –a real harvest festival feel.
Many of our favourite memories of wine are intertwined with memories of food, they go hand in hand. ‘Food & Wine’ will be starting at Plumpton again next Semester, a module where Wine Business students join other external ‘foodies’ signed up to learn about flavour, pairing, and menu design.
We asked Aitken Pearson about his experience last year and he talked to us about a session where students presented pairings to each other. “Students were deftly guided through the delights of procuring a perfect match in this module. My chosen pairing was rather simple: Burrata marries Verdeca… Both hail from Puglia, Italy’s heel”
The students voted this rare indigenous grape paired with the Burrata the ‘perfect match’. As Aitken told us, “Simplicity often makes things happen”, noting how these two Italian indulgences combined provenance with contrast.
What grows together goes together when it comes to food & wine pairing, but Aitken’s pairing also showcased flavour and texture combinations that were loved by his peers. “Verdeca vaunts its primary fruit flavours of grapefruit and peach, its acidity beguilingly compensating for the richness and creaminess of the Burrata”
Additional student food and wine pairings
included classics such as Greek Salad & Assyrtiko or Gavi & Risotto, as well as the adventurous farmhouse Scotch Eggs from Essex with Bacchus from a vineyard just a stone’s throw away.
Pictured alongside Aitken and his winning wine is Jenny Tame presenting her Paella and Albarino, and Jacob Stokes’s mouthwatering roasted vegetable and coconut yoghurt dish which he paired to great success with Gewürztraminer.
Staff spotlight
Since joining Plumpton College in 2008, James has been committed to creating an enriching and supportive learning environment for students. With a BSc (Hons) Microbiology and an MSc Biomedical Science, James brings a strong foundation in scientific disciplines, but his true passion lies in helping students thrive.
Dedicated to fostering curiosity and critical thinking, James views student success as the most rewarding aspect of his role, striving to equip graduates with both the confidence and underlying knowledge of wine science to lead innovation in the industry.
Prior to transitioning to education, James worked as a Laboratories Manager for Wine Laboratories until 2022, where he gained valuable insights into the practical applications of microbiology. James is currently pursuing a PhD in Wine Microbiology, further deepening his expertise in the field. Now, as the Programme Manager for the MSc Viticulture and Oenology he is focused on ensuring that students not only gain essential academic knowledge but also develop the skills needed to succeed in the workplace.
Scan QR code to sign up for the Food & Wine module
Jenny Tame
James Clapham
Representing you
Working in partnership with Vineyard magazine for a developing UK wine industry.
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.
If you are interested in wine production in the UK find
about WineGB and join us. Visit our website www.winegb.co.uk
Seminar programme
We are once again putting together the seminar programme which will take place during the Vineyard & Winery Show on 20 November.
This year, the programme will feature three talks as well as a keynote address by Patrick McGrath MW. Patrick has spent over four decades in the wine trade, working for the likes of Champagne Bollinger, Grant’s of St James’s and Victoria Wine. Having passed his Master of Wine examination in 1993, he joined wine distributor Hatch Mansfield as Managing Director a year later. He is the Co-Founder of Champagne Taittinger’s English estate Domaine Evremond alongside his role as CEO of Hatch Mansfield.
The day will begin with the launch of WineGB’s three-year strategy and a presentation of the organisation’s work-plan by CEO, Nicola Bates. This follows an extensive member consultation and our first Strategy Day, held at Denbies Wine Estate in September. This will be followed by a panel discussion entitled: Future Climate Impact on Vineyards: Insights and Updates from Innovate UK’s Groundbreaking Frost Project. The panel will consist of Professor Steve Dorling (Weatherquest) and Dr Alistair Nesbitt (Vinescapes) who will deliver an update on future climate predictions and the impact on viticulture. WineGB’s Communications Manager Phoebe French will then provide an overview of the Innovate UK funded frost project, which began earlier this year. A
Photo: Thomas Alexander Photography
WineGB membership entitles you to a free 15-minute consultation with legal firm and WineGB Partner Paris Smith LLP. Join WineGB today and visit the Member Benefits page to take advantage.
representative from Plumpton College will provide an update on its work on behalf of this project, focusing on different grape varieties and frost tolerance. The session will conclude with summary of how digitisation and technology can help vineyards react quickly to climatic events by Ian BeecherJones (JoJo’s Vineyard).
The final session of the day will focus on sales, specifically the importance of restaurant sales. In this talk, the panel will discuss how to develop relationships with key on-trade partners and how sommeliers can act as brand ambassadors as well as the challenges and barriers that our industry faces.
The full line-up and keynote speaker can be found on page 72. All sessions are free to attend for all show-goers.
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh and Patrick McGrath MW
Safeguarding toolkit
To coincide with World Mental Health Day last month, we published a free and open access ‘Toolkit for Safe and Respectful Workplaces’ to help protect the health, wellbeing, and rights of those working in wine and wider alcohol sector.
Accompanying the publication is a guide for individuals entitled: ‘What to Do If You Have Been Assaulted or Experienced a Safeguarding Offence’. Both are available via the WineGB website via the ‘People’ tab at the top of the home page.
The documents were released ahead of the change in law last month, where businesses now have a positive duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
The launch also comes within a year of the 2023 survey findings from Curious Vines and Proof Insight, which stated that one in three women working in the industry have faced harassment while working, the figure increasing to one in every two for 18 to 34 year olds.
Most of the toolkit is applicable to both alcohol producers and hospitality professionals. It has been designed as a one-stop-shop for information, support, and processes to help protect and train staff in ensuring the welfare of individuals. The toolkit provides sample safeguarding policies, procedures, definitions of key terms, legal requirements, checklists and policy templates, a list of training and support providers, risk assessments, and information materials that can be edited and displayed in communal staff areas. This includes material targeted towards working at vineyards, wineries, and in hospitality.
The ’What to Do If You Have Been Assaulted or Experienced a Safeguarding Offence’ guide offers practical next steps to victims. It includes information on how to report and document the incident and where to seek specialist help.
Our Legal Partner Paris Smith LLP has fully reviewed the materials provided in the toolkit to ensure that they are legally compliant.
Commenting on the launch, CEO of WineGB Nicola Bates said: “The safety of the people in our industry is paramount. We are committed to helping not just our part of the wine industry, but all of the UK wine and wider alcohol sector to create an inclusive and equitable environment for all workers. By taking the steps in this toolkit, businesses will enhance the welfare of their teams, encourage members of staff and consumers to use them, and will be on the path to being legally compliant. We are proud that WineGB resources are able to help the wider sector, and we call on groups and companies to distribute the information to better support our people.”
Sam Linter, Chair of WineGB and the initiator of the first DEI group for the association, added: “I am pleased to see the development of WineGB’s DEI efforts, culminating in the publication of this toolkit. While we are a small industry, we have big dreams and protecting our people plays an important role in our future. I look forward to being able to share our toolkit with the industry and hope that it will also help others working in the wider drinks trade.”
Queena Wong, Founder of Curious Vines, states: “WineGB are taking a leading role in guiding the UK wine industry to provide a safer work
environment for all. The efforts to prepare the toolkit and also offering it free to the industry shows how seriously they have taken on board the issues around safeguarding. There is much to be done in this arena, and this is an incredible first milestone to celebrate on the cusp of the survey anniversary as it is progress towards creating safer, more thriving worlds in wine for everyone.”
Anjali Douglas DipWSET, Co-Lead of Women in Wine LDN, said: “It has been sobering to understand just how low the bar is regarding the passive acceptance of harassment, bullying, abuse and neglect in the wine industry. Many of the issues outlined in this document constitute criminal offences that nobody should experience full stop, let alone in their place of work. WineGB has taken a valuable step in creating this ‘one-stopshop’ policy document, looking at the nuances of this issue from roles in hospitality to agriculture, from individuals to large workplaces, and making it available to all. I hope it will be embraced across the industry and will mark the beginning of a new standard set – a zero tolerance, process driven approach to harassment and safety at work.”
WineGB Sustainability Lead Emma Rix said: “I am passionate about helping companies ensure all employees are heard, respected, valued, and feel safe at work. While our industry is widely praised for its openness and 50% female representation, the journey is ongoing, and we have created this toolkit to provide help, education, and resources for individuals and companies when dealing with safeguarding and welfare concerns.”
Sowing a cover crop in a vineyard is one of the most talked about solutions, and can bring about significant benefits to the soil structure, improved water filtration and vigour management. Planting a cover crop at the beginning and end of the year comes with its challenges – especially with the volume of rain over the last year. This is where the brand-new Clemens S-Rex drill helps you get those seeds planted at the right time.
The new product from Clemens was conceived and designed in the UK by two vineyard owners who couldn’t find a machine to suit their requirements – namely to sow seeds and apply liquid fertilisers in one pass, in difficult soils. The drill has been built with vineyards in the UK at the forefront of its designers’ minds, so not only is the UK the first market to have access to it – it will prove an ideal solution for the vast majority of them as well.
The S-Rex is 1.4m wide and uses the APV pneumatic seeder unit with electronic fan, the well-known Metcalf direct drill tine to plant the seeds and then a roller to press the soil around the seed to help germination. Each drill is supplied with two seed rollers to suit seeds of all sizes – perfect for those cover cropping with wildflower mixes. The seed is placed in behind the tungsten tipped tine at 5mm-10mm depth depending on seed type. Each tine can be preceded by a leading disc, to open a slot for the seed in an already established sward or
The new Clemens S-Rex direct drill
How do you go about improving your soil in your vineyard? asks Matt Pinnington, Haynes Agricultural.
crop without tearing it up. The tine can be used without the disc if the soil conditions allow.
The drill uses 12mm or 100mm tines to create the slot in which the seed is placed, allowing it to overcome the stoniest of soil types and conditions. The tines also produce a small amount of tilth below the top of the slot which gives the seed the best environment in which to germinate. Each tine also features a hardened face and shear bolt stone protection to counter even the biggest ‘Hampshire diamonds’.
The last stage is the full width roller, which is hydraulically adjustable and toothed to effectively ‘pinch’ the slot closed behind the tines and so ensure good seed to soil contact.
A feature not seen on other vineyard direct drills is the optional liquid fertiliser tank –controlled from the tractor cab. This injects a steady stream of fertiliser down the back of the seeder tine to ensure that the planted seed has the best chance of swift germination. Biochar,
compost teas and other biological products can be applied at seeding or subsoiling time if the soil conditions demand it.
Subsoiler legs are also available as an option – they simply bolt on to the existing frame. With the subsoiling option the drill can be used to effectively crack the pan and reduce compaction, aiding drainage and promoting healthy root growth. Liquid fertiliser can be applied at the same time as subsoiling.
A significant benefit of the Clemens S-Rex drill is that a cover crop can be planted in one pass only. There is no need to terminate an existing crop, pre cultivate or power harrow to create a seedbed, the S-Rex can sow the seeds in one pass reducing wear and tear on the tractor, reducing compaction and soil damage at critical times of the year.
The Clemens S-Rex drill is available for demonstration and purchase across the south from Haynes Agricultural.
Exceptional harvest quality
NP
Seymour becomes first UK dealer to offer ERO Grapeliner 7000 Series.
NP Seymour, the UK’s leading provider of specialist orchard and vineyard machinery, is thrilled to announce its partnership with German manufacturer ERO GmbH as the first UK dealership to supply the renowned ERO Grapeliner 7000 series mechanical grape harvesters.
Known for exceptional harvest quality, low fuel consumption, and superior operator comfort, the Grapeliner 7000 series exemplifies ERO’s motto of “no less than best,” setting a new standard in vineyard machinery.
These state-of-the-art self-propelled harvesters, alongside ERO’s vine trimmers and defoliators, are now available from the Kentbased dealer to UK vine growers looking to elevate their harvesting efficiency and grape quality.
Arriving in the UK just in time for the 2024 harvest, the first ERO Grapeliner 7000 has already been used in several vineyards across the South East.
Since early October, NP Seymour, in collaboration with viticultural contractor SJ Barnes, has been offering vineyard managers and owners the opportunity to see the machinery in action, with a main demonstration day scheduled for Tuesday 22 October at Greyfriars Vineyard near Guildford.
“We’ve been proudly supplying ERO’s range of vine trimmers and defoliators for many years and have always been impressed with the quality and reliability. The harvesters they produce are no different, and the Grapeliner 7000 series is packed with innovative features that distinguish it as one of the top choices for mechanical grape harvesting worldwide,” said Claire Seymour, director at NP Seymour.
“We are already thoroughly impressed with its capabilities and performance, even with the wet weather conditions we have had recently. We know that taking on this new product range will continue to allow us to provide UK
vineyards with cutting-edge solutions that enhance productivity and improve harvest quality.”
For more than 40 years, ERO has been building and selling self-propelled harvesters. The self-propelled machine also features a unique three-stage harvest cleaning system to deliver the purest grape yield with a cross-air nozzle and leaf rake ejecting up to 70% of leaves before they reach the conveyor belt, reducing juice and fruit loss.
The destemmer and VITIselect sorting system carefully sort grapes while adapting to the terrain, ensuring consistency and even distribution of the fruit. It offers in-cab touchscreen controls for adjusting sorting speeds based on grape variety and ripeness, optimising every harvest.
If the destemmer is not required, it can be quickly and easily switched off by reversing the direction of the cross conveyor belt. The harvested grapes are conveyed directly into the tank without further mechanical processing.
The spacious, sound-insulated cab offers over 3m³ of space and automatic air conditioning, providing ideal comfort for long hours in the vineyard. Unlike other self-propelled harvesters, which feature an offset cab, the ERO Grapeliner cab is centrally mounted and also features a glassed-in floor which means the operator has a better perspective of where the machine is in relation to the rows.
For easy operation, the Grapeliner was the first grape harvester to feature a one-sided unloading conveyor. NP Seymour has further modified the chute to better suit UK growers, allowing them to fill one bin at a time. An external camera system has also been fitted to allow the operator to see exactly where the fruit goes when unloading into bins.
The ERO Grapeliner 7000 mechanical grape harvesters were also the first to feature an automatic steering system, which allows
operators to focus on the fruit to get the cleanest sample. Despite being self-propelled, the harvesters offer excellent manoeuvrability as the inside rear wheel remains stationary when performing tight turns.
If you would like to experience the ERO Grapeliner 7000’s capabilities in person, please get in touch with Claire Seymour at NP Seymour on 01580 712200 or by emailing sales@npseymour.co.uk
Read a full write up on the ERO Grapeliner demonstration day in the next edition of Vineyard magazine.
Strimming under the vines
Non chemical and non soil turning methods of weed control are becoming more popular with strimming being the most used.
There are a number of strimmer types on the market with different levels of success when it comes to the finesse required to cut close to the vine stem without damaging it and also cutting at a constant height above ground and not leaving unsightly lumps and swift regrowth.
The more sophisticated tools like the Boisselet Filmatic and Mini Rotofil do a brilliant job but Vitifruit Equipment have developed a cheaper budget unit which has proven to be a good performer.
It can be used on smaller, lighter, lower powered tractors and either used as a stand alone tool or attached to a pre-existing flail or rotary mower. The strimmer head is driven by oil flow from the tractor with the retraction around the vine stem achieved by the yellow bar brushing against the stem which pushes the head away on a hinge mechanism while a tension spring pulls the head back around on the other side of the vine.
The cut width can be as wide as you want as the heavy duty cord comes in long lengths and you cut it to your preference but you have to adjust the position of the yellow bar forward or back to work in conjunction with the cord so that it cuts right up to the vine but not the vine. This facility also makes it useful for other jobs such as strimming along a fence line or under a hedge when the yellow bar could be removed for greater cut width.
If there is a ridge of soil heaped up under the vines such as produced by a Rollhack it is necessary to either strim above the ridge or level the ridge with a Boisselet Petalmatic before strimming.
A selection of tools is available from Vitifruit Equipment to try –preferably on hire – including the budget strimmer, Boisselet Filmatic, Mini Rotofil or Kit Vintage and also the Provitis over row weeder which also doubles up as a bud rubber.
YOUR AUTHORISED ID DAVID DEALER!
Crawfords Group
–Proudly supporting the future of viticulture and fruit farming.
Crawfords Group is proud to be appointed as your authorised ID David Dealer. We are committed to bringing you a wide range of specialised and innovative solutions designed to support the viticulture and fruit sectors. Our expert team is here to provide you with the latest in cutting-edge technology and reliable service, ensuring your operations run smoothly and efficiently.
Discover how our ID David products can enhance your vineyard and fruit farming with unmatched precision and performance.
Visit us today or contact us to learn more about how Crawfords Group and ID David can help you succeed!
