Vineyard December 2020

VINEYARD for viticulturists in Great Britain ™

DECEMBER 2020

EDITOR'S VISIT Breaky Bottom is on top of the world

MATTHEW JUKES WINE REVIEW A beacon for all

IN CONVERSATION New WineGB CEO

LET'S DO THE CAN-CAN Opportunities and challenges for brands in cans

VINEYARD CONSULTANTS • Planning Applications • Site Finding • Site Acquisition • Leases • Grants •

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

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VINEYARD for viticulturists in Great Britain

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www.vineyardmagazine.co.uk VINEYARD Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL 01959 541444

NEWS 8

Celebrating UK wine talent

EDITORIAL Editor: Jo Cowderoy vineyard.ed@kelsey.co.uk Studio Manager: Jo Legg jo.legg@kelsey.co.uk Graphic Designer: James Pitchford james.pitchford@kelsey.co.uk

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New WineGB CEO is ready for action

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First UK ‘nouveau’ wine and celebrity status!

ADVERTISEMENT SALES Jamie McGrorty 01303 233883 jamie.mcgrorty@kelsey.co.uk

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Lifetime Achievement Award for early pioneer

PHOTOGRAPHER Martin Apps www.countrywidephotographic.co.uk MANAGEMENT CHIEF EXECUTIVE: Steve Wright CHIEF OPERATING Officer: Phil Weeden MANAGING DIRECTOR: Kevin McCormick PUBLISHER: Jamie McGrorty RETAIL DIRECTOR: Steve Brown RENEWALS AND PROJECTS MANAGER: Andy Cotton SENIOR SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING MANAGER: Nick McIntosh SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING DIRECTOR: Gill Lambert SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING MANAGER: Kate Chamberlain SENIOR PRINT PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER: Georgina Harris PRINT PRODUCTION CONTROLLER: Kelly Orriss DISTRIBUTION Distribution in Great Britain: Marketforce (UK) 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP Tel: 0330 390 6555 PRINTING Precision Colour Print Kelsey Media 2020 © all rights reserved. Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers. Note to contributors: articles submitted for consideration by the editor must be the original work of the author and not previously published.

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

REGULARS 24

Matthew Jukes

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Representing you

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The agronomy diary

41

The vine post

49

Machinery

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One estate is acting as beacon for all.

Updates from the industry’s membership organisation.

Yields down but quality shines in a roller-coaster season.

To increase the efficiency pruning, using the best secateurs in the most competent manner is paramount New below-ground Apex anchor range launched

Front cover image: Nania wine © James Bayliss-Smith,

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CONTENTS Features

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In conversation Online at the right time. ‘Vineyard’ speaks to the very new online retailer Corkk.

Editor's visit From very humble beginnings, Peter Hall's passion, gritty determination and zeal for hard work has created the worldclass wines of Breaky Bottom.

Wine GB Technical Conference The 'Secrets of Soil' was the theme for the WineGB Viticulture Technical Conference focusing on this rather undervalued, but vitally important, resource for successful yields and quality grapes.

Let's do the can-can Wine in cans are filling the shopping baskets of discernible wine drinkers. We look at the opportunities and challenges for brands in cans.

Jo C

I am starting my new role as editor in the midst of another lockdown.

Its been a tough year, but UK wine producers have demonstrated immense strength, adaptation and innovation. At the end of November, I attended the terrific and very informative ‘virtual’ WineGB Viticulture Technical conference and listened to speakers from as far away as Australia and the USA! This unusual year has introduced us to the wonderful world of webinars, online masterclasses, social media campaigns and ‘Zoom’ meetings. Just look at the WineGB pages to see the range of activities that our national body, WineGB has been delivering, and the future is looking bright with the appointment of Simon Thorpe MW as the new WineGB CEO. My first ‘Editor’s visit’ was such a pleasure, as I was able (before the second lockdown) to visit Breaky Bottom and the charismatic Peter Hall, an early pioneer with an enviable number of awards for his wines. The article on canning shows just how innovative our industry is, embracing a new format and exploring a new market. It was great to meet (virtually) the online retailer Corkk, who are selecting and selling English wines across the nation.

Many congratulations to all the winners at the International Wine and Spirit Competition 2020, in particular to Langham Wine Estate and Black Chalk for their trophies. The appointment of Tamara Roberts from Ridgeview as President this year demonstrates the global status of the UK wine industry.

Luckily the vines haven’t noticed the pandemic and have just got on and done their ‘thing’. The late frosts in May were a setback on yields for many, but the overall quality of the fruit at harvest is reported to be fantastic. I heard a great line from a winemaker, “great quality and a chemistry Champagne would be jealous of!”

Winter pruning starts soon, and the new growing gets underway for vintage 2021. I think Emma Rice, winemaker at Hattingley Valley’s t-shirt sums up this year perfectly “2020 …at least the WINE will be good!”

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D E C E M B E R 2020 | V I N E YA R D

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NEWS

Celebrating UK wine talent The Vintners' Company has launched a series of new awards to celebrate the enterprising individuals who are bringing change, diversity and innovation to the wine UK industry. The new awards are ‘The Vintners’ UK Wine Award’, ‘The Outstanding Young Person Award’ and ‘The Vintners’ Wine Champion Award’. These are in addition to the existing bursaries and apprenticeships offered, which include the prestigious ‘UK Wine Apprentice Award’.

‘The Vintners’ UK Wine Award’ will be awarded to a person or company nominated for their work championing the development of English wine in this market and overseas. ‘The Outstanding Young Person Award’ recognises and celebrates a person under the age of 35 excelling in their field (winemaking and winegrowing included) and demonstrating innovation, leadership as well as delivery of

results. ‘The Vintners Wine Champion’ award is to a nominated individual outside the wine industry who has championed wine in the past year.

Two UK winemakers have already benefited enormously from the UK Wine Apprentice Awards. This award is for aspiring winemakers under the age of 30 who are encouraged to apply for the opportunity to learn about winemaking and undertake the Principles of Vine Growing and the Principles of Winemaking courses at Plumpton College. The winner of this award is also able to study for the WSET Level 3 qualification, sponsored by the WSET. Zoë Driver was the first Vintner Company UK Wine Apprentice and after starting her apprenticeship with Hattingley Valley Vineyard she is now the assistant winemaker at Black Chalk winery.

The awards are a mix of bursary and recognition

with some of the awards entered directly, and others that are nominated. Entries for all the awards will close on 31 January 2021 with the winners invited to receive their award at Vintners’ Hall. Further information and the application process can be found on the Vintners’ Company website: www.vintnershall.co.uk/ vintners-wine-trade-industry-awards/ Former Master and chairman of the Company's Trade Liaison Committee Rupert Clevely said, “The Vintners’ Company has been quietly awarding bursaries and an apprenticeship for several years and it seemed like a good move to expand what we were currently doing and create a wider series of awards that champion all that is good about the wine industry. There are some people and companies doing some amazing things in the wine world right now and we want to have a reason to celebrate them.”

£2,000 Award for Viticulture Research Project The Vinegrower of the Year award is for a UK-based research project that will advance the understanding of viticulture in this country.

The winner will carry out their project during 2020 and 2021 and will be required to disseminate their findings to UK wine producers through

articles and a presentation at the WineGB Viticulture Technical Conference 2022. The £2000 is sponsored by Vine Works and supported by WineGB. For further details contact Darcy Gander darcy@vine-works.com or call 01273 891771. Entries close on 31 January 2021.

£5,000 Rural Start-Up Fund awarded

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The Prince’s Countryside Fund and Forest Holidays have awarded Sophie Willingale of Bow in the Cloud Vineyard, £5,000 as the first winner of their Rural Start-Up Fund.

Sophie took over the running of Bow in the Cloud, a family vineyard in rural Malmesbury, Wiltshire, following the death of her father in 2018 who planted the vines during his retirement.

The vineyard is 4.4 acres, planted with Bacchus, Schonburger and Seyval Blanc grapes and produces up to 5000 bottles a year. Sophie has been learning how to manage the vineyard and has decided to develop it as a business since taking it over last year. Alongside the cash prize, Sophie will receive mentoring from Forest Holidays for a year to help her develop her business.

Upon hearing that she had won the £5,000 award, Sophie said: “I’m thrilled to have won the funding from the Rural Start-Up Fund. At times

over the last year things have been a struggle so having some external support and the opportunity for mentoring from Forest Holidays is something I really value as well as the financial help. I’ve fallen in love with the vineyard and have been learning how to manage it and develop the business – with a lot of support from local people. It’s been a great joy to bring back community harvest days, providing opportunities for others to learn like myself. 2020 is also the year that I’m officially taking over the vineyard business and buying the family land so the future feels a lot more secure.

The future as a whole feels exciting and I can’t wait to see what will be achieved over the next few years.”

The Prince’s Countryside Fund was established

by HRH The Prince of Wales in 2010 and aims to enhance the prospects of family farm businesses and the quality of rural life.

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NEWS

New WineGB CEO is ready for action

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Recently appointed as WineGB Chief Executive, Simon Thorpe MW has a wealth of wine trade knowledge and is eager to take on his next challenge leading WineGB for the UK wine production industry. He sees many opportunities and an exciting future for UK wine producers. Although he only started in October, he already has a busy agenda and has hit the ground running.

Simon has over 30 years’ experience working in the retail and wholesale sectors including Waitrose, Constellation, Negociants and John E Fells. He has also run his own consultancy operation providing business, brand and management advice to companies throughout the supply chain.

“I have spent a large amount of my wine industry career working with wines from around the world in the UK market. Now I have the opportunity to champion our own brilliant English and Welsh producers and help them to build a great and exciting future – that is a fantastic and hugely motivating challenge,” commented Simon. “Wouldn’t it be good, for every restaurant in the country to have an English or Welsh wine on their list? I also think tourism and direct to consumer sales are huge areas for development,” he added.

Simon describes himself as a “wine industry lifer!” He started in 1988 as a sales assistant in the wine department at Fortnum and Mason, wearing a morning suit and hunting pink at Christmas! “On my first day we had a tasting of Premier and Grand Cru Chablis, and I remember thinking that this might be a decent way to spend my working life,” exclaims Simon.

However, he does admit that not every day has been like that since!

Simon is also no stranger to the practical hard work of wine production. Simon, and his wife Louise, spent 18 months working their way around new world wine regions, including wineries in California and Australia. “We did all sorts of vintage jobs, and for me shovelling four tons of skins out of open top fermenters in Australia was certainly a highlight! It was a brilliant time and I learnt so much about the inner workings of large and small wineries,” he recalls. Simon went on to further his knowledge of wine and he gained his Master of Wine qualification in 1997. “I found the tasting element difficult as it’s a real test of nerve.

There’s no time to change your mind,” Simon admits.

With a wealth of experience Simon is now consumers.” excited to have the chance to support our own Simon has arrived at WineGB at a testing time industry. “It feels fantastic to be involved in an for the industry and this last quarter is likely to industry which is still relatively young, which is be very challenging for many producers as they populated by passionate and talented people, try to achieve sales during the second lockdown which is growing fast and is making world class in the lead up to Christmas. “It’s imperative to wines. For my whole career I have focused on use whichever channels are open to producers the commercialisation of wines from around to satisfy consumer demand. There is going the world and selling them in this market,” to be a hugely disrupted on-trade, but cellar commented Simon. “I think being able to doors and off-licences are able to remain understand the interaction between producer open,” Simon added. His advice to producers is and consumer will be very helpful in creating a to take advantage of this using online orders, great platform for our members, across all the gifting, and by making sure they are pushing available channels,” he added. their businesses as much as possible in the Simon is now raring to go in his new role local community. and has a long ‘to do’ list and set of priorities Simon Robinson, Chairman of WineGB, for WineGB. “There are some areas of our commented: “On behalf of WineGB, its Board interaction with Westminster which are very and members, we are delighted to welcome pressing, including an excise duty review Simon Thorpe. The expertise and knowledge and the cellar door relief scheme. We have that he brings from so many areas of the wine our WineGB Classic Method campaign and a trade and the world of wine at large will help focussed Christmas campaign. We also need take this industry to the next level as we look to to build our capability in tourism, export a very exciting future.” and focus our marketing efforts on building awareness amongst an ever more engaged consumer base,” Simon commented.

Simon is also very aware of the challenges facing producers, besides those created by mother nature and the pandemic he commented that “building appropriate business plans with the customer and consumer firmly at the centre of the strategy is key to success.” He also added that, “planning in such a volatile trading environment is not easy of course.

“The WineGB Classic Method campaign aims to provides a ‘halo’ effect to help promote the whole English and Welsh wine industry, so it is very logical to focus on this,” explained Simon. However, he welcomes the wide range of wine styles and added, “we would not want the industry to be seen as a one trick pony and it is fantastic for there to be such an increasingly innovative producer community. As long as there is a consumer demand for all these different styles of wine and packaging then why not pursue this!

This provides a richness and excitement to our > “It feels fantastic to be involved in an industry which is still category; it creates relatively young, which is populated by passionate and talented buzz and engages people, growing fast and making world class wines.” with a diverse set of

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THE VINEYARD & WINERY SHOW

Main sponsor announced

& WINERY SHOW

Royston Labels appoints new Head of Sales and is announced as a main sponsor of The Vineyard & Winery Show.

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> Glyn Scriven Vineyard magazine are delighted to announce Royston Labels as a main sponsor of the new Vineyard & Winery Show, that will take place on 24 November 2021. Organised by Vineyard magazine and supported by WineGB, this will be an important event for the industry. There will be opportunities to attend presentations from experts, network with peers, and see in action vineyard and winery equipment, all under one roof.

Royston Labels are also pleased to announce the appointment of Glyn Scriven as their new Head of Sales. Glyn will be responsible for the leadership of the sales team which manage the labelling production for wine, beer and spirits producers in the UK. Glyn has extensive sales and marketing experience within paper and packaging manufacturers. In recent years his work has focussed on providing labels and

D E C E M B E R 2020 | V I N E YA R D

closures to the UK drinks market, where he has built a strong reputation for delivery and service.

Commenting on the new appointment, managing director, Paul Clayton said, "Glyn brings a wealth of knowledge on the drinks industry which is already proving invaluable to the Royston team. Although the drinks market is currently facing extreme challenges due to Covid-19, helping our clients deliver quality packaging to represent their brand story is still a shared priority.

“Royston Labels are very pleased and proud to be a main sponsor of the new Vineyard & Winery Show,” commended Glyn Scriven. “I have been involved with the UK wine industry for over a decade and so I am very excited about the new Vineyard & Winery Show and the opportunities that it will bring for the industry,” Glyn added.

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NEWS

First UK ‘nouveau’ wine and celebrity status!

Simon Day winemaker at Sixteen Ridges Estate in Worcestershire, is the first to create a 'Beaujolais nouveau' style wine in England. The wine will be launched on Beaujolais nouveau day, a French tradition of releasing the first wines of the region’s new vintage on the third Thursday in November. It has been made exclusively for Waitrose and will be on the shelves for 19 November at £11.99.

As a good news story in a somewhat dreary year Sixteen Ridges have been inundated with media says Simon, “We are certainly having our 15 minutes of fame! It’s been non-stop, we have had five UK film crews here already, and two European crews due soon as well as coverage in the national press and radio!”

“I have loved the challenge of making this wine,” explained Simon. “It was harvested on 18 September, bottled on 13 October and on the shelves

Photos ©John Robertson, Waitrose

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D E C E M B E R 2020 | V I N E YA R D

19 November – all in about eight weeks!” The wine is made from Pinot Noir Précoce using carbonic maceration, a winemaking technique, used in the region of Beaujolais. Simon explained the winemaking process, “we crushed and destemmed about 40% of the fruit into large picking bins adding layers of whole bunches and a little CO2 before sealing the containers. With the warm September sun, the initial fermentation took just 3 or 4 days. We inspected and tasted the bunches regularly until they reached the point when the berries started to collapse, get a little fizzy and taste of alcohol. We then pressed the fruit and finished the fermentation in tank. After racking, stabilisation and filtration the wine was ready to bottle in October.

“It’s a delightful fruit driven up-front fun drink that is not to be taken too seriously!” Simon said, smiling.

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NEWS

Honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award

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Early pioneer, Master of Wine, author and viticulture consultant Stephen Skelton MW was recently honoured with the WineGB Lifetime Achievement Award 2020 for his long contribution to the English and Welsh wine industry. This is a special award, with the winner selected by the WineGB Board.

Stephen is the current chair of the WineGB Viticulture working group, a voluntary role providing advice and guidance to the WineGB Board. In November, his group led the second WineGB Viticulture Technical Conference.

During his long career Stephen has held several significant posts within the national body, including Chairman of the United Kingdom Vineyards Association, the precursor to WineGB, from 1999-2003.

Stephen started his career in 1975 studying at Geisenheim university in Germany and working in the Rheingau. In 1977 he returned to the UK to establish the vineyards at Tenterden in Kent, a site which is now the home of Chapel Down Wines, where he was winemaker. Stephen’s wines achieved many awards, including Gore-Browne Trophy, the award given to the English and Welsh Wine of the Year, in 1981, 1990 and 1991.

Stephen has seen many changes in grape growing during his career.

“Equipment has got bigger and better, vineyards are better laid out, planted and trellised. There is more knowledge about canopy management now, more de-leafing and attention to detail in the vineyard,” he commented.

He has also seen a change in the varieties grown, and the outcomes. “I think that sugar levels are the biggest change of all, and with that, wine quality. People today cannot even understand that we used to make wine with 5% natural, adding 4.5% sugar and bottling at 9% alcohol!” Stephen recalls. “The wines weren’t that bad – Hugh Johnson says the 1990 Seyval blanc I won the Gore Browne trophy with was one of the best still English wines he’s ever had. (Well, at least – he used to say that!)” Stephen exclaimed. “But when you look at the 14.5% sugar on a Pinot noir this year – its crazy,” he added.

Stephen’s view on the future, if he had a crystal ball, is that there is good and bad on the horizon. “The amount of planting over the last three to four years must mean that there will be some sort of market correction, hopefully not one that results in vines being grubbed, but lower prices for grapes and wine definitely. The good things on the horizon are better quality still wines after the 2020 vintage, even better quality sparklers as 2018s start coming onto the market,” he commented. But Stephen is excited for the future and says, “there is also a whole other layer of people getting involved with growing, making and selling English and Welsh wines.”

Stephen is the author of many books, including; The Vineyards of England, The Wines of Britain and Ireland, Viticulture – A guide to commercial grape growing for wine production, and the industry 'bible', The UK Vineyards Guide. In 2014 he wrote and published Wine Growing in Great Britain, a complete guide to growing grapes for wine production in cool climates which is helping growers, both in the UK and cool climates overseas, get to grips with the practicalities, both economic and viticultural, of establishing their vineyards. Stephen also contributes to wine guides written by Hugh Johnson, Oz Clarke and Jancis Robinson.

In 2003 Stephen achieved the Master of Wine winning the prestigious Robert Mondavi Trophy for gaining the highest marks in the theory section of the examination and in 2005 he won the AXA Millésimes Communicator of the Year Award for services to the MW education programme.

Stephen now works as a consultant to vineyards and wineries in the UK and has helped set up many vineyards for the production of both still and sparkling wines.

When not involved with vines and wines, he is to be found on the ski slopes or playing as much bridge as possible.

D E C E M B E R 2020 | V I N E YA R D

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NEWS

Around the world New website boosts image

Young Winemaker of the Year 2020

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Congratulations to Ben Tombs from Central Otago for becoming the ‘2020 Tonnellerie de Mercurey NZ Young Winemaker of the Year’.

Ben is Assistant Winemaker at Peregrine Wines in the Gibbston Valley and the first Young Winemaker from Central Otago to win the competition.

The competition is tough and really stretches the finalists, of which there were three from different regions. Firstly, they had to prepare a presentation in advance about what the future wine consumer looks like and how New Zealand can maintain its competitive edge around the world.

“It was obvious that all three had done some thorough research and thought deeply about what makes New Zealand wines unique and where they thought we should focus in the

future. They were very inspiring,” said the judges.

The finalists also had to complete a laboratory module, write an essay on creating a small parcel of Chardonnay for vintage 2022, complete a CAPEX paper on the pros and cons of replacing a humidifier in a barrel hall, have an interview, and judge some wines. Finally, they gave a speech at the Awards Dinner about why their wine growing region is the best to visit this summer.

“We felt very lucky to hold the competitions this year. They are important for helping our future winemakers stretch themselves and start making a name for themselves, as well as bring the wine community together to support them and celebrate success,” said Nicky Grandorge, Leadership & Communities Manager from NZ Winegrowers.

D E C E M B E R 2020 | V I N E YA R D

The new website is part of an ongoing campaign to raise the profile of Cava DO and boost its image of the sparkling wine as a ‘quality product’. Last year Cava DO launched a campaign with the tagline "The future’s about quality” to reinstate Cava’s premium position in the UK market. This was a weeklong schedule of initiatives that took place in UK bars, restaurants and independent wine merchants.

The new website. www.cava.wine aims to attract people curious about Cava, Cava drinkers and Cava professionals and provide them with information about this artisan product. The website includes a multitude of subjects from the history of how it is produced using traditional methods, to news about the Designation of Origin, events and other information.

The website also offers an intranet specially created for the wineries where they can register for, and participate in, events promoted by the DO, both in Spain and internationally. It also provides producers with a platform to facilitate a quick and easy exchange of information.

The website will also include all press releases and news articles from the Designation of Origin, as well as an image gallery and information about the wineries. All this will be accompanied by a new blog with articles written by wine critics and journalists.

The website forms part of a complete ‘revamp’ of the DO’s brand image, “a DO which is modernising and adapting to current market needs with a digital platform that draws attention to its outstanding wineries,” explained Patrícia Correia, DO Cava’s Director of Communications.

With over 60% of international sales, Cava DO claims to be the Spanish DO with the most exports. It includes over 38,000ha of vineyards and more than 6,800 wine producers. It also has 370 associate wineries in more than 100 countries.

& WINERY SHOW

For viticulturists in Great Britain In association with FOR GENERAL ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT ONE OF THE TEAM:

Here come the robots; but what do we do with the data?

Australian viticulturist Hans Loder has been awarded a Nuffield Scholarship to examine practical data management for the Australian wine sector. His project ‘Here come the robots; but what do we do with the data?’ will investigate vineyard data collection and management options that provide the greatest value and insights for Australian viticulturists.

Hans Loder is a viticulturist at Penley Estate, Coonawarra, a grapegrowing and wine production business that comprises an 800-tonne winery and 80 hectares of vineyard.

Hans Loder is responsible for implementing precision viticulture initiatives, he is particularly focused on identifying efficient data management and storage pathways that allow data to be more easily accessed, interrogated and analysed.

“To increase the value of investments in precision viticulture, we need to use this data to bolster productivity and profitability,” said Hans Loder.

“There’s a lot of interest from Australian viticulturists in vineyard data collection and management, but we’re lacking the knowledge and tools to convert the data into practical applications in the field,” he commented.

“I plan on investigating established frameworks, technologies and systems across Australia, the United States, Germany and France, to identify data management and storage technologies that provide the greatest value and insights,” he added.

Wine Australia invests $53,000 annually in the Nuffield Australia program as part of its policy of investing in sector leadership. In the same vein, Wine Australia supports the Future Leaders program, travel bursaries for researchers and post-graduate scholarships.

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SALES AND MARKETING

Jonat h

P ig

In conversation...

an g i ns

Online at the right time. Vineyard speaks to the very new online retailer Corkk.

Jonathan Piggins rather bravely launched Corkk, a specialist online English wine retailer in March 2020, and pressed the ‘go live’ button literally just as lockdown happened. But as more people are buying online perhaps the timing was just right and a chance for a greater audience to support local vineyards and wineries.

Inspired initially by his local wines of Kent, Jonathan, although a wine enthusiast, quickly realised that he needed a wine expert for credibility and to make the business work.

Kent-based Master of Wine Clive Barlow, already impressed by local wines, became the perfect partner who now carefully curates the wines and provides tasting notes and food pairing ideas.

What inspired you to start Corkk?

As a regular walker across the beautiful Kent countryside I was familiar with an increasing number of vineyards, but when I started to taste the wines it was a revelation! I realised that there must be many people like me that have not discovered the quality of our English wines.

What did you do before setting up Corkk?

I have spent most of my career in digital marketing, so a useful background. Now I am lucky enough to be having a lovely time marketing and selling a very special product. The winemakers are so passionate about their wines but may not have sales and marketing experience, which we can hopefully add and help them reach beyond their locality, and we have customers as far afield as Edinburgh!

How do you reach your customer?

Its all about digital marketing and building relationships. We have Google ads, search engine optimisation, use FaceBook and Instagram to spread the word, create traffic and generate sales.

Through our partnerships we are able to reach customers and delight them with a wide variety of English wines. Word of mouth is proving really successful, and we have not had a single person come back with a complaint! We think its important to nurture our customers and communicate with them on a regular basis. Of course, wine makes a lovely gift, which we deliver with a personalised note in a smart eco-friendly case!

> Jonathan Piggins

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Why is Corkk different to other online retailers?

There are probably two reasons why we are different. Firstly we are not a ‘market place’ and do not try to put every wine on the website. We only list wines that have been approved by Clive and they all have to be good, so we essentially act as a filter for our customers. In fact, we only release six to twelve wines a month. We do the hard work – if you can call it hard work – finding the best quality wines for our customers!

Every wine is accompanied by a comprehensive set of notes about the wine, the vineyard and the winemaker. It’s about education and taking our customers on a journey of discovery, introducing them to different grape varieties and wines, from different counties, made in different ways. Clive also includes some of the ‘geeky’ stuff about the winemaking which the customers love!

Secondly, we value building partnerships and relationships. We have partnered with the Three Wine Men and provided wines for a virtual tasting, worked with The Wine Show and Joe Fattorini and we love to get out to met people so when possible like to get out to markets. We are planning to look for a permanent venue soon. We love to get out and meet people to introduce them to their local English wines and so are involved with the Canterbury Wine Festival and sell direct, when we can, at Clive's Goods Shed in Canterbury.

How do you select the wines?

Clive has been a supporter of English wine for many years and has huge experience and knowledge. So initially Clive has selected the wines he knew and loved, many from his local area of Kent. We are a little Kent-centric at the moment, but plan to travel across the country when we can. It’s important for us to provide our customers with a sense of the vineyard’s character, by being able to provide the back story as well as the tasting notes. Fortunately, many vineyards send their wines to us. But unfortunately, for me, the wines tend to be sent to Clive!

Where did the name, and its spelling, come from?

We wanted something short and sharp, memorable and fun! But as it’s so hard to find and register a domain name, we decided to use a trendy misspelling.

About Clive Barlow MW

Clive started his working life at a vineyard in Hampshire’s New Forest in the late 1980s where his interest in English wine was sparked. His career has taken him into retail, wholesale and education and he achieved his Master of Wine qualification in 1999. He has been running The Goods Shed in Canterbury for 15 years, a unique farmers market, food hall, restaurant and hub for English wine, in an old railway goods shed. Clive was very happy to join Corkk to introduce great wines to a wider audience in the UK and source really characterful wines for people who have a passion for wine.

How is the business going so far?

It took some time to get going but sales were good throughout the summer. Hopefully sales will be good in the lead up to Christmas.

What about the future?

We are on the crest of something rather good.

It is very exciting. Corkk is all about celebrating good quality English wine as an emerging force in the world of wine.

> Clive Barlow

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WINE REVIEWS Mat h e w

Deck the Halls

es Juk

One estate is acting as beacon for all.  www.matthewjukes.com paper-plane vineyard.ed@kelsey.co.uk

This is my 36th column for Vineyard Magazine and while we slowly make our way towards what will likely be the most unusual Christmas for a very long time I felt the need to do something extraordinary and, perhaps, unexpected on these two pages.

While some feel that celebrations might not be as exuberant or as heartfelt as usual this year, I would like to encourage everyone who reads this piece to raise a glass for making it through 2020 in one piece and also and to reflect on why we are here and what the future might hold. We all need hope and determination and so these two traits form the dual themes inspiring this celebratory article.

There is one estate in the country which acts as a beacon for all – Breaky Bottom. Founded in 1974 by Peter Hall, this six-acre site is one of the most famous and also one of the most unassuming in the land. It has survived many challenges, and while Covid-19 will have, no doubt, raised a Hall eyebrow or two, I imagine that the worst frost damage for 46 years, resulting in around 80% losses earlier this year, will have surely made more of a dent in this family’s mood.

Situated two miles inland from Peacehaven on the East Sussex coastline,

Breaky Bottom’s chalk loam shot with flint soils make some of the most profound sparkling wines in the country. Initially set up as a still wine specialist, sparkling wine has been the sole pursuit since the turn of the millennium.

Having said this, I wrote up 1994 Breaky Bottom Seyval Blanc in the wine trade magazine Harpers, back in the mid-Nineties, so I very much remember the previous era of BB’s fragrant and beguiling white wines.

This year, in the 2020 WineGB Awards, Breaky Bottom won five Gold and two Silver medals with its sublime, single-vineyard sparkling wines. This extraordinary gong haul underlines just how consistently excellent the Breaky Bottom wines have become, not least because these awards were spread across five different vintages. This continued pursuit of excellence coupled with Peter and his wife Christina dogged determination gives us all hope that we can prevail even in the most challenging of circumstances.

Opposite you will find my chosen ‘Hall of Fame’ and while I have noted Breaky Bottom as the sole stockist for each wine, on account of a lack of space, you will not be surprised to hear that a host of top independent wine merchants and victuallers also list these fascinating wines. You can find an extensive list on the Breaky Bottom website.

Love English and Welsh wine?

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Why not subscribe to Vineyard magazine for the year?

N O V E M B E R 2020 | V I N E YA R D

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MATTHEW JUKES First, the facts – this wine celebrates Seyval Blanc, in fact, it is 100% Seyval Blanc and 6694 bottles were produced. This means that, assuming a number of bottles have already disappeared out of the door, a good few thousand people can still have the chance of tasting the finest sparkling Seyval I have ever seen.

Importantly, this is a wine which dates back to the beginning of the story (and is presumably sourced from the same vines as my 1994 vintage recommendation), and it has been upgraded and modernised into a truly moreish, floral stunner with great depth and freshness.

Still youthful and brimming with electricity this is a wine which celebrates tradition while looking eagerly to the future. There are a handful of wines in the UK which tell an unmissable story and while there is an understandable move to planting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir because these grapes inevitably make awesome wines, it is pioneering cuvées like Jack Pike which seem increasingly authentic and honest and so it is even more encouraging that this wine tastes so stellar.

2015 Breaky Bottom, Brut, Cuvée Jack Pike £35.00 www.breakybottom.co.uk

2014 Breaky Bottom, Brut, Cuvée Michelle Moreau £35.00 www.breakybottom.co.uk

With another year under its belt, Michelle Moreau is made from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and 6736 bottles were produced in this vintage.

With a more open nose than Jack Pike and a particular floral immediacy and also mid-palate succulence which I find amazingly enticing, this is a super-fine wine with great acidity and a long, unwavering finish. In addition to the magical flavours that these wines offer, it is important to draw your attention to the spectacular packaging.

We are getting better at dressing our bottles in the English wine scene, but I have yet to encounter anything approaching the beauty and thought that has gone into the design of every facet of these bottles. The luxuriant paper stock, deliberate and extremely pleasing font selections and the astoundingly beautiful ‘watch strap’ cap detailing is nothing short of genius and this makes every bottle a worldclass work of art.

The oldest of my trio is this tremendous Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Seyval Blanc blend and only 2604 bottles were produced and I cannot imagine that many are left so don’t delay.

This is the most complex of the three wines and this is a factor of age and also, presumably, the four grape cépage.

Starting to reach its plateau of perfection this is a magnificently complete wine with grandeur and length that the younger wines can only dream of. Of course, they will blossom in time, but right now, this Christmas, this is the wine to drink!

Peter sells a mixed case of six bottles which features one of each of the wines from 2010 – 2015 (including these three) and it tells Breaky Bottom’s recent chapter perfectly. So, sit back and relax because I am certain that I have found you your ‘splash-out’ gift for the person who has everything this Christmas.

2011 Breaky Bottom, Brut, Cuvée Oliver Minkley £45.00 www.breakybottom.co.uk

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23

EDITOR'S VISIT tor di

On top of the world

owderoy Jo C E

From very humble beginnings, Peter Hall's passion, gri‫ ﬛‬determination and zeal for hard work has created the world-class wines of Breaky Bo‫﬙‬om.

It would be a challenge to find a more picturesque vineyard than Breaky Bottom anywhere in the world. The approach is a nail-biting journey to the top of the South Downs where the leap over the edge is rewarded by a spectacular view and the most wonderful story of one of England’s wine industry early pioneers. The owner, Peter Hall, has forged the way to help create the landscape of the current UK wine industry. From very humble

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beginnings, his passion, gritty determination and zeal for hard work has created the world-class wines of Breaky Bottom.

Over 50 years ago Peter Hall as a young agricultural graduate from Newcastle University looked after some sheep and cattle for a farmer in a hidden valley, or ‘bottom’, on the chalky South Downs, near Lewes, East Sussex. Remote and peaceful, with a dilapidated old stone cottage without electricity or telephone and only a standpipe for water, Peter settled in. After a few years the farmer

> Peter & Chris in 1987.

Xxxxx. ©Country Living

> Peter Hall (front centre) crushing fruit in a bucket for Breaky Xxxxx.

Bottoms ‘wonderfully primitive’ first vintage in the hot summer

Xxxxx.

> Breaky Bottom in 1930

of 1976. The small amount of wine he made received high praise from some important people in the wine trade!

allowed him tenancy of the small 30-acre small-holding and in 1974 Peter planted the vineyard.

Peter Hall is charming, with a delightful sprinkling of eccentricity and is one of the early explorers of wine growing in England. He is a self-confessed risk taker and has a passion for wine from his French and Italian heritage, along with a battered ‘Breton’ style hat. He frequently breaks into his ‘cradle-tongue’ of French and proudly claims, “je suis un ermite” (I am a hermit).

Peter’s first plantings were 4 acres of Müller-Thurgau and Seyval

Blanc and for the first 20 years he produced only still wines, but not following the Germanic style medium-dry of the time, favouring the drier style of his French upbringing and the character of the wines from Alsace with Müller-Thurgau, and the Loire with Seyval Blanc. Peter recalls his first harvest in 1976, “I had no tanks, no money and just a few buckets!” In the following year he acquired a basket press and some second-hand fibreglass tanks. However, the winery, a beautifully renovated old flint barn, now boasts a Vaslin Bucher >> pneumatic press and a range of stainless-steel tanks.

“I had no tanks, no money, just a few buckets!”

i

Hugh Johnson OBE has published his list of top 10 wines for drinking in 2021 and the only English wine privileged to feature is Breaky Bo‫﬙‬om’s Cuvée Reynolds Stone Brut 2010, which Hugh describes as “saline, tense and compelling.”

D E C E M B E R 2020 | V I N E YA R D

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EDITOR'S VISIT << Peter always knew that his Seyval Blanc, a variety disregarded by many, would be great with bubbles, his 1990 still won an IWC gold medal in 1993, and for the last 25 years all wines that Breaky Bottom produced are traditional method sparkling wines. The vineyard now covers 6 acres and includes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier but Peter is still loyal to his Seyval Blanc!

When asked why the switch from still to sparkling, Peter cites Champagne’s history in its pre-sparkling days. “One of the kings of France was passing through Champagne and told his entourage to bring their own wines - inferring that the still wines of the region might not be to their taste!” He elaborated with, “the French don’t always do things right, but to go from the meanest wine in France to the most prestigious celebratory wine of the world was an exception!”

Peter welcomes the emerging diversity of production methods, such as Pet Nat and Charmat, but strongly feels that the UK industry should not become divorced from its potential to produce top quality sparkling wines. “This has become the natural home of traditional method fizz and we should blow our trumpets as we have amazing wines produced by very skilled winemakers.” And he exclaims, “Wise-up – we are one of the top cool climate wine regions of the world!”

Peter admits to good fortune, the serendipitous discovery of such a beautiful hidden valley. It is just a few miles from the sea on the south east coast on classic free-draining chalk loam with flints, not dissimilar to areas of Champagne. However, this year, for the first time in Breaky Bottom’s long history, the vineyard was hit by mid-May frosts. “My production will only be 2,000 bottles this year, about 80% down, but who am I to complain, this is my only commercial loss to frost in 45 years!”

Peter describes himself as an ‘owner-driver’ working eight days a week as vineyard manager, winemaker and sales manager. Luckily Peter’s wife, Chris, an artist by profession, is equally as versatile and supports Peter in just about all tasks. In fact, Peter does confess that he doesn’t ‘do’ social media, but that Christina does, which is helping sales! A loyal following of local friends help out part-time, Plumpton students come for work experience, and Peter has just started to relinquish some of the winter pruning to VineWorks to allow him more time for, as he puts it, “ever-increasing blooming desk-work!”

With a long-established reputation for quality, an enviable haul of awards, and success in blind tastings, the wines of Breaky Bottom are in demand. Breaky Bottom, the first to be stocked by The Wine Society many years ago, is now served in top restaurants including Sketch in Mayfair, sold through retailers such as Waitrose and Corney

“The UK has become the natural home of traditional fizz”

> The winery is a beautifully Xxxxx. renovated old flint barn

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> The Magnificent Seven Xxxxx. and Barrow, and Peter is now exploring export as well. In more normal years the vineyard is a treat to visit by appointment. During the pandemic Peter has seen a drop in on-trade sales and a significant increase in online sales, but comments that, “October is showing more trade interest pre-Christmas, which is probably helped by the good competition results.”

Peter is clearly devoted to his vines and allowing the grapes to express themselves through minimal intervention winemaking. “Every vineyard has a unique ‘terroir’, even 20 vines growing in a small garden in Brixton! I am proud to claim on my label ‘Single Vineyard’ with each bottle numbered. I only vinify grapes grown at Breaky Bottom. I accept

though that much of Champagne is produced from grapes purchased from growers and I am not suggesting that this produces inferior wines.

Bigger vineyards in the UK acquire grapes from different terroir but are still able to produce their own excellent house-style wines.”

Peter does not plan for the wines to undergo malolactic fermentation but admits that in the past he has occasionally had one occur ‘naturally’. Peter takes the risk and picks late, always looking for full ripeness and is often one of the last vineyards to harvest. “As acids fall the malic diminishes against the tartaric and, coupled with long lees-aging, aggressive acidity fades. This is very evident in the older vintages but my new release wines, Seyval

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The Breaky Bottom wines are all limited editions and affectionately named after people who have special importance to Peter and Christina. Many are family, but the list also includes artists and musicians, such as Reynolds Stone, and people that have been instrumental in the success of Breaky Bottom. For example, the Cuvée David Pearson 2015 is named in honour of Peter’s dear friend, and his first supplier of wine boxes back in 1976, who became affectionately known as ‘Mr Cardboard >>

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EDITOR'S VISIT > Reynolds Stone’s original Xxxxx.

boxwood block engraving with the very chatty Bengal cat, Toto

<< Box Man’. He worked part-time in the vineyard for 40 years until his death in 2019. The 2015 Seyval Blanc, Cuvée Jack Pike is a tribute to Jack who helped Peter plant the vineyard in 1974 and who Peter says was inspirational to him in his approach to hard work. Jack died in 2013 at the age of 87.

Cuvée Reynolds Stone is named in honour of a close friend, a great artist. He was the foremost wood engraver and letter-cutter in the country.

Reynolds created the Breaky Bottom label for the first vintage in 1976 and many of his designs have become part of all our lives. They include the engraving of the royal coat of arms on our passports, engravings for five and ten-pound notes and the “Dove of Peace” which was commissioned for the “Victory” stamp in 1946. Reynolds cut the

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EDITOR'S VISIT

great memorial stone to Sir Winston Churchill in Westminster Abbey.

Breaky Bottom scooped a total of seven wines at the 2020 WineGB Awards including the Dudley Quirk trophy for the Best Sparkling Non-Classic Blend with Cuvée Michelle Moreau 2014. Michelle, with her sister the renowned French actress Jeanne Moreau, was raised in Paris during the German Occupation. Michelle was a dancer, poet and writer and became a cherished friend.

“I never feel I’m competing against my fellow winemakers; I delight in the differences and recognise our ‘common goal’, achieved through each individual’s approach. One night my dear friend Dermot appeared, un-announced - we sat down and tasted his wonderful ‘Trouble with

“The vineyard and farm are managed sensitively”

Dreams’; he’s a great winemaker, and so is Emma Rice, my devoted wine analyst, always full of constructive comments about my winemaking,” commented Peter. Dermot Sugrue is the winemaker at Wiston Estate and Emma Rice is the winemaker at Hattingley Valley vineyard. “I also value my links with agronomist and good friend Rob Saunders of Hutchinsons – he takes such

John Buchan AGRONOMY LTD For independent advice on: Interpretation of soil and tissue Formulation of nutrient programmes Supply of tailor-made products General agronomic advice

care when he visits, very focused, as I’m sure he is with every vineyard. Since my first harvest I have known Stephen Skelton as a constant friend. Mike Roberts planted Ridgeview 25 years ago and the team disgorge my wines and are always there to give good advice. I must also include Oz Clarke who first visited Breaky Bottom back in the 1970’s, I believe his first English vineyard, and remains in good touch. And I want to salute people like Nick Seymour and André Chapman who I have known these past 45 years – always obliging and have become good friends” Peter added.

“In the old days, all the vineyards would get together each year at the marvellous English Wine Festival set up and run by Christopher ‘Topper’ “Spectacular.

Ann at Drusillas. He played a great role in the >> Honestly England’s best.”

Boutique Hugh Johnson OBE Pro d u c e r “Spectacular.

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Honestly England’s best.”

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<<

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“Peter does not plan for the wines to undergo malolactic fermentation”

<< promotion of UK wines. The Marquees would be packed with visitors. It’s a shame that there is no equivalent nowadays, but maybe it just wouldn’t work – gone are the days when we were satisfied with a day out tasting wines, grape treading, hog roasts and jazz bands. I do also remember a rather curious magician and comedian who ‘entertained’ us every year, lighting up the children’s’ faces!” Peter Recalls.

Wine is not Peter’s only love, as he and Christina take great delight music, the arts and the environment. For many years Breaky Bottom hosted opera in the winery and a young Nigel Kennedy, “played beautiful Schubert string quartets and ground-breaking solo Bach to raise funds so we could pay Glyndebourne soloists a small £5 fee “ said Peter.

Breaky Bottom is a beautiful and peaceful haven. “I am a life-long bird-watcher with 40 nest boxes and a three-star Michelin bird-feeding restaurant,” says Peter.

Just about all wildlife is welcome, but Peter was not happy with the pheasants from a neighbouring farms shoot a few years ago who tucked into the equivalent of 30,000 bottles of wine!

Peter started farming 53 years ago in the ‘old-fashion way’ of mixed farming with pigs, sheep, ten-day-old calves from Lewes market, chickens for egg sales, and Christmas turkeys. He shies away from sprays keeping applications to a minimum, just four in 2020. Although Breaky Bottom is not a member of the Soil Association, Peter is interested in the WineGB Sustainable Wines of Great Britain Scheme which he feels is very positive. He and Christina work with Higher Level Stewardship and enjoy educational visit from local school children. Their flock of 30 North Country cross Suffolk ewes are covered by a pure Southdown ram and move into the vineyard after harvest and savour the delights of vine leaves and keep the grasses trimmed.

There is no doubt that Peter’s passion, respect for farming and the environment, attention to detail, hard graft and determination has resulted in some of the most iconic, distinctive, bone-dry, but elegant wines in England.

D E C E M B E R 2020 | V I N E YA R D

> Peter and Christina Xxxxx.

Trophy: Best Sparkling Non-Classic blend Cuvée Michelle Moreau 2014 Gold medals: Cuvée Peter Christiansen 2014 Cuvée Gerard Hoffnung 2009 Cuvée Reynolds Stone 2010 Cuvée Cornelis Hendriksen 2013 Silver medals: Cuvée Jack Pike 2015 Cuvée David Pearson 2015

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The secrets of soil A vineyards most valuable resource.

The Secrets of Soil was the theme for the WineGB Viticulture Technical Conference and focussed on this rather undervalued, less understood, but vitally important resource that ultimately influences wine quality and ‘terroir expression’.

The second WineGB Viticulture Technical Conference was a rather different event to the first technical conference as, due to the virus outbreak, it took place online over three days, 17 – 19 November. It however was an equally informative event, attended by over 140 delegates,

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Jane Rickson is professor of soil science at Cranfield University and president of the Institute of Agricultural Engineers. Professor Rickson explained that her mission was to get people passionate about soils and “talk dirty!” The focus of her presentation was the importance of understanding soil water and its relationship with vine establishment and performance. She demonstrated that the influence of soil was the most significant factor in yield variance, over climate and cultivar, with much of those influences from water. “Water makes up a significant proportion of the soil, at around 25% and the physical arrangement of soil particles, air space, organic matter and water content known as soil structure,” Professor Rickson explained. “Well structured soils are able to receive, retain and release water - the three Rs.” She added, “and will contribute to soil strength and its ability to resist compaction.”

The UK has a huge diversity of soil types all with different physical, biological and chemical characteristics, all of which influence water content, which affects vine establishment, growth and ultimately fruit quality.

Professor Rickson quoted Jeroen van Leeuwen, “Soil is a major factor in terroir expression, with its effect being mediated through the vine.”

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with presentations from seven internationally renowned experts sharing their knowledge of this unseen, but vitally important world.

The conference was organised by the WineGB Viticulture Working Group and chaired by the group’s leader Stephen Skelton MW. Stephen set the scene explaining, “soil is, of course, the foundation of all agriculture and growers must learn about their soils, learn how to improve them when they need improving and learn how to look after them and live with them, keeping them in the best condition as possible for the crop.”

Professor Jane Rickson Receive, retain and release “Our soil management practices must understand soil structure in order to protect it and ensure the three Rs,” explained Professor Rickson. “Growers should select field practices that encourage optimum water use efficiency in the vineyard.” She added.

Professor Rickson concluded with recommendations of factors to consider in soil management, depending on the vineyard’s situation. Referencing Dr Alistair Nesbitt’s research, she pointed out that around 45% of vineyard sites in the UK are on land with impeded drainage. So, her recommendations included management practices such as drainage and control of surface water, cover cropping for the benefits of evapo-transpiration, cultivation to remove hard pans and adding soil amendments, such as mulches and composts to increase soil water holding capacity.

WINEGB VITICULTURE TECHNICAL CONFERENCE Peter Hayes

Dr Mike Trought

What’s your pH?

Don’t forget to look underground

Peter Hayes is an International viticulturist holding many titles, including president of the International Organisation of Wine and Vine (OIV) and is based in Australia. Focussing on soil chemistry, and after a swift science lesson, Peter Hayes explained the importance of understanding the pH of a soil due to its influence on soil nutrient availability. “Most nutrients are more available at a near neutral pH,” he explained. Due to the influence of pH on nutrient availability, “it is important to prepare the soil for the 25 plus years of a vineyard’s lifetime as correction to pH after is challenging,” explained Peter. The first step is good soil analysis, ensuring that the pH measurement is accurate, and that Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) is included which indicates the concentration of certain nutrients retained in the soil, along with base saturation values.

The levels or ratios of nutrients also influence their availability, and Peter gave an example, “high availability of zinc and iron may limit phosphorus availability for root uptake.”

Although adjustments to soil pH are challenging pre-planting preparation can include lime for acidic soils. Peter explained that, “the amount to apply will depend on pH, soil chemistry and texture and should consider site variability, soil profile and potential rooting depth. Also recognise that lime is poorly soluble and has limited mobility.” Sulphur additions can be used for alkaline soils. “It’s important to monitor pH; undervine, mid-row, surface and sub-surface soils every three years or so,” Peter added.

The understanding of a soil’s pH is important for rootstock selection, along with other attributes, as some rootstocks perform better in either alkaline or acid soils, due to their tolerance of active calcium carbonate and therefore resistance to iron chlorosis. “Choosing the wrong rootstock can be the biggest mistake you can make in your vineyard,” Peter said. “A focused study of rootstock performance in the diverse soils and sites of the UK would be very valuable,” he concluded.

Opening the conference on the first day Dr Mike Trought Adjunct Associate Professor at Lincoln University, New Zealand focused on how the unseen world of soil influences vine development which affects vine growth, fruit development and ultimately wine composition.

The life below ground, in particular the vines roots, are often neglected, and Dr Trought explained that, “around 60% of vine photosynthates are transported below ground for root growth and polysaccharide exudation from the roots.

Roots provide essential phytohormones necessary for shoot growth as well as overwintering storage of carbohydrates for spring.”

Dr Trought explained how soil texture influences the availability of water and nutrients to the roots, it affects the shoot to root ratio and rooting patterns, and the partitioning of photosynthates within the vine and fruit ripening.

Understanding vine roots and their function is important as “grapevine roots are sparse and poor competitors for water and nutrients, when compared to herbaceous plants,” he explained. Dr Trought described how soil texture also influences the fruit composition of vines, which may be “a direct effect, for example by re-partitioning carbohydrates, or an indirect effect, by changing vegetative growth and fruit exposure.” Dr Trought advised that “slowing shoot growth during fruit ripening will divert sugars to the fruit and enhance ripening.”

Soil texture and nutrient concentrations are not uniform in the soil profile and therefore differences in fruit composition can be observed between and within regions, and also within the vineyard. “This is the basis of the concept of terroir,” commented Dr Trought. In order to measure differences, Dr Trought described the modelling to create a ‘juice index’ which indicates desired composition for the fruit at harvest.

Tom Croghan Enhancing wine quality Tom Croghan, co-owner and winemaker, at Dodon Vineyards, Maryland, USA is also a physician and cellular immunologist. His presentation described how ecological approaches can reduce pesticide use, enhance wine quality, and sequester carbon.

Tom has first-hand experience of a challenging climate with frequent extreme weather events and has taken an ecological approach to managing his vineyard and land. Tom uses ‘agro-ecology tools’ which enable “production of more and better food with fewer inputs,” he explained.

These include no tillage, cover crops, organic additions, biodiversity and the integration of animals.

“There is an interesting effect of no tillage and cover cropping on carbon sequestration and also wine character,” explains Tom, comparing the results of his soils and musts from 2012 and 2019.

“Healthy soils – those that function as part of a vital living ecosystem – improve water infiltration and holding capacity; reduce microbial pathogens, weeds, and herbivory; and promote plant health in agricultural systems,” explains Tom. “Viticulture that focuses on landscapes, soil health, and the environment fits into a larger conversation about agriculture’s role in fighting climate change,” Tom concluded.

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D E C E M B E R 2020 | V I N E YA R D

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Guy Thallon

Nuno Gaspar de Oliveir

Diving into soil biology

Carbon is key

Guy Thallon is the Strategic Business Developer at FERA and explained that, “soil biology is a largely overlooked aspect of soil health, despite our soils being one of the largest and most valuable ecosystems on the planet.”

Guy’s presentation highlighted the huge complexity of the soil biological system and how little is known about it. He drew upon the early results of ‘The Big Soil Community’, a Fera Science programme launched in 2018, which uses a combination of citizen science, crowd sourcing and big data approaches to understand the complex soil microbiome and soil biological function for agricultural production. Using DNA based methods to identify the soil organisms and measure their abundance in the 500 or so soil samples from across the country that have been received so far. These have included bacteria and fungi and the next phase will include nematodes.

These soil organisms can be classified as beneficial or detrimental and provide individuals with reports to benchmark their soil’s diversity, as well as provide a community picture. “There is a massive amount of complexity, with many of these soil organisms yet to be classified and with unknown roles,” explained Guy. The aim for the grower is to encourage beneficial bacteria useful for cycling nutrients and suppressing pests and diseases.

One example given was Flavobacterium a free-living plant growth promoting bacterium that fixes nitrogen into inorganic forms usable by plants.

“The stark reality is that the management of these microorganisms is one of the few tools available to us in addressing the global threats of food security, biodiversity loss and climate change,” explained Guy. “Know your soil, feed your soil, leave it alone and keep it covered,” Guy concluded.

Nuno Gaspar de Oliveir is a Partner at Natural Business Intelligence (NBI) and based in Portugal. The organisation aims to link ecology to economy and business strategy.

Nuno explained the importance of “carbon as a key ecosystem service in soil sustainability and a vineyard is a system which can increase carbon sequestration.” He referred to Climate Smart Farming which restores habitat and encourages biodiversity, so a vineyard is not just a vineyard but part of the complexity of the landscape. “These are bio-based terroirs and ‘terroir’ wines have microbiome signatures,” Nuno explained. “They are also more resistant to drought and to resisting fungal diseases,” he added. Of the many examples of the benefits, Nuno gave the example of the “improvement of a woodland by a vineyard which resulted in an increased population of large birds of prey which in turn reduced the loss of grapes to starlings.”

Professor Alex Maltman The minerality myth Professor Alex Maltman is a geologist with an interest in wine from the University of Aberystwyth and author of Vineyards, Rocks & Soils: The Wine Lovers Guide to Geology.

Professor Maltman provided a concise and jargon-free geology lesson reviewing the bedrocks of the UK and the viticultural strengths and weakness of the soils derived from them. He clarified the difference between geological minerals and nutrient minerals, which is frequently misunderstood. “Plants take up nutrient minerals dissolved in water, but geological minerals are not soluble in water. This means that a wine cannot taste of slate or flint.

They are descriptor terms, and are actually metaphors or mental illusions,” Professor Maltman commented. “Wines described by wine writers as ‘volcanic’ from volcanic soils are very much in fashion, but in fact there are no special ingredients in these volcanic origins as all geological minerals are mostly made of the same stuff,” he added.

AWARDS

INTERNATIONAL WINE AND SPIRIT COMPETITION

Langham Estate crowned world’s best Sparkling Wine Producer 2020 On Wednesday 18 November the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) presented its top 20 producer trophies to the drinks industry’s best performers of the year and England’s Langham Wine Estate has been named the IWSC Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year 2020. The competition was tough with over 700 entries, including many of the major Champagne houses. Justin Langham, owner, commented; “We are thrilled and extremely proud, the benchmark was very high. It is amazing to be recognised amongst previous winners, (such as) Champagne producer Veuve Clicquot.”

The trophy for Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year was awarded after taking the average score from all the wines entered by a producer. Langham Wine Estate won a gold medal for its Blanc de Blancs 2015 with silver medals awarded to the Corallian Classic Cuvee, Culver Classic Cuvee, as well as the Pinot Meunier 2017 and Langham Rosé NV. For the first time in its 51-year history, IWSC hosted its annual awards ceremony online, as a broadcast on YouTube Premieres. Hundreds tuned in from around the world to watch the drinks industry’s standout people and producers crowned. The ceremony was filmed at Ridgeview Wine Estate in Sussex, hosted by IWSC 2020 president, Tamara Roberts, Ridgeview’s CEO, and presented by Joel Harrison and David Kermode. It is the first time that an English wine producer has been President, which is a testament to the rising global status of the industry.

“As President of the IWSC for 2020, it gives me tremendous pride to see how well English sparkling wines are consistently performing on an international stage. An incredible achievement in a relatively small amount of time for us all. Following In the footsteps of some of the top English wineries such as Gusbourne, Nyetimber and Bolney, it is fabulous to see Black Chalk led by the charismatic Jacob Leadley take the coveted trophy for the English sparkling category, so well deserved,” commented Tamara Robert.

“What is perhaps most exciting for our industry is that the Langham Wine Estate, another English sparkling wine producer, had their sublime winemaking efforts rewarded with the overall best international sparkling producer trophy. What brilliant, international recognition for our industry and the icing on the cake when we consider the overall success of English wines in IWSC 2020 with

> Justin Langham and team at Langham Wine Estate a total of 78 winners from England with 47 Bronze, 25 Silvers, 6 Golds, 1 Trophy. Congratulations to them all,” she added.

The top 20 producer trophies were awarded to the highest-achieving wine estates across five categories: Sparkling Wine Producer, Fortified, Sweet, Red and White Wine Producer. English wineries were well represented in the Sparkling Wine category and two were shortlisted for the much-coveted award of world’s best Sparkling Wine Producer. The winners of these awards were then put forward for IWSC’s coveted Outstanding Wine Producer trophy. The 2020 winner of this title was Australia’s Morris Wines, in recognition of its fortified wines.

Black Chalk Trophy for best English sparkling The results of the category winners were announced a few weeks ago and England achieved a total of 78 wins. The trophy in the English sparkling wine category was awarded to Black Chalk Classic 2016, from Hampshire. This is what the judges said, “Fresh white fruit on the nose, with the palate showing beautiful mid-palate fruit.

Expressive, savoury and citrusy, with a crisp and refreshing finish. Very well balanced and consistent from start to finish. Lovely.”

The IWSC have decided not to award their usual glass trophies this year. “We felt it would be appropriate this year to instead donate the money to the Drinks Trust to support individuals who have been most affected by current events,” explained Christelle Guibert.

The ‘Lockdown Legends’ were three special awards this year and presented to celebrate individuals and companies who have done exceptional things to support the wine and spirit

industry under the exceptional conditions of 2020.

The Lockdown Legend for Wine, sponsored by Waitrose: went to Berkmann Wine Cellars, the Lockdown Legend for Spirits was awarded to The Whisky Exchange and the winner of the Lockdown Legend for Hospitality, sponsored by Conzorzio Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobiadenne Superiore, was 67 Pall Mall.

> Tamara Roberts Photo © Andrew Hasson

Best English sparkling Black Chalk Classic 2016

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Representing you Working in partnership with Vineyard magazine for a developing UK wine industry.

WineGB is the national trade body representing the vine growers and winemakers of Great Britain from the largest producers to small hobbyists.

Our members work together with the organisation to develop strategy, expertise and marketing opportunities for long-term, sustainable success.

What has WineGB done for the industry?

Apart from the daily Covid-19 email updates, the marketing, viticulture and winemaking webinars, the annual pruning competition, the national wine competition, the 24/7 peer-to-peer support, the shop local directory, English Wine Week, the sustainability scheme, the annually updated pesticide booklet, a strong social media presence, dealing with press requests, securing national media coverage, and lobbying government, what has WineGB done for the industry?

No year has better demonstrated the benefits of being a WineGB member than 2020. As the reality of the Covid-19 pandemic spread around the globe, the WineGB team worked tirelessly to keep members up to date, providing much-needed clarity on the ambiguous rules of lockdown. As vineyards and wineries postponed tours, closed cellar doors and stopped shipments to the on-trade, WineGB was busy answering members’ questions and organising webinars with leading experts to ensure that production and sales could continue to function as ‘normally’ as possible given the circumstances.

Here to support WineGB’s central team has always been on hand to signpost members to information on all aspects of the industry, and 2020 has been no different. As well as receiving regular news bulletins, marketing updates and technical notifications, members also have access to a private area on the industry website, plus an active email forum where they can seek advice and participate in many complex and timesensitive discussions. This year the WineGB team

WEBINARS

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

Consumer Email PR and Social media marketing and marketing and communications essentials strategy MailChimp

Instagram: Routes to Routes to Routes to how it works market: market: market: and best working with working with preparing your practice the retail sector distributors sales strategy

Opening up Direct sales to after lockdown the consumer

The customer path

Optimising your Christmas sales

How to identify and market to your target audience on social media

The legalities of e-commerce

What the new lockdown measures mean for you

Vineyard Canopy preparation for management harvest 1

Canopy management 2

Yield forecasting

Vine nutrition

Vineyard pest and disease management

The wonderful world of weeds

Frost – what to do next

Managing Covid-19 during harvest

Winery preparation for harvest

Winemaking surgery #1

Winemaking surgery #2

Managing MLF

Filtration and stabilisation

has also set up a dedicated Covid-19 information page which provides guidance and links on Health & Safety, Business Support and Industry Support.

Here to promote With many using lockdown as an opportunity to discover new things and support local businesses, raising the profile of English and Welsh wine was one of the critical activities of WineGB this year. As well as supporting members with marketing toolkits, including a step by step guide on how to write and send your own press release and secure media coverage, the marketing team at WineGB also

implemented a range of consumer-targeted campaigns, such as rolling out its ‘shop local’ directory, a series of English and Welsh online Wine nights, and working with various wine influencers across social media.

The national competition, the WineGB Awards, was held under new social distancing rules. It attracted a bumper number of entries from our members and considerable media and online coverage. You can view the Trophy event on WineGB’s YouTube channel.

Here to represent A strong voice campaigning across all levels of government, WineGB is working on the

JOIN WINEGB

 01858 467792 paper-plane office@winegb.co.uk  www.WineGB.co.uk 36

D E C E M B E R 2020 | V I N E YA R D

industry’s behalf on a range of specific projects with several Whitehall departments and most recently WineGB has responded to the Government’s alcohol duty review. There is also on-going work with local authorities and other associated bodies to access support on tourism, planning and economic development.

Here to network While networking events and shows have all had to happen virtually this year, we all look forward to meeting up in-person once again.

In normal years WineGB members are invited to participate in a full calendar of events and networking activities, including the Annual General Meeting and Members’ Conference, technical and specialist seminars and social events. WineGB members are all also members of their regional vineyard association, who host numerous local events, meetings and social activities.

Here to facilitate growth The development of tourism, building a strong position internationally, and identifying areas where additional training and education is required, are all key components in the overall sustainability of the sector and profitability of many vineyards. WineGB continues to foster the growth and development of these areas by supporting regional tourism programmes, providing guidance to steer those looking to export through the complexities of operating overseas and working closely with the UK’s leading wine educator, Plumpton College.

Here for you It would be an understatement to claim that 2020 has been a tough year, with the on-going Covid-19 pandemic forcing us all to adapt and reconsider the way we do business and market our brands.

To help support all English and Welsh wine producers, the team at WineGB set about organising a series of webinars. Bringing together business and industry experts, who shared their knowledge, practical advice and experience, the webinars ensure that everyone could harness the power of e-commerce, take to social media with confidence, and stay on top of day-to-day viticultural and winemaking practices.

Available for both members and non-members, the series of one-hour webinars and online peer-to-peer meetings has allowed everyone involved in the UK wine industry to access the latest guidance on all aspects of the wine industry, from viticulture and winemaking to marketing and tourism, to help members develop their businesses. Recordings can be found on the WineGB YouTube channel as well as the website, https://www.winegb.co.uk/join/

A Great British sparkling Christmas This is the year to reinforce the message to Buy British and enjoy the UK’s high-quality wines this Christmas.

WineGB will be promoting a #GreatBritishSparklingChristmas through extensive activity on social media, our website and in the press that will include: ◆ A social media event on Friday 4 December - #GreatBritishWineNight ◆ Prize Draws via the website; ◆ PR through national and regional press; ◆ Promotion through Facebook ads; ◆ Food and drink pairing shared by our producers.

We are also promoting our Shop Local website pages to highlight just how available our wines are.

Join the trade body Whoever you were in a previous career, whatever your level of viticultural knowledge, wherever you are in the country, whenever you planted your vineyard, or made your first wine, there has never been a better time to join the industry’s leading trade body, Wines of Great Britain.

Contact office@winegb.co.uk today to find out how WineGB can help you achieve your 2021 goals while also strengthening and furthering the growth of our entire sector.

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WINEMAKING

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The aesthetics Of effervescence The “pinnacle” for tasters is to observe fine, elegant and persistent bubbles in the glass regularly supplying a generous and stable collar to form a harmonious foam.

With Christmas fast approaching and some positivity around Covid-19 in the air the time for celebrating with bubbles is never more warranted, still in the balance whether friends and family can get together to celebrate and bring Christmas cheer pouring some English and Welsh fizz to celebrate is still needed!

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

Foam is defined as a colloidal dispersion where gas is distributed in a continuous liquid phase.

A pre-requisite of foam production is for the liquid to be supersaturated with CO2, the prise de Mousse, a process whereby 24g/l of sugar is

added to English Sparkling Wine for a secondary fermentation, produces approximately 11.8g/l of carbon dioxide and the foam itself forms following a change in air pressure inside the bottle, either after opening or pouring.

Bubbles rise to the surface in bubble trains - the size and flow rate of bubbles will determine the degree of foam formation - a slow effervescence featuring small bubbles and a narrow gap between bubbles in the train is preferred.

Bubbles initiate in the wine from what is termed a nucleation point, Bubble nucleation is broken down into different types; Nucleation (l.c n) type class I and II occur independently of any pre-existing cavity and can form on smooth surfaces. Type III occurs on a pre-existing gas bubble in the glass that is small enough to allow phase change. Type IV nucleation sites cause bubbles to form from existing gas cavities that have large enough curvature (critical radius) to allow the energy of the CO2 to overcome the energy barrier required to form a bubble.

Sparkling wine is seen as having a weak level of dissolved CO2 so type IV is the most common source of nucleation point. It has been shown that exogenous cellulose fibres from drying with

a dish cloth typically form a type IV nucleation site (figure 1) but acid etching glasses is more common and produces a more regular bubble train (these glasses are used in the Effervescence du Monde competions) and are more commonly seen in pint glass for Export Largers.

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

Proteins, peptides, amino acids and polysaccharides are all thought to have a

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

CO2

CO2

Bubble

Laser etched/cavity in glass

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Critical radius

Cellulose fibre on glass from drying cloth

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

tensioactive effect on the formation of the foam and stability to varying degrees. Presence of these arise from the secondary fermentation and autolysis of yeast cells. In particular proteins are of critical importance in maintaining bubble structure. The hydrophobic tail and hydrophilic heads arrange themselves around the bubble to provide support. Polysaccharides have also been identified as effective in maintaining foam, though there are some conflicts in the literature and the results of different studies into the effects of polysaccharides do not always concur.

An interesting observation in studies on Cava, a traditional method wine, have shown desirable foam behaviour reaches an optimum level at 18 months post-bottling, after which degradation of proteins and polysaccharides lead to decreases in foamability and stability.

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

Doses and usage recommendations: ◆ Liquid product ◆ Available in 1l and 10l ◆ Pure mannoproteins, 100% soluble ◆ Recommended dose: 100ml/hl ◆ Add to the mixture during tirage bottling ◆ Add to expedition liquor during disgorging > Figure 2: Bubble train ascending to the surface from a nucleation point, increasing in size as CO2 dissolves into the bubble and collecting at the surface forming foam. Adapted from Liger-Belair, (2013)

CO2 CO2

CO2

Wine surface

CO2 forces as wellCO electrostatic as2 hydrogen and covalent Dissolved carbon dioxide Bubble

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

Protein Gas bubble Wine

Lamella

Gas bubble

Wine

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

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AGRONOMY

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Weed clean-up Winter is a key time to tackle grass weeds under vines, although there is an argument for leaving some cover to help protect bare soil from erosion, nutrient leaching and surface capping over winter.

The best weed control strategy for any particular

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pollination (anemophily).

The exceptionally wet autumn and winter 12 months ago may also have played a part in flushing key nutrients from the soil, leaving plants short later in the growing season. It is well worth conducting a thorough assessment of soils as we head into 2021 to ensure there are no underlying nutrient deficiencies after one of the wettest Octobers on record.

Given a fairly dry growing period and more open canopies, disease pressure has generally been fairly low through 2020, with dry conditions in September helping to keep a lid on botrytis, which has helped maintain quality through to picking.

This does make it harder to evaluate performance of Botector, the new biological fungicide for controlling botrytis, but observations suggest it has done a good job. It is certainly a welcome addition to the armoury given its short harvest interval, which is a key attribute given that increasingly unpredictable weather patterns require growers to be more flexible in their decision making.

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Yields down but quality shines in a roller-coaster season.

As the year draws to a close, Hutchinsonsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Chris Cooper and Rob Saunders look back on the season just gone and give some timely advice for a December vineyard tidy-up.

From the damage caused by late frosts in May to the pressures on labour availability due to coronavirus restrictions, the 2020 season has been tough for many reasons.

But while overall yields may be below par, growers have shown great resilience in delivering crops that are generally of excellent quality thanks in part to some favourable weather over the summer and early autumn. Once past the frost period, vines looked good through the summer and while many growers would have liked more grapes, most will be glad they persevered with frosted crops and pushed secondary growth with foliar nutrition and biostimulants.

There have been some issues with lower bunch weights in Pinot varieties, with reports of figures as low as 30g per bunch, well below the usual 150g, despite good fruit set earlier in the year.

These smaller bunches have an intensified flavour that should produce an excellent wine though, which provides some compensation.

Bunch weights in Bacchus and Chardonnay have generally been very good, so it is not entirely clear why some Pinots have been affected. One possible cause could be wet weather during flowering which may have reduced the effectiveness of wind

a

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Agronomy diary

Rob S

vineyard depends on the level of weed infestation, plus the weather and ground conditions over coming weeks.

Where under-vine areas are reasonably clear, it may be prudent to wait until late dormancy before applying Roundup Powermax (glyphosate) to ensure ground is clear going into the main frost risk period from March through to May. Be sure not to exceed the maximum total application for Roundup Powermax though, which is 2.5kg/ha/year.

In more weedy situations, one hit of glyphosate is unlikely to be sufficient to effectively control larger weeds, so consider applying Kerb Flo (propyzamide) before the application window closes on 31 January, and follow this with glyphosate if required.

Research in France suggests that adding a silicone surfactant, such as Slither, to propyzamide to reduce the surface tension of spray droplets can improve the distribution of product on the soil and benefit the control of germinating weeds.

ď&#x201A;Ź www.hlhltd.co.uk paper-plane information@hlhltd.co.uk ď&#x201A;&#x2022; 01945 461177

C her r y

ns

The vine post

Co e tabl

Felco: Behind the secateurs.

As the unconventional year of 2020 draws to a close, the upcoming pruning season can appear a daunting task. However, with the best tools to hand and a bit of forward planning, the countryside will soon be full of the sounds of cutting and pulling out.

To increase the efficiency of the sometimes overwhelming, never-ending task of pruning, using the best secateurs in the most competent manner is paramount. FELCO have long been considered the epitome of pruning standards with their range of secateurs securing a loyal following over the years.

In 1945, Félix Flisch founded FELCO in Switzerland. “A trained fitter and turner, Félix was above all a self-taught visionary who, in 1945, despite limited resources, set himself a very ambitious goal: to create pruning shears unlike any others and to sell them beyond Swiss borders.”* The FELCO company started life in an old watchmaking factory with four workers sharing a small workshop. Within a year, Félix had already begun to achieve his dreams as his FELCO secateurs were exported across the globe.

The ethos behind FELCO has always been to

continuously review the performance of their products and to innovate with new techniques and materials, all in the pursuit of creating tools with the utmost quality and precision.

In 1966, the company released their revolutionary FELCO 7 secateurs with ergonomically-designed rotating handles. The rotating handle reduces required user effort by up to one third and moves on its axis with you, evenly spreading muscular force and helping to prevent tendonitis and inflammation. This reduces fatigue and the risk of blisters, allowing the secateurs to feel as if they are a natural extension of your hand. In turn, this makes you more efficient as you move from one pruning job to the next. FELCO 7 secateurs are particularly suitable for tackling heavy-duty intensive pruning tasks or for those wishing to maximise their cutting power with minimum effort.

“FELCO tools are designed to work in harmony with nature. Pruning professionals worldwide appreciate the clean, precise-cutting models because they guarantee the quick healing of the pruning wound.”* Not only do FELCO focus on the experience of the end user, but they begin by

establishing the best outcome for the task itself.

Taking the time and care to analyse your vines prior to pruning and forming a cohesive pruning plan is a requisite for success. By using FELCO secateurs, you are safe in the knowledge that the premium quality steel and heat treatment processes guarantee the performance and strength of the cutting blades. The sap groove on the anvil blade prevents the wood sticking when cutting sappy wood and improves cutting efficiency.

Félix Flisch’s innovative ideologies have continued over the course of FELCO’s history.

The company celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2005 and in 2011 announced their factory is now powered by 100% renewable energy. A solar generation system was installed in 2015 which covers 5% of their electricity requirements. Their respect for nature continues to be at the forefront of every manufacturing decision with numerous steps taken to minimise their environmental impact. Part of this is the fact every FELCO secateur component can be replaced once it is worn.

Producing tools of the highest quality which withstand the test of time, (and thousands of pruning cuts) ensures FELCO remain the market leader. As we head into the unknown territory of 2021, let’s not be afraid of the mammoth pruning task ahead of us, but celebrate how far we’ve come and focus on getting our cuts right to promote healthy vines and fruit for the future. * Source www.felco.com

 www.vine-works.com paper-plane sales@vine-works.com  01273 891777 D E C E M B E R 2020 | V I N E YA R D

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SALES AND MARKETING

Let’s do the can-can Wine in cans are filling the shopping baskets of discernible wine drinkers, those looking for quality, convenience and to tick the sustainability box.

Reports indicate that canned wine sales in the US have doubled in the past year, and that they are now on the increase in the UK. There is even a dedicated International competition for canned wine! English wines are joining the party with four brands already on the market and one more to follow soon. But making a wine suited to a can and selling the product is not plain sailing. Editor, Jo Cowderoy, looks at the opportunities and challenges for brands in cans.

42

Trendy craft beers in cans are easy to chill, unbreakable and light to carry which makes them popular for picnics, festivals, as well as for taking home. With developments in technology, wine is now able to explore this exciting market. In response to this growing demand, two of the UK’s largest packing companies, Kingsland Drinks and Greencroft, have invested heavily in canning lines for wine. Their customers include supermarkets and large international wine companies who import wine for UK packing. Apparently, the first wine to go through the Kingsland canning line will, in fact, be an English wine!

Photo ©James Bayliss-Smith

Waitrose currently stocks The Uncommon, which was the first English wine in a can to be produced.

Launched in 2019, The Uncommon have two wines, a bubbly white and bubbly rosé, that both retail at £4.99 per 250ml can. Marien Rodriguez is the wine buyer for the can format. “Cans have numerous advantages and we have witnessed a robust following that has been consolidating this year and I expect to see growth in this category in 2021.

Cans are extremely successful in the US market and the UK customer following is very positive. Our target customer market is the age groups of 18-45 years old, however, my aim is to attract any type of customer looking for high quality wine in a single

SALES AND MARKETING serve portion,” commented Marien. “The quality of these wines keeps improving and the level of innovativeness and newness being presented is both exciting and very promising for this category of products. Quality is key, especially with this non-conventional format, in order to gain customer loyalty,” she added.

Hush Heath’s Pink Fizz 2019 rosé, with a little aeration and a pressure of just over two bar, is in a generous single serve 200ml eye-catching can. The first batch of 60,000 cans will be launched in the New Year, but is available from the cellar-door for Christmas.

Winemaker Fergus Elias is enthusiastic for the new format. “I think this is a market that when it gets going will be huge for English wines. English wines are innovative, we have fewer rules, and are not constrained by tradition. The tall slim cans look really cool and I am really excited,”

exclaimed Fergus.

Hush Heath are planning to sell through the multiples and also have a route into a pub network.

“A winery will need to go multi-channel if they have a significant volume and I think the market is very broad-church with every demographic likely to buy at some stage. However, it’s a tricky environment at the moment for new products,” said Fergus. Hush Heath will consider expanding the range to include a white wine next year. “We will move away from glass where we can. Cans are an obvious choice as the recycling is efficient and they are very light to transport,” commented Fergus.

Three Choirs launched a still rosé wine in can 18 months ago. Winemaker, Martin Fowke, explained that this was after seeing that the first English wine in a can on the market, The Uncommon, had such a positive response. “We had plenty of wine from a large 2018 harvest and decided to do 187ml >>

D E C E M B E R 2020 | V I N E YA R D

43

SALES AND MARKETING << cans, as this size seems to be favoured by the on-trade. Jascots wine merchants were interested, so we had a potential market lined up,” explained Martin. The wine was well received and sold well for Three Choirs, but they have faced challenges in sourcing cans this year. “There has been a shortage of 187ml cans, as during lockdown the demand for cans for beer, cider and soft drinks has increased!”

Martin added. This year Three Choirs are planning to use 250ml cans. “We feel that this is a different market, more for retail. We were going to launch for Christmas but will now wait until the Spring and hope to also do 187ml, for restaurants,” Martin added.

A challenge for Three Choirs has been getting the wine canned at packing plants as their volumes are relatively low. Three Choirs are now using the contract packing facilities at Chase Distillery in Herefordshire. “With our current volumes, producing a wine in a can is no cheaper than putting it in a bottle, but the perception by the consumer is that a wine in a can should be cheaper,” commented Martin.

Like Hush Heath, Three Choirs have considered the sustainability angle, the ease and efficiency of recycling. “An aluminium ‘can’ can become a 'can' again within days, where it is unlikely that a bottle will become a bottle again,” explained Martin.

James Bayliss-Smith launched his English wine in a can from Nania’s vineyard in July 2020. A chance meeting on an Italian beach with a producer

of an Italian wine in cans planted the seed and James returned to England to get his business plan underway. “But not fast enough for The Uncommon launched before me!” James explained.

“We have a vision to bring English craft drinks to a wide audience, through the sustainable and convenient choice of cans,” commented James. He decided to do a spritzer style product, “mostly to keep the alcohol below 5.5% for a lower duty rate and therefore sale price,” he explained.

So, taking a leaf out of the craft beer industry, for the 2020 vintage James decided to partner with specialist rosé producer Off the Line vineyard in Sussex, who are creating a bespoke wine for Nania from Rondo to make a spritzer rosé. James would like to develop his product range in collaboration with a range of vineyards. “Craft beers have been very successful in collaborative ventures and I see this as a great way of creating unique products to market,” commented James. The 2019 wine in a can has sold well so far to local delicatessens, farm shops and retailers in the Bristol area. “Online sales have been good but could benefit from more digital marketing and social media,” he added.

Nania’s vineyard also found it hard to find a suitable canning facility as they have such small volumes. “It would be great to be able to have the benefit of printing on the cans and be at a scale to reduce the per can production cost,” James explained.

Bruni Erben say that they can supply fully

decorated cans, depending on quantity, which are fully recyclable. "Labelled cans can face issues in the recycling streams as they are viewed as a mixed material and can’t always be recycled easily or at all," explained Mark Crumpton, Bruni Erben.

"Testing is important and we can provide full support along the way from a technical perspective as we understand the importance of maintaining quality and the risks around the packaging," he added.

Students at the Royal Agriculture University (RAU) were challenged with a business project as part of a social enterprise programme. Their solution to the large harvest from the RAU’s vineyard at Down Ampney, Gloucestershire and to sell the wine at events, was to produce wine in cans. They were involved with all aspects of the business, from concept to sales, and the wine is named after the programme, Cotswold Hills. The wine is made

by Three Choirs, a fizzy white from Ortega and Bacchus, in a 250ml can. “The students have done really well. The first run of 4,000 cans from the 2018 vintage sold fast, mainly through Midcounties Coop and we are now selling the second run of 4,000 cans,” said Katy Duke, Head of Enterprise at the RAU. “It was a bit like marmite at first, with some people loving the concept of wine in cans and others thinking it just wrong! But that is changing, and I think there are lots of opportunities for wines in cans, such as festivals and events,” added Katy. >> Preparation of wine for canning can

> RAU students with Cotswold Hills cans at Coop

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SALES AND MARKETING << be challenging and a little different from preparing wine for bottling. “The free SO2 levels need to be correct, too much and it can react with the can, but there needs to be enough to ensure a decent shelf life,” explained Martin. “To can a still wine a liquid nitrogen droplet ‘doser’ is needed to avoid the can collapsing. Carbonation by CO2 is

46

either added in tank or in-line to around 2.7 bar, with canning under pressure,” he continued.

Fergus agrees that free SO2 is a problem for wine in cans. “We have found that dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC) is the panacea for producing wine in cans as the free SO2 can be reduced to a low level. DMDC is commonly used as a beverage preservative and sterilant. It also has a low organoleptic threshold,” Fergus commented. “Also for the can liners we went as ‘hard core’ as possible to ensure that it remains intact,” he added.

A spokesperson from the technical team at Kingsland Drinks explained that, “one of the key things we need to watch out for in terms of canning is the integrity of the can liner or lacquer. It is vital that the levels of components of the liquid are within specified tolerances, otherwise the liner or lacquer can react, leading to faults. As well as keeping free SO2 low, other considerations would be pH, CO2 level, headspace in the can, total packaged oxygen level. All need to be monitored throughout to ensure the liquid is not affected.

It is important that a can manufacturer monitors application of the lining or lacquer. If there is any inconsistency in the application of the lacquer, this means that liquid comes straight into contact with aluminium and this creates serious issues,” they added.

It appears that labelling is also less than straightforward, not only the practical aspect, but also meeting legal requirements. “Labelling needs to be done when the wine is canned and the specifications are very important. We went to a supplier of can labels rather than a normal wine label supplier,” explained Martin.

Hush Health used Amphora, a well-known wine label designer for their cans but Fergus describes the legislation for the label to be a bit of a ‘rabbit hole’. “Trying to find out what is and what isn’t legal

Photo ©James Bayliss-Smith

D E C E M B E R 2020 | V I N E YA R D

was hard, but luckily both the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) and Wine Standards were a great help,” he explained.

Dominic Buckwell, Director of WineGB and lawyer, does not provide advice directly on labelling, as this is the role of Wine Standards, but is knowledgeable on the topic. “Because the names of PDO and PGI appellations for ‘Quality’ and ‘Regional Quality’ sparkling wines include the words ‘English’ or ‘Welsh’ and define the production method as fermented in the bottle, and in which the wine is packaged, it is therefore not permitted to label or promote a canned sparkling wine as ‘English’ or ‘Welsh’,” explained Dominic.

“Still wines made from grapes grown in England can potentially be PDO or PGI wines and use the ‘English’ or ‘Welsh’ term as appropriate, provided they have been passed through and otherwise comply with the relevant scheme,” he added.

To add to the complexity there are regulations governing bottle and format sizes. Contrary to popular misunderstandings Dominic clarifies that these originate not from the EU but the UK’s own ancient weights and measures laws, and that the metric sizes currently in force are based on harmonized EU rules. “ This 1985 Act remains in force and the various regulations made under the 1985 Act can be found on the website: [www.gov. uk/weights-measures-and-packaging-the-law/ specified-quantities]. To summarise these dictate the following: sparkling wine sizes as 125, 200, 375, 750, 1500ml; and still wine as 100, 187, 250, 375, 500, 750, 1000, 1500ml,” Dominic explained.

The lively artistic designs and convenience of cans are attracting consumers, but sustainability is also a significant consideration. Chris Foss heads the WineGB Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (SWGB) scheme and explains that, “two key objectives of the SWGB Scheme are to reduce the environmental impact of wine packaging and to reduce the carbon footprint per bottle of wine.” The SWGB working group publish regular bulletins providing information and guidance to producers. The September 2020 SWGB bulletin Sustainable Wine Packaging says that almost half of a wine bottle’s carbon footprint comes from the packaging and that only 20% of glass is actually recovered in the UK, with the rest ending up in landfill, as the cost of the energy required is too high and the demand for recycled glass is too low. However, the recycling rates for aluminium are very high and rising. They are currently at around 75% in the UK and there is no loss of quality when recycling this product.

In fact, recycling a can uses 90% less energy than recycling a glass bottle, the bulletin concludes.

There may be a few hurdles to clear, but the canned wine market appears to be a category seeing growth and greater respect with premium brands, from both old and new world wine regions recognising the advantages of the can format and exploring the market.

> Pub in the park

D E C E M B E R 2020 | V I N E YA R D

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MACHINERY

New below-ground Apex anchor range launched Gripple, the wire joining device manufacturer, has launched the Apex anchor, a pioneering below-ground anchor range which claims to guarantee a system that is for ‘the life of the vine’, resisting even the most corrosive conditions.

The Apex anchor uses civil engineering technology and state-of-the-art materials to prevent wind-driven movement of the trellis and eliminates potential for collapse and the loss of crops.

Lightweight and easier to install than traditional stakes or steel augers, it uses a zinc aluminium alloy anchor and polymer fibre tendon to avoid corrosion which lasts the lifetime of the vine.

The anchor is hammered into the ground and a cord is pulled up which flips the anchor into a horizontal position which secures it with minimal soil disruption. Although it has been designed primarily for vineyards it can also be used in orchards or for hops.

The Apex range includes wire and steel rod tendons and Gripple has been delivering a simple jar test kit to customers with information leaflets to easily

identify their soil and how to choose the best product for their land.

John Butterworth, head of outdoor products at Gripple, who has led development of the APEX anchor range, explains: “Corrosion is a huge risk in the vineyard industry due to the variation in soils and can affect even the most prestigious regions such as Champagne and Cognac. The cost of losing entire crops due to collapsed trellising is a real and potentially very expensive threat.

In-line O2 and CO2 monitoring Dissolved oxygen (DO) can impact the sensory profile of a wine, as many of the aroma and flavour compounds are easily oxidised. Wine with a high DO will tend to be rather flat and lacking in character. Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels also impact the flavour profile and can heighten the perception of astringency, especially in red wines. It is important to bottle at the correct levels for both. There are several products available to monitor DO and CO2 on the market and Defined Wine, a contract winery in Kent, believe they are the first to use the CBoxQC At-line combined CO2 and O2 meter from Anton Paar.

The model that Defined Wine have purchased is already commonly used in breweries and is designed for taking measurements in-line and direct from tanks. A built-in ball valve shuts off the flow of liquid as soon as the oxygen reading is stable, avoiding sampling loses. “The oxygen detection is photometric, and this gives many advantages over the more traditional electrochemical sensors,” explained Steve Vincent from Anton Paar.

According to Anton Paar, the oxygen concentration in the wine is quantified by means of a light- emitting diode (LED). A carrier holds a lightsensitive layer where dye molecules are embedded

in a polymer matrix. If O2 is present in the sample, the dye absorbs excitation light and the more O2, the less emitted light gets to the photodiode. The emission light is time-delayed with respect to the excitation light. The time shift between excitation and emission light is proportional to the partial pressure of O2 and acts as a measure for the O2 concentration.

The Anton Paar instrument is built to operate under the conditions found in breweries and wineries. The robust and leakproof housings keep humidity out of the electronics and stop any spills from entering the instrument. It is also easy to use, and easy to read, in order to get clear results.

Continuous control of CO2 and O2 is possible using the Data Logger function to define the interval for automatic continuous measurements from the sample point. There is also a Radio-frequency identification (RFID) interface option enabling quick measurement by reading a programmed RFID tag. Whether using RFID or manual settings, the instrument ensures full traceability.

A DO level of < 0.5ppm is generally regarded as optimum for wine quality and shelf life. The ability to measure DO levels gives the winemaker the opportunity to monitor where oxygen pick up is occurring in the winemaking process and then put in place preventative and remedial actions.

“We chose the Anton Paar unit as it can do both O2 and CO2 from the tank and with an attachment, it can measure in bottle,” explained Poppy Seeley, assistant winemaker at Defined Wine. “It simply attaches to the tasting valve and gives a reading for O2 and CO2 in about a minute,” she added. From a winemaker’s perspective it’s a very valuable tool.

“Levels of DO vary a lot and wines that are made in small batches, or have been in barrel, can be quite high. If we know the level we can correct by sparging with Nitrogen to achieve our targets for bottling,” added Poppy.

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Here at Kirkland, we wanted to thank our loyal customers for their business this year and look forward to working with you all in 2021. We would like to celebrate the end of this year with the launch of our new emblem along with the exciting news that we are the proud new sponsors for Sustainable Wines of Great Britain & Wine GB. We are dedicated more than ever to support the UK Vineyard industry with our extensive, reliable and affordable range of machinery including pruning and cultivation equipment as well as our specialist range of tractors & sprayers.

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VITIFRUIT EQUIPMENT

Compost applications Compost and manure can be spread easily using a narrow vineyard spreader. These machines come in different shapes and sizes from a number of manufacturers. There are many theories as to where the compost should be spread and how thick it should be laid down on the soil surface.

Some folk want to lay it in a row under the vines, some only in the centre of the alley and some broadcast over all the ground. It is used as a general soil conditioner, to add nutrients and sometimes as an attempt to suppress weed growth under the vines although that comes with an understanding that weeds love the conditions under compost and to be effective the compost has to be laid down as a deep mulch with the expectation that as the mulch breaks down over time the weeds will break out with a vengeance normally in mid summer when one's attention is elsewhere and they take over! Those who wish to avoid using chemicals for weed control need to replenish the mulch layer religiously and probably use an inter vine mower or strimmer such as the Boisselet to deal with the weeds and grass which will eventually come through.

Vitifruit Equipment hire out and sell a spreader which has the ability to adapt and perform this range of different tasks by adding or taking off the side discharge conveyor for under vine mulching, opening or closing the rear door for centre alley spreading or when broadcasting adding a double spinner mechanism. It also has the advantage of handling not only compost but also various manures including cow manure without the tedious problem of blocking as can be experienced with different types of spreader which are designed only for light material. It also has a tight turn drawbar and pto shaft to enable manoeuvres in short headlands however for those who have extremely tight headlands or want a larger capacity machine for less frequent fill up's then there are spreaders with steering axles so you can turn safely without taking out end posts or ending up in the hedge.

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

D E C E M B E R 2020 | V I N E YA R D

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All Itasca Wines is now fully operational

Contract winemaking services â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vine to Bottle servicesâ&#x20AC;?

See our website www.itascawines.com for all services.

Now offering Temperature controlled storage (including on lees) Bottling, Riddling and Disgorging, Labelling and Packaging.

Laboratory now open offering full analysis services.

Contact us to find out more Itascawines.com / info@itascawines.com / 01252 279 830 Itasca Wines, Penn Croft Winery, Clifton Farm, Croft Lane, Crondall, Hampshire, GU10 5QD