OCTOBER 2019 for viticulturists in Great Britain ™ VINEYARD IN CONVERSATION James Townsend, Dunesford Vineyard, Yorkshire MATTHEW JUKES WINE REVIEW Catnip to ‘homeless’ grape growers AGRONOMY Crop protection specialists Hutchinsons support UK vineyards IT’S GRAPE UP NORTH Demystifying Yorkshire in our two part series VINEYARD CONSULTANTS • Farm and Estate Management • Rent Reviews • Planning Applications • Basic Payment Scheme • Countryside Stewardship • Grant Applications Call us on 01892 770339 or email [email protected]www.c-l-m.co.uk
Transcript
OCTOBER 2019
for viticulturists in Great Britain ™
VINEYARDIN CONVERSATION
James Townsend, Dunesford Vineyard,
Yorkshire
MATTHEW JUKES WINE REVIEW
Catnip to ‘homeless’ grape growers
AGRONOMYCrop protection
specialists Hutchinsons support UK vineyards
IT’S GRAPEUP NORTHDemystifying Yorkshire in our two part series
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In the car driving up to Yorkshire from Kent there was ample time to think about all the possible responses to my question: what is the biggest challenge of growing grapes so far north?
I thought about Alastair Nesbitt’s 2018 report ‘A suitability model for viticulture in England and Wales’ and its conclusions that “many existing vineyards are sub optimally located”. This report applies to all vineyards across all regions but as my brain ran through the site selection checklist (elevation, aspect, soil type, risk of frost, and climate), stereotypical ‘northern’ weather conditions undoubtedly stood out.
Typically, it was raining the day of our visit, but it had rained in Kent and the wider South East all week too. When sending over his quarterly column (see page 42) Matt Strugnell, vineyard manager at Ridgeview, Sussex, said it was difficult not to sound like he was just moaning about the weather. The end to the 2019 season has certainly been a challenge whether you are in Aike, Yorkshire or Brighton, Sussex.
With Botrytis and other nasties taking advantage of this interspersed mix of wet and warm spells, none has been more subject to producers’ worry, panic and dismay over the risk of losing an entire crop than the nation’s agronomists. The skilled viticultural specialists at crop protection firm Hutchinsons (see page 32) have been busy guiding growers through these turbulent times.
Perhaps the answer lies not in praying for every year to be like 2018, but in finding varieties which are more suited to our marginal cool climate. Despite being the second most planted varietal, data from the 2018 ICCWS-WineGB yield survey suggest that last year Pinot noir’s performance was comparatively poor. As there are currently only figures from the extraordinary 2018 season, to better improve our understanding of viticulture in the UK, the yield survey is being run again this year (see page 7).
If the industry does decide it needs a more commercially viable red wine grape, scientists at NIAB-EMR believe they have found the answer. Grown in the UK’s only research vineyard, Divico, which features on this month’s front cover, will soon be pressed and fermented in the newly opened research winery (see page 12).
By the time I arrived in Yorkshire, I had thought I had considered every possible obstacle facing northern viticulturists. Yet, the answer I got from Ian Sargent, owner of Laurel Vines, (see page 20) came as a surprise. Growers nationwide do not enjoy equal access to education; a vital requirement for anyone hoping to protect vines when the rainy days do arrive.
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Harvest 2019 is a more typical year
◆ 2010’s 1086 for 2019Sparkling wine producer Nyetimber has released the 2010 vintage of its Prestige Cuvee, ‘1086’.
A blend of 45% Chardonnay, 44% Pinot noir and 11% Pinot meunier, the 2010 vintage conditions saw slightly lower than average temperatures in the early growing stages, but much drier weather conditions too. Flowering proceeded in excellent conditions in late June and early July, with hot and dry weather producing a large, even crop. Despite some cool and wet periods in August, the advancement gained in the early part of the season enabled a slow, gradual ripening and produced fine, delicate flavours in the berries.
The 2019 Nyetimber harvest began on Saturday 5 October. The largest English sparkling producer and the only producer to own vineyards across three counties of southern England, Nyetimber’s grapes will be picked from 214 hectares of estate-owned vineyards in West Sussex, Hampshire and, for the first time, Kent.
Following the earliest recorded start to harvest in 2018, this year sees a return to more traditional timing of early October and heralds the start of three weeks intense activity at the Nyetimber estate. Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot meunier grapes will be hand-picked across eight vineyards by 300 skilled workers, representing the largest hectarage of any English sparkling wine producer.
“The 2019 harvest seems to be shaping up to be a more typical year than 2018, with the start of picking returning to early October,” said Cherie Spriggs Nyetimber’s head winemaker. “It is too early to say much about the fruit chemistry or flavours, but we are particularly excited to get the first, albeit
small, experience of fruit from six hectares of our Kent vineyards, which will give us an insight into the characteristics we can expect from this site.”
Grapes from this year’s harvest will be processed at Nyetimber’s state-of-the-art pressing centre located at the heart of its historic West Sussex estate. This facility uses the latest technology as well as traditional gravity flow to ensure the least mechanical intervention possible and ensures that both the grapes and juice destined for Nyetimber wines are treated in the gentlest way, maintaining the highest level of quality.
“The growing conditions this year started with touches of spring frost, although we were largely unaffected, and a moderately warm, if at times wet, summer – all ‘typical’ factors in the UK which have previously resulted in great wines from years like 2009,” said Cherie. “Excellent work by our team in the vineyards has ensured optimal vine and fruit health, with all signs looking positive for both quality and quantity across West Sussex, Hampshire and Kent for the 214 hectares we will be harvesting from.”
> Nyetimber
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The largest grower survey of yield and production in the UK will be open for this year’s harvest submissions from 1 November 2019.
Commissioned by Wines of Great Britain (WineGB) and made possible by the legacy funding from the International Cool Climate Wine Symposium, the 2018 ICCWS-WineGB Yield Survey was first launched at the membership organisation’s Viticulture Technical Conference last year.
By collecting on-going data from vineyards across the UK, it is hoped that the report will show why ‘grape yields in England and Wales can be significantly lower than comparable wine-producing regions and are also subject to significant temporal and spatial variation’.
Having received data from 114 growers, whose combined vineyard area covered 464 ha (1,147 acres), around 20% of UK vineyards that were cropping in 2018, the initial report was an overall success. The details of the full 2018 report, which has been written by Stephen Skelton MW, with input from last year’s project manager Jim Newsome and Peter Hayes AM, is now available to download from the WineGB website.
As greater response rates would provide enhanced data about more grape varieties and regions, and would allow for more effective analysis and better understanding of longer-
term development of the industry, a number of improvements have been made to the 2019 submission process.
Firstly, instead of running from January to March, the 2019 survey will be open from 1 November. It is hoped that harvest will be at the forefront of peoples’ minds at this time. The survey itself has also been simplified with questions covering the basics including weights, sugar levels, acidity, and also disease and pest pressure, damage and impact.
Growers who completed the survey last year will also find the process quicker as personal details, such as location, vineyard area and varieties grown, will all be saved under their profile and will not need to be re-entered.
By showing the UK’s vineyard production potential, the data will allow for better targeting of industry development initiatives, including research and development, market development, public policy measures and public and private investment. There is also potential for the results to be used by participating vineyards to benchmark their performance against anonymised regional data.
Yield variability in the UK is a tremendously complex issue but key to the sustainability of the industry. With the support of all growers across England, Wales, the Channel Isles and the Republic of Ireland, this survey is an important step on the journey to understanding and improving this.
Information from the 2019 harvest will be collected from growers through an online survey designed by Wine Intelligence. As confidentiality is fundamental to contributor and respondent confidence, Wine Intelligence will bring its expertise
Yield survey needs you
The latest gender bias?According to new data, women in the UK are being penalised for preferring a different drink to men as tax on wine, the most popular alcoholic drink among women in the UK, has risen twice as fast as tax on beer, the most popular alcoholic drink among men over the past decade.
A YouGov survey reveals that 39% of women list wine as their favourite alcoholic drink, with 7% choosing beer. Among men, the order is reversed with 40% preferring beer and 16% preferring wine. The data also reveals that wine is more widely consumed by women, with 84% of choosing wine in the last 12 months, compared to 68% who have drunk beer. For men this is reversed with 78% having drunk wine and 91% drunk beer. An analysis of Budget decisions shows that duty on wine has risen by 39% since 2010, compared with a rise of 16% for beer. More duty is paid on a typical serving of wine than any other drink, making up 52p of an average 175ml glass of wine, compared to 43p for a pint of beer.
Wine Drinkers UK campaign group is calling for an end to, and reversal of, the unfair penalisation of wine drinkers at the next Budget. The campaign is backed by wine commentators, companies and enthusiasts.
“The facts are indisputable. Alcohol duty decisions by the Government over the past decade have consistently been more favourable to beer drinkers than wine drinkers, and means that our politicians have been favouring men over women,” said Helen McGinn, author of Knackered Mother's Wine Club book and blog. “This bias – whether conscious or unconscious – now needs to be addressed. It is time to give wine drinkers a break and cut back wine tax.”
Supporters of Wine Drinkers UK are writing to Simon Clarke, Exchequer secretary to the Treasury – the government minister responsible for alcohol duty rates – calling for a reduction in wine duty at the next Budget.
at data-gathering and strict confidentiality protocols to the project. No one outside Wine Intelligence will have access to the raw data without the express permission of the growers themselves.
The 2019 project will be managed by Luke Spalding, with assistance from Stephen Skelton, who is providing oversight on behalf of WineGB, and Peter Hayes, an Australian viticulturalist will also be providing input and advice on the interpretation of the results.
“Every other grape growing region produces yield reports, and some go into huge detail,” said Stephen Skelton, UK viticulturalist. “I have seen reports from many other cool climate regions. New Zealand, Tasmania and Luxembourg are all good examples, and it is something we should be doing. There is a lot of positive PR surrounding the UK harvests, but growers, and potential new investors, really need to have access to hard data. When people are being advised they should be aware of both the good and the bad aspects. If you are intending to plant a vineyard, the report is a must read.”
The on-going survey is set to provide the foundation for future development of an industry-owned database, and it is anticipated that the information and knowledge generated, along with the data analysis, will provide enhanced confidence in the scale and stage of development of the industry.
Given the absence of a comprehensive industry database, the current survey is making the first steps in redressing this situation. An ongoing project with successively enhanced and upgraded aspects will capitalise on this initial effort and deliver further and continuing value.
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NEWS
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Cornish wine merchant BinTwo has recently been named the UK's best independent retailer after it topped the Harpers Wine & Spirit list of the UK’s 50 Best Indies 2019.
The hybrid wine cellar, bar and coffee shop, located in the harbour town of Padstow, was recognised for making wine fun and its have-a-go approach. BinTwo’s plans for a micro winery in Cornwall also stood out, along with the Jammy Git wine brand.
The first Jammy Git, a 100% Merlot, was created in Bordeaux in partnership with Mark Hellyar, a friend of BinTwo’s owner Mike Boyne.
“The name Jammy Git is a playful nod to the serendipity that led us into ownership of BinTwo five years ago and the general, all-round jamminess that we have broadly enjoyed since,” said Mike. “Beneath the branding, all Jammy Git wines have a certain authenticity in common. They’re wines that I feel we have a genuine connection with. We’ll have met the winemaker, visited the vineyard, understood their ethos, maybe even taken a small part in the development of the wine.”
It is the second instalment of Jammy Git, however, which is the true marvel. During a visit to Cornwall’s Knightor winery, to taste new wines for the shop, Mike picked up on an off-the-cuff comment winemaker David Brocklehurst had made about a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot they had in development.
“My curiosity was piqued so I asked where they were sourcing the grapes as those are not normally varieties you would associate with the UK,” said Mike. “David replied that the grapes were from Gloucestershire, just 15 miles from where I had grown up. Tim Chance grows these grapes under two enormous glasshouses in which he used to grow strawberries commercially.”
Always keen to innovate, Knightor had three vintages in different stages of development. The 2016 was already on release as part of its range and thoughts were underway as to which direction to take the 2017 and 2018 vintages.
“Just for fun we started playing with blends in the winery, taking samples of each vintage from barrel and trying different combinations,” said Mike. “What started as a bit of geeky wine fun took on a different air when we hit on a blend that led to a collective shared look of hang on, we’re onto something here.”
With a bit more tweaking and refinement BinTwo and Knightor settled on a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. Within this there is 42% of 2018, which had loads of lovely fruit but was lacking structure; 40% of 2017, which had structure but was a bit lean and mean; and 18% of 2016 which, having spent two years in oak, added a bit more body, structure and complexity. The finished product, which is just 12% abv, is light to medium bodied, fresh, juicy, bursting with red fruit flavours and a little hit of spice on the finish.
Speaking to Vineyard Magazine, Mike explained that the unusual English blend has successfully “challenged a few wine experts”, particularly Masters of Wine who initially “raised eyebrows” over the concept of growing vines under glass, as well as the ability to ripen these varieties in the UK.
“There have been a lot of people who have been pleasantly surprised at how it has turned out,” said Mike. “We have had a lot of praise from both consumers, who have been pleased to find an English red which they enjoy, and people working in the wine trade. The familiarity of the grape varieties has helped a little when it comes to sales, but we have found that the story behind the wine, as well as the branding, the humorous name and caricature,
English Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon
blend draws attentionare the main drivers.”
Despite concerns, customers have not been put off by the still wine’s non-vintage approach and looking to the future, Mike is hoping to continue working with Knightor.
Mike is also keen to continue his search for new, exciting opportunities and with fruit from the on-going 2019 harvest, BinTwo will soon be developing a Pinot noir based pink Pét-Nat with the team at Trevibban Mill.
“We’re currently working with winemaker Salvatore Leone to produce something I don't think has been made in Cornwall before,” said Mike. “This will be on sale at the shop from spring 2020. We also have some ideas for what could be the smallest winery in the country. There is a space next to our second shop, the Arc, which could house an Amphora and Salvatore is also looking at one of our fields to see if it would be suitable for vines. It would be really fun to have a tiny vineyard supplying fruit to fill an Amphora and making a very small amount of orange wine to sell through the shop.”
BinTwo stocks a wide range of carefully chosen wines and spirits, serving a selection by the glass giving people the opportunity to try something a little different. It also runs Meet the Winemaker and Flight Club events, matching a flight of wines with food while listening to a guest speaker talk about the wine region.
> Mike Boyne
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◆ Alzey 7672After discovering the true parentage of Madeleine x Angevine 7672, the Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof, has renamed the variety commonly called Madeleine Angevine to Alzey 7672.
Master of Wine and UK viticulturist Stephen Skelton was invited to send leaf samples to the German vine breeding programme from three UK vineyards. Following DNA testing, the institute has found that the varietal is a Riesling x Madeleine Angevine crossing.
While it is doubtful the industry will drop the already well-established ‘Mad Angie’ title, technically the grape should now be listed as Alzey 7672.
Mr Skelton has also sent samples of Triomphe d’Alsace, as it is thought the UK clone might differ from other records.
◆ Academy under new managementThe Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and the Institute of Hospitality (IOH) have signed an agreement to jointly manage the Academy of Food & Wine Service (AFWS).
Set up in 1988, the AFWS is the professional body for front-of-house food and beverage service in the UK hospitality industry. Within the new partnership, WSET will manage the beverage and sommelier-related elements, while IOH will continue to manage all activities related to restaurant management and food service.
The Academy, under the guidance of sommelier Nicolas Clerc MS, will continue to organise the UK Sommelier of the Year and UK Restaurant Manager of the Year competitions.
MPs call for relief scheme to benefit smaller vineyards
‘Boisterous and fun’ Blanc de Blancs
Membership organisation WineGB has welcomed the interest shown by MPs in support of its proposed Cellar Door Relief Scheme, and is actively encouraging its members to contact their MPs to highlight the application made to HM Treasury last December on the industry’s behalf.
The proposed scheme for wine producers would apply only to wine sales direct to consumers at the cellar door. A duty relief scheme granted in 2002 to smaller breweries and cider producers yielded significant benefits by creating favourable market conditions to enable them to compete with larger breweries. It has led to impressive growth in the sector.
As well as helping smaller vineyards, WineGB believes the proposed scheme would also satisfy EU and WTO rules on state aid for industry and could enhance the total revenue raised by HMRC.
“During this somewhat turbulent time it is encouraging to see a number of our MPs actively behind this initiative, that, if passed, will bring resounding benefits to the UK wine industry and thus to the UK economy as a whole,” said Simon Robinson, chairman of WineGB. “We
wholeheartedly support this move and would be delighted to work with any MPs with vineyards in their constituency to highlight this significant opportunity which is of particular interest to our smaller producers. By encouraging vineyards to expand their cellar door facilities, the scheme would also encourage tourism more generally as well as much needed rural development and employment.”
The WineGB proposal submitted to HMRC recommends that producers would be permitted to sell up to 100Hl per year (roughly 13,500 bottles) from their cellar door to individuals personally present for personal consumption and not for resale. The maximum relief for a producer would therefore amount to £29,295; for sparkling producers, the maximum relief would be £37,395.
As a substantial number of vineyards do not have wine production facilities but sub-contract production to a third party the proposal also suggests that only wine which is either made at the premises of the producer or made from grapes grown on the vineyard be eligible for the relief.
WineGB has put the call out to its members again to contact their local MPs to raise this issue with them.
The first vines were planted at Jenkyn Place in 2004 on land which previously grew some of the most sought-after hops in Britain. Today the vineyard has now grown to over 13 acres following the planting of the Pinot noir last year.
The estate suggests pairing the Blanc de Blancs 2015, which has an RRP of £38.00 with a fresh asparagus tart or white meat, such as chicken in a light garlic and cream sauce. Jenkyn Place wines are distributed via New Generation McKinley.
Hampshire’s Jenkyn Place vineyard has released its first ever Blanc de Blancs from the 2015 vintage to join the boutique winery’s new vintage Brut Classic Cuvée 2014, its Rosé 2014 and its Blanc de Noirs 2010.
The Jenkyn Place Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2015 is made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes from the vineyard’s 500 Chardonnay vines and is also available in striking gift boxes.
“Our brand-new baby has been described as ‘boisterous and fun’ which we think sums up the bubbles and pizazz of this bottle perfectly,” said Owner Simon Bladon. “With great acidity and fruitiness, I have found this to be an incredibly food-friendly wine.”
Situated on the south facing slope of the North Downs in Hampshire, Jenkyn Place is run by Simon Bladon and his daughter Camilla. The winery produces only sparkling wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes grown on soils of greensand over chalk and marlstone.
On the creation of this new release, winemaker Dermot Sugrue said: “We just had to make it; we had no choice - the Chardonnay grapes were just so damn good.”
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Speaking at the Wine and Spirits Trade Association 2019 Industry Summit on 18 September WSTA chief executive Miles Beale delivered a candid speech to members saying that for the fourth year running the industry faced an “unprecedented” UK political climate.
“Government seems hell bent on failing to act on the concerns of industry,” said Mr Beale. “In Downing Street, a lack of political leadership has been replaced by heavy handed political manoeuvring. Disruption, drift and division seem to be becoming the new norm.”
The Wine and Spirit Trade Association(WSTA) now calls on government to listen to industry concerns and act on its advice to avoid trade disruption, burdensome red tape and shortages.
The summit was held just a week after the WSTA went public on the government’s decision not to suspend what WSTA calls damaging, burdensome and unnecessary VI1 import certificates. It also coincides with controversial plans to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers that the WSTA says threatens to impose a "huge burden on producers, retailers and ultimately consumers".
As part of its role to unite and lead trade in any post-Brexit scenario the WSTA announced the launch of a series of new WSTA projects including a new website.
Those interested in sustainability can now register to attend Sustainable Wine’s one-day business meeting The Future of Wine.
Being held on 4 November 2019 at the Conduit Club, Mayfair, London, the conference will bring together leading winemakers, retailers and industry executives, to discuss why sustainability matters and it can be put into practice in the wine industry. Spaces are limited to 100 attendees.
Starting at 9.00am, topics will include how viticulturalists can produce grapes more sustainably; future challenges resulting from our changing climate; the financial impact of sustainability; whether the end of chemicals in the vineyard is practical, or even desirable; the role of retail; and whether organic approaches are better or worse for the environment.
Speakers will include familiar faces such as Chris Foss, chair of the WineGB Environmental Sustainability Workgroup; Tony Milanowski, winemaker at Rathfinny Wine Estate; Sue Daniels, Marks & Spencer; Jane Awty, Oatley Vineyard; and Ross Barclay-Beuthin, Cloud Agro Ltd.
“We’re looking forward to a really frank and honest conversation about sustainability means, how expectations are evolving, certification and its value, what retailers want, and what consumers say they want, on sustainable wines,” said Tobias Webb, co-founder and director of Sustainable Wine Ltd, organisers of the event.
Trade summit highlights a lack of political leadership
The Future of Wine
To register for tickets, visit: www.sustainablewine.co.uk/future-of-sustainable-wine-forum
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Research vineyard opens winery and identifies game-changing red varietal Viticultural scientists in Kent believe the South East could soon be producing more high-quality red wine thanks to a grape variety which has been trialled at East Malling for the past three years.
NIAB EMR believe the Swiss-developed Divico grape could be the much sought after game-changing variety as it produces quality red wine and thrives despite the challenges of the UK climate. Until now the focus of English vineyards has mainly been on sparkling and still white wines.
Dr Julien Lecourt, head of viticulture and wine R&D at NIAB EMR, said: “Red wine accounts for only five per cent of the UK’s current production, but we believe Divico now offers strong commercial prospects by producing quality red wines. The yield is great and, crucially, the variety has three key growth attributes which mark it out from all others.”
Divico flowers in early June, which is late enough to avoid frosts and when temperatures are slightly higher allowing optimal pollination, better yield and quality. It is also proving to be naturally resistant to many of the economically-important diseases affecting grape crops – a factor that is key for growing crops in the UK’s warm humid environment which often favours development of fungal diseases.
The wine quality is outstanding as Divico’s precocity and its natural resistance to fungal diseases allows a long ripening, resulting in an optimal aromatic and phenolic quality.
“As a variety, Divico is considered likely to supersede Pinot noir, the previous industry-standard red variety, as the UK season often doesn’t allow for consistent full maturation of the fruit, which hinders the quality of the wine produced,” said Julien. “While our UK-produced Pinot noir wines have improved, they do struggle to compete against our European and New World winemakers in terms of consistency. Based on the trials and our work with the industry, we believe that many UK vineyards should now consider Divico as the red variety of choice and it offers a very important opportunity to help drive the industry forward.”
Planting and producing wine from Divico vines in the UK’s only research vineyard offering randomised and replicated trials has given the team of scientists at East Malling the earliest possible opportunity to see how it responds to the climate of Kent and the South East.
The variety, Divico was bred at the Swiss Centre of Excellence for Agricultural Research (Agroscope) in the late 1990s and first released for planting in 2013. The viticulture research at NIAB EMR is about undertaking world-class science and
applying that to commercial benefit in the industry. The results are helping de-risk the decision to plant a variety such as Divico, and helping transform the UK’s red wine industry.
The 2019 harvest will be the first one processed at the recently completed ‘research winery’ at NIAB EMR. The bespoke state-of-the-art facility underpins the rapidly expanding viticulture sector and is thanks to a £150,000 vine-to-wine R&D infrastructure investment.
The NIAB EMR research winery adds to the 10,000m2 concept vineyard planted in 2015 for scientific and demonstration purposes. The vineyard makes it possible to deliver randomised and replicated trials to ensure the research is robust and supports forward-thinking viticulturalists.
“The UK wine industry is increasing by tens of millions of pounds per annum and urgently needs this bespoke research capability that focuses specifically on the country’s terroir and climate,” said Julien. “The research will ensure our commercial vineyards are best-placed to respond to climate change, bring forward viable new varieties and improve growing regimes and systems to compete with international wine growers.”
The winery uses the latest equipment to produce small batches. Its press is able to process up to 500kg of grapes at a time. Wine production is undertaken in temperature-controlled tanks, with 15 each of 110 litre capacity, alongside three 700 litre tanks. The computer monitored system makes it possible for the scientists to produce highly replicable wines and fully control the pace of fermentation.
“This centre offers nationally significant viticulture and production-related research at a time when there’s a growing commercial interest in investing in wine production throughout the whole process,” said Mario Caccamo, NIAB EMR’s managing director. “The combined efforts of the research vineyard and the winery will give greater confidence to our country’s wine makers who are looking to reduce the risk and improve the commercial certainty in the pursuit of excellence.”
As well as working with UK vineyards, the team at NIAB EMR also collaborates with companies involved in the whole wine making process. The winery was funded by East Malling Trust and NIAB and will primarily be focused on servicing the members of the NIAB EMR viticulture R&D consortium including Bolney Wine Estate, Chapel Down, Gusbourne, Halfpenny Green Vineyard, Hencote, MDCV UK, and Nyetimber.
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A north Cornish vineyard’s sparkling wine has been crowned the West region’s Wine of the Year.
Trevibban Mill’s Blanc de Blancs 2014 won gold at the WineGB West awards, where it was also awarded The Ray Palfrey Cup for the best sparkling wine, as well as being named the overall champion.
The awards ceremony took place on 10 September 2019 at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester. Organised by the UK’s largest regional trade body for the industry, WineGB West, the annual competition welcomes entries from vineyards and wineries across the West Country and South Wales.
The judging panel was made up of industry specialists and critics, who judged the 123 entries in seven classes including best sparkling wines, dry whites, and wines from the Bacchus grape.
Wine educator and certified sommelier, Rebecca Mitchell, who was on the panel said: “The judges were impressed with the ongoing rise in quality year on year coming out of the West Country. The sparkling whites were really exceptional.”
Trevibban Mill was established by husband and wife team Engin and Liz
Mumcuoglu. In a complete career change, having come from backgrounds in telecoms and medical physics, they attended a two-year course in viticulture and winemaking to learn about the process of wine production.
They purchased the land in 2007 and planted the vineyard in 2008 and have been producing wine in their own onsite winery since 2014.
“We are thrilled to win these awards for our beautiful Blanc de Blancs 2014. Its elegance is a true expression of all that is wonderful about English sparkling wines,” said Liz. “Made in the traditional method and aged on the lees for four years, Blanc de Blancs 2014 is classified as Brut Nature, indicating the very driest type of sparkling wine as no sugars are added. On the palate it is bone dry and complex, with notes of biscuit and brioche over orchard fruit.”
Trevibban Mill’s Black Ram red wine also won silver at the same awards; and its Pinot Noir Pink Sparkling 2014 was recently awarded silver in the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championship 2019.
Blanc de Blancs 2014 is available in Trevibban Mill’s wine shop and website, priced at £46.00 per bottle. Its full range of products is available online and in select stores and restaurants throughout Cornwall.
Trevibban MillBlanc de Blancs 2014
Wine of The Year
Wythall EstateTudor Manor Estate Red 2017
The Sunnybank Trophy for Best Red Wine
Faye Pratt for work on behalf of the region over many years as membership secretary and competition secretary
The Gillian Pearkes
Memorial Trophy for Best
Contributor
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AWARDS
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Trevibban Mill Blanc de Blancs 2014
The Ray Palfrey Cup for Best Sparkling Wine
Three ChoirsLate Harvest 2018
The Association Cup for Best Non-Dry White Wine
The Chairman's Cup for Best Sparkling Rosé
Fenny CastleBacchus 2018
Sharpham EstateRosé 2017
Committee Cup for Best Dry White Wine
The Stewards Trophy for Best Rosé
Wine
Camel ValleyPinot Noir Rosé Brut 2016
Challenge Cup for Best Oaked White WineOatley Vineyard"Fraicheur" Barrel Matured 2017
Yorkshire HeartHarvest is coming and the grapes are getting fat.
Tamar Valley VineyardApparently, our vines are feeling better and would like to produce some more grapes. Not sure if the weather will hold for a second harvest! #harvest2019 #winesofthewestcountry #devon #vineyardmaggb #drinklocal
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a'Beckett's VineyardChardonnay and Pinot Auxerrois in the sunshine, yes that's sunshine folks #englishwine
Countrywide Photo@CountrywidepicsHave visited a few vineyards over the last 18 months with @VineyardMagGB. Recently we visited @gusbourne and it has to be the neatest, tidiest vineyard I have photographed. Crazy that the place is 10 minutes from where I live and I never knew #EnglishSparklingWine #Vineyard #Kent
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New Lodge Vineyard#VineyardDog Leo protecting our grape #Harvest‘19 from the cheeky pheasants!
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S J Barnes LtdsjbarneslimitedS J Barnes is officially the first UK-based contractor to offer machine harvesting within the UK. This project has been in the making for three years and has finally come into action. This really is the way forwards for British viticulture. The machine has been selected with quality of the fruit being the main focus. The fruit quality and condition coming out is excellent. This is just the beginning with a number of vineyards and winery’s already utilising this service. #britishvineyard #britishwines #grapeharvesting #mechanicalgrapeharvest
Nanias Vineyardnaniasvineyard#NaniasVineyard first commercial vineyard is complete and in tank! Thanks to the lovely Lindsell family at Sandyford Vineyard in Essex who have helped make our dream come true and our winemaking partners at @litmuswines and @denbies_wine_estate. Watch this space over the coming months to see what we have in store for you and what treats we make out of our delicious grapes.
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Henry Laithwaite@HarrowandHopeAfter trials over the last two years every barrel will be fermented wild this year.
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Balfour Hush Heath Estate@HushHeathGrape sampling this morning. Sophie from our winery team is picking bunches from various clones and rootstocks to measure sugar and acidity of the grapes. Pinot meunier in our oldest vineyard Oast House Meadow is looking great. Most commonly used in our English sparkling wine blends, but for the first time ever we have released a 100% still Pinot meunier from our 2018 vintage called Red Miller.
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SOCIAL
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Wine Cellar Door@WineCellarDoorDriver reports train moving slowly... Good job I've got @VineyardMagGB to keep me company!
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Gwinllan Conwy conwyvineyard2019 harvest at Gwinllan Conwy is now complete! We are always overwhelmed with the help we get from volunteers and of course our neighbouring vineyard @vale.vineyard! Thanks to this dream team our Phoenix is now on its journey to join Ortega and create 2019 Pydew! instagram
Renishaw HallEnglishwineprojectSome really nice pictures from today!! A massive thank you for everyone that came out and helped. Next up #petnat 2 26th October!! Time to get your feet clean and then dirty for some more grape pressing the old-fashioned way!! TBH if it were just me and hired help it would be dull! #englishwine #sheffield #derbyshire #eckington #chesterfield #buylocal instagram
Fox and Foxfoxandfox.wineHangin’ about, waitin’ for harvest...just letting the sugars build a tad more. #sussex #pinotnoir #englishwine #lovefoxandfox
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Albourne Estate albourneestateOur latest vineyard recruit receiving quad bike training for #harvest2019. Maybe she’s a little young at 14 weeks! #sussexwine #cutedogs #vineyarddogs
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James Townsend at Dunesforde Vineyard in Upper Dunsforth, York, talks to Vineyard about what it’s like to grow grapes up North.
In conversation...James Townsend
How did you end up planting a vineyard in Yorkshire? Initially we started our search for a vineyard in Italy. I had gone to university there for a year, worked a couple of harvests in Tuscany and loved the culture, the food and the wine. When land became available in the village our family had lived in for thirty years, it seemed like a great opportunity to do something unique and different.
Tell us about your terroir…Our 4-acre vineyard is planted on a gently sloping site in the Vale of York on sandy clay soil with Bacchus, Pinot gris, Pinot noir précoce and Solaris. Rows are planted north-south with the highest point being just 15m above sea level. We benefit from shelter from mature trees to the south west and we are normally a degree or two warmer than nearby York and Harrogate. People might think of Yorkshire as cold and wet, but being in the rain shadow of the Pennines, we’re actually prone to droughts in the summer and get some really warm spells.
How is harvest 2019 shaping up in terms of quantity and quality?2019 will only be our second harvesting year. We’ve got more fruit than last year, but the wet weather has led to a few problems with both powdery and downy mildew. The Solaris is looking great though, as is the Pinot noir précoce that hasn’t been hit by mildew.
Was there one key aspect of the 2019 season which you will never forget?All the rain! The conditions this summer have meant keeping on top of growth in the canopy has been a challenge. We’ve repeatedly had to pass through the vineyard trimming, removing side shoots and de-leafing. A stark contrast to 2018 where, thanks to the lack of rain, we were able to do each of these jobs in just one pass.
What is the biggest viticultural challenge of being located so far north?The weather! April and May are always nervy times of year when we’re at risk from spring frosts. We use a variety of passive methods to protect ourselves as much as we can - late pruning, leaving sacrificial canes, tying down as late as possible - and this year we also experimented using sprays when frost risk was high. Ripening fruit and getting the right balance between sugars and acids in the grapes is right up there as well, particularly with our later varieties like Pinot gris.
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GRAPE GROWING
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Name one interesting fact about Dunesforde that helps the brand stick in people’s minds.The Dunesforde logo is actually an aerial view of the vineyard site. Ironically, when seen from above the field it is D-shaped. We like to call it the Dunesforde shard.
How would you describe the ethos of the estate? We find it richly rewarding to share our passion and journey with others, this is at the heart of why we wanted to make wine in the first place. For us, wine is as much about the people as the place. We would not be able to give the vines the level of care and attention that we do without our team of volunteers. They are a big part of what makes our wine so special.
How do you get your wines to market?We’ve only just released our first still wines, with our debut sparkling wines coming in 2020. With the limited production from our first harvest, we’re just selling from our website and the cellar door at events on the vineyard. In future though, we’re excited to get involved with some renowned local restaurants as well as setting up a members’ wine club.
Do you think producers need to offer more than just wine to be sustainable?I think it’s all part of the business, especially as we are a relatively young industry and are still trying to promote ourselves.
Do you think it is going to become more challenging to stand out in a crowded market?Being one of only a handful of vineyards this far north should help us stand out. English and Welsh wine is still not well known up here and people often don’t believe there are vineyards in Britain, let alone in North Yorkshire! People in our region are intrigued and love the idea of a locally grown wine.
How can producers ensure they are staying ahead of trends? One of the best things about our industry at the moment is the ability to experiment and really try to find what works. We should be innovating as much as possible, while also maintaining the high-quality standards people expect.
Why do you think communities are so eager to get involved with their local vineyard(s)?There’s just something magical about vineyards. They’re usually in beautiful places and seem to bring a sense of calm to people. We have volunteers from the village and wider community who come all year round to help at Dunesforde. I think the appeal is in the camaraderie and being a part of making something so connected to our environment.
If you weren’t working in viticulture what would you be doing?I’d probably still be teaching, and the rest of the family would be working on their other business interests.
What is the best piece of vineyard machinery/equipment you have invested in and why?Our Braun Rollhacke mechanical weeder that we got from NP Seymour has been an excellent investment - enabling us to manage the weeds under vine without relying on herbicides.
Is there anything on your ‘shopping list’ for next year? A trimmer for the tractor. At the moment we use an electrical hedge trimmer to hedge the canopy, the batteries only last about an hour before needing to be charged, so it takes a long time. It’s also pretty hard work on the arms to get the top and sides done, especially in a warm and wet year like this year when we have to trim more often.
What do you think is the biggest issue facing the UK viticulture industry? Carving out a niche in the crowded world wine market, especially given the high costs and low yields in the UK. Also, yield, reaching a wider audience and finding a place in the market.
What advice would you give to those looking to get into the UK viticulture industry?Get as much right in site selection and planning as you can – making changes later is either very difficult and costly, or impossible. Reach out to experts for help and advice, we have such a helpful and welcoming industry.
Finish this sentence: In ten years’ time…Dunesforde will be an established producer of outstanding cool climate wines.
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Demystifying northern viticultural challenges
God’s own wine country
There is one enormous obstacle which is putting northern viticulturists and winemakers at a significant disadvantage in comparison to their southern counterparts.
No, we’re not talking about site selection
Laurel Vines proves that it’s perfectly possible to find a south-facing, chalky slope which sits just 8-metres above sea level and is close to an estuary.
Nestled in the small hamlet of Aike, between the market towns of Beverley and Driffield, Laurel Farm was purchased by Ian and Ann Sargent in 2009. The ex-livestock farm’s derelict buildings had recently been renovated and the untouched pasture land provided an opportunity for Ian to develop a hobby outside his busy career as the owner of a large electricals firm.
“Designing electronic component systems is very intense, but I have never been one to just sit about. I needed to find something different
In part one of a two-part focus on viticulture in Yorkshire, Victoria Rose visits Laurel Vines in the hamlet of Aike, East Riding.
Victoria Rose Editor
EDITOR'S VISIT
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to do in my downtime,” said Ian Sargent, founder of Laurel Vines and chair of WineGB’s regional group Midlands and North. “I had a strange notion that we could make wine here in Yorkshire. Surveys of the fields were carried out and everything was perfectly suited to a vineyard. We also checked drainage, pH levels and nutrient content as well as susceptibility to frost and wind. It ticked all the boxes.”
The chalk soils were prepared, the vines carefully selected and in April 2011 the first 2,000 Ortega, Rondo and Solaris were planted in a north-south alignment. Today the seven-acre vineyard is home to 12,000 vines, with varietals now also including Chardonnay, Madeline Angevine, Phoenix, Pinot meunier, Pinot noir, and Seyval blanc.
“The Champagne varieties were added three years ago,” said Jonathan Yeo, who assists Ian in the winery and manages the vineyard day-to-day with Adrian Scott. “We tested just two rows to see how they would grow up here and they did really well, so we planted more. They have taken slightly longer to come on than expected but we hope to get a full crop from them next year.”
To better protect the newer planting (which sits further down the vineyard slope) from the prevailing easterly wind, a windbreak has been established and the team has already noticed a significant difference in site temperature and vine growth. This, did however, create a barrier for the ground frost that previously rolled through the site, but after developing his own remote-controlled fan-driven frost system, to date, the vines have not suffered any frost related damage.
We’re not talking about the weather either
A year after planting, Laurel Vines was hit by some of the worst weather imaginable. Winter temperatures fell to -18°C, and long periods of rain caused flooding in spring and summer. This was not contained to Yorkshire; there is not one vineyard manager across the UK who will forget 2012, the year Nyetimber famously refused to make any wine.
“The climate might be one of our challenges, but it’s something other growers across the country have to deal with too,” said Jonathan. “I don’t think there is much difference between Yorkshire and the south, I think we can all produce good quality fruit.”
Having tended to the vines for six years now, Jonathan has noticed that Laurel is usually around two weeks behind when it comes to harvest. Although improving summers and a changing climate has meant
"I had a strange notion that we could
make wine here in Yorkshire"
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picking is getting earlier each year. “Last year was a bit of an exception, but we started harvest around 20
September, which is the earliest we have ever been,” he said. “The 2018 season was just excellent overall. The quality of the fruit was impressive and we harvested around 17.5 tonnes of fruit, which is a record for us, although this does coincide with more vines coming online.”
While 2018 was glorious for growers nationwide, the wet and warm spells plaguing the end of the 2019 season have been equally challenging for vineyard managers, regardless of region.
“The crop level is around 3/4 the size of last year, the quality is good but not as brilliant,” said Jonathan. “With cooler weather during flowering, we have had some hens and chicks on the Rondo, but this is the first year we have seen it. We didn’t quite know what was wrong at first, because we are only used to seeing what we have seen before, but I believe other people have had similar issues too. There have been a lot of vineyards who have had real problems with the rain this year and Botrytis has been a big worry, but everything seems on track so far.”
Finding sufficient seasonal labour is not an issue
Despite there being some 20 vineyards spread across the county of Yorkshire, with more new enterprises due to be planted in 2020, the first misconception which the team at Laurel Vines deals with is the ingrained concept that it is simply impossible to grow vines this far north.
“One of the biggest things we notice is that the public always question how it is possible to have a vineyard in Aike,” said Adrian Scott. “Even people in the next village, will dispute that there is one planted because no one really expects to find a vineyard in Yorkshire. The industry is growing, but in this region especially there is a lot of surprise about English wine.”
The public’s persistent disbelief over the existence of vines in Yorkshire is not dampening the growing industry spirits, as once people do discover the vineyard, they quickly become thoroughly invested in the story.
These converted loyal supporters are often keen be involved too. Laurel Vines once again had people pestering for harvest dates to be released >>
> Adrian Scott and Jonathan Yeo
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with many eager to sign up to be involved in this annual social and community event.
“Our picking days are always really well subscribed,” said Jonathan. “The vineyard started life as a hobby and Adrian and I both started volunteering here. That combined with the close-knit atmosphere in the village has meant that people have always wanted to come here to help. They enjoy it so much they tell their friends and family who all want to come along next year.”
Harvest is however an exception and through the rest of the year Laurel Vines is just a family operation. Ian and Rebekah, Ian’s daughter and Jonathan’s partner, both balance their time between the family’s electrical business and Laurel Vines, and Ian’s wife, Ann, and brother, Neil, also get involved when needed. On a day-to-day basis, the vineyard is managed predominantly by Jonathan and Adrian.
“With the increasing number of vines, it is becoming increasingly difficult to do everything ourselves,” said Jonathan. “We usually start pruning in December and aim to have everything finished in late March, but we are normally a bit behind. We do also have a SEND college group who come to the vineyard once a week in term time to help with jobs like tying down.”
Getting vineyard sundries and winery equipment delivered takes no more effort
Unlike most vineyards in the UK, Laurel Vines’ grapes only travel a few 100 yards to the winery. Not only does this help the business boast a low carbon footprint, it also makes it easier for the team to control the whole process too.
“As soon as it comes off the vine, fruit is in a tank within four hours,” said Jonathan. “The only time our wine leaves site is when it is sold. Ian likes to put his own stamp on everything he makes. We focus on producing single-varietal wines and always try to let the raw taste of the vineyard come through. We also use as little sulphur as possible.”
Alongside their vineyard duties, Jonathan and Adrian also play a key role in the winery. As everything is done on site, from the growing, to the winemaking, bottling and labelling, it is vital that every stage of the process is kept as simple and as time efficient as possible.
With this in mind, the team has recently taken delivery of a shiny new Massey Ferguson vineyard tractor, which is geared towards increased mechanisation in the vineyard. The winery has also been revamped and the new facilities, benefiting from significant investment, have been carefully designed and future-proofed by Ian.
“When we took delivery of the crossflow filtration system, we were told by the supplier Romfil that it is probably the only one north of the Watford Gap,” said Jonathan. “It has been a game-changer. We can be getting on with so many other jobs while it is running and the membrane filter has also made bottling more straightforward. Instead of having to change plate filters every few hours, we can bottle four varietals in four days and just rinse between. It can also run as fast as you can physically bottle and that has saved us a lot of time.”
Despite being miles away, there have never been any issues when it comes to working with suppliers. Four more variable capacity temperature-controlled tanks are imminently making their way from Speidel in Germany to Aike. Devon-based winery equipment supplier Vigo was instrumental in helping Ian to establish the winery and the crossflow filter manufacturer, Romil, also travelled from Devon to Yorkshire several times to ensure that the machine was correctly installed and that the team were well accustomed to operating it.
“We work with a big range of suppliers and don’t have many issues getting things here,” said Jonathan. “People seem to be more willing to work with us and it is getting quicker to order some items, such as corks and bottles. I think this is partially to do with our expansion – we now need 10,000 corks instead of 1,000 – and I think as there are more vineyards in Yorkshire, and with Ian’s involvement in WineGB, we do seem to be a bit more on the map.” >>
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The wines are proving their worth too
Following the bumper harvest last year, Laurel Vines produced 16,500 bottles of its single-varietal blends. All of Ian’s wines have successfully been through the PGI scheme, have won numerous awards and have been sought out by skilled sommeliers of Michelin-starred restaurants.
Last year, for the second year in a row, Ian was awarded the trophy for the best commercial grower-winemaker of the year at the Mercian Vineyard Association (now called WineGB Midlands and North) annual awards and the estate’s 2017 Solaris, Ortega, Madeline Angevine and Phoenix wines all achieved silver, with a bronze for the 2017 Rondo rosé.
The estate has also just bottled its first still red. The 2016 vintage, a 100% Rondo, has been maturing in French oak and the result is a silky
and bold fruit driven offering. There is also a 2017, 80% Rondo 20% Pinot noir blend,
in production and the 2018 vintage, a 90% Rondo 10% Pinot noir blend,
has just been transferred in to oak. It will spend
six to eight months maturing before
being bottled next year.This vibrant selection of
wines has certainly started to draw interest and support from
the Yorkshire trade, but this isn’t just the local pub stocking a local wine for the
sake of locality. Laurel Vines boast a number of high-end restaurants and Michelin-star graded outlets among its regular customers.
“We have received a lot of praise and support for our wines from the Pipe and Glass in Dalton, as well as Roots in York and the Black Swan at Oldstead,” said Ian. “Restaurants of this calibre will only take the wine if it is good enough. A few weeks ago, James and Tommy Banks, from Roots and the Black Swan, brought their entire team to the vineyard one afternoon. It is great for the people serving the wines to be able to say they have seen the vines and have tasted new vintages from barrel.”
There is certainly plenty of market space to share among the Yorkshire producers and encouragingly many of the Aike-producer’s trade customers are also keen to promote the estate’s wines by the glass. Allowing people to try a glass without having to commit to the whole bottle is proving fruitful and the team have noticed that trade customers who sell by the glass tend to order around three times more than those who only sell by the bottle.
If there is nothing stopping producers growing grapes, making quality wines or gaining recognition from Michelin-star restaurants,
"Laurel Vines boast a number of Michelin-star
outlets among its customers"
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what then is putting northern viticulturists and winemakers at a significant disadvantage in comparison to their southern counterparts?
The main challenge northern producers face is education
There is just one wine education ‘centre of excellence’ in the UK. Its list of alumni is enviable, and few UK wine industry trailblazers have not graced its hallways at some point.
But its rural West Sussex location creates a logistical nightmare for those in the Midlands or North regions. It is nigh on impossible for any potential student to consider enrolling on its courses without having to also consider upping sticks. This is something which Jonathan learnt
the hard way. “I am still really interested in completing
the Viticulture and Oenology BSc course at Plumpton College but I need to find a way which will enable me to carry on working here full time while studying,” said Jonathan. “We live in an age where technology should make distance learning more than possible, but I was still required to travel to Brighton once or twice a week. There was no compromise to be had and in the end the college was unable to accommodate a student this far north.”
Although the majority of the UK’s vines are located in the South East, there are people all over the country who want to learn more about grape growing and winemaking. Fortunately for the industry, the education conundrum has since become a subject which Laurel Vines’
owner, and chairman of WineGB Midlands and North, Ian Sargent has become increasingly determined to find a solution to.
“Education is the biggest factor holding the county’s wine industry back,” said Ian. “In my other business, I have meetings with people from all over the world. Communication is no longer the issue. Education should be available to all the UK’s wine regions, whether that is delivered via the internet, or perhaps from new wine centres.”
Looking to the future, Ian has had a number of positive meetings with the college and hopes that viticulture and oenology training and education opportunities, be that in the form of WineSkills workshops and or full degree courses, will soon be possible on a more equal regional and local scale.
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Catnip to ‘homeless’ grape growers.
Sign on the bottom line
Mat hew Ju
kes
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WINE REVIEWS
Yawn, contract winemaking. Surely this is one of the dullest sectors of our industry? But no – it is a vibrant and vital division of the English and Welsh wine scene and there is a liberal dusting of stardust in the air making some of these hook-ups more than magical partnerships.
Opposite, I have picked three wines which are catnip to ‘homeless’ grape growers. This is not an article about rosés, but I have intentionally chosen this style because it is the most technically challenging of all sparkling wine styles in our land.
If you own a vineyard and have a strong desire to design and sell your own brand, but you do not want the stress and expenditure of setting up your own winery, then you need to find a skilful partner. If you buy and drink each of the wines opposite, they are the liquid business cards of each of their respective winemakers, management, support staff and winemaking equipment.
I will admit a modicum of bias here, as I have known Emma Rice for a very long time and I have followed her career from working for Domaine Direct, an elite Burgundy importer, via her move into winemaking and all of the way up to the current day where she makes no less than 60 wines for her own brand Hattingley Valley and hosts of others, too.
Emma sees every grape from 21 different vineyards turn up at her winery door and she decides what to do with them and where they will end up. This is multidimensional skill of extremely high-level vinous intellect. On the one hand, smaller, often fledgling, brands can subtly use Emma (and therefore Hattingley’s) name to underline the gravitas of their wine when it comes to their own marketing, but on the other hand, Emma’s own wines directly benefit from top quality fruit as the barter system of ‘we will take some of your grapes in return for making your wine’, allows Hattingley to grow their market share, while using great raw materials, without having to buy more vineyards.
These symbiotic relationships, along with the mutual respect which is critical to arrangement, clearly encourages those involved to grow better fruit at the same time as allowing the winemaker to make finer wine.
Obviously, pure contract winemaking is a one-way street, but fruit-swopping and then collaborating along the path of making a wine is extremely exciting. While some clients simply drop off grapes and then wait a few years for clean-skin, or labelled bottles, to be sent back to them, others get involved in blending, dosage trials – the whole nine yards.
Emma lets her growers know what is possible, when she assesses their fruit, and also what is not and then they work together to make the best wines they can. She is not alone. Simon Roberts at Ridgeview and Dermot Sugrue are the other two people whose many wines are featured on the facing page and who wouldn’t want these massively talented chaps making your wines?
Contract winemaking is not only a contract but a commitment, a relationship, a mutual respect mechanism which benefits both parties, and ultimately the most powerful way to improve the quality, year on year, of an impressively large number of wines in our country.
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As well as the imperious Marksman label at M&S along with The Wine Society’s and Booths’ own label sparklers, which I have featured in this column before, Simon Roberts makes sparkling wines for Beacon Down, Castle Brook Vineyard and Tinwood Estate, Ridgeview’s larger partnership vineyard.
I have followed Ridgeview’s progress since they burst onto the wine scene twenty years ago and I see refinement as every single year passes in their wines. It is remarkable that this is possible, but not surprising when you consider how meticulous the teams are in every department of this inspirational company.
Fitzrovia was a wine which I would normally skip past heading for their Blanc de Noirs – usually my favourite wine. But in the last few years, this has become one of the most riveting rosés in the UK and that is down to extraordinary hard work and impeccable taste. I also love the way that their tell-tale rosehip notes are still present in the glass – the nose alone gives me goose bumps!
My featured wine is one of the most alluring and controlled rosés in the country. The nose is hypnotic and the texture is silky and long. It is everything you could possibly want and it is clearly everything that the following list of wine brands also admires.
It was immense fun talking to Emma about these estates because she couldn’t help herself blurting out just how much she loves the fruit coming in from some of these vineyards. This further underlines how passionate and involved she is with bringing her clients’ wines alive.
Here is a list of the hall of fame of brands which passes through Hattingley Valley’s winery and, while some of these are not yet on the market, these are all names to look out for – Raimes, Alder Ridge, High Clandon, Laverstoke, All Angels, Roebuck Estate, Louis Pommery England, Priors Dean, Winding Wood, Southcott, Cottonworth (a huge favourite of mine, too), Heppington Vineyard, The Grange, Bath Sparkling. Past alumni include Black Chalk, Court Garden and also Blackdown Ridge. Phew.
My third rosé is Wiston’s non-vintage wine which, curiously, I favour over their own vintage version! This is because I like light-hearted, bright, generous rosé and I do not necessarily need this wine style to make the long haul.
Wiston’s cheeky, early-drinking rosé manages to gather gravitas and palate depth while not overstepping the mark on weight or power. This is very clever indeed. Dermot Sugrue is the wizard behind (or, more often, in front of) the scene.
Along with the handsome Wiston portfolio he makes Ashling Park, Black Dog Hill, East Meon, English Oak Vineyard, Jenkyn Place Vineyard, Malthouse Estate, Oastbrook Estate, Southlands Valley Vineyard, Woodchurch, Digby Fine English and also Dermot’s own elite brand Sugrue, which includes my highest scoring English wine to date, Sugrue ‘Cuvée Dr Brendan O’Regan’. Wiston also disgorges the Breaky Bottom sparklers, too. This list features hobby estates and powerhouse brands and it is to Wiston’s and Dermot’s credit that they all retain their character and typicity in the glass. Bravo.
Measuring carbon dioxide can be tricky but important to monitor during the winemaking and bottling process.
CO2 in wine
The level of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) in wine has a significant sensory impact. In general, CO2 enhances freshness and acidity perceptions, decreases sweetness, intensifies bitterness and astringency and can lead to prickliness. Depending on the wine, too little CO2 can make white wines flat and too much can make reds harsh and tannic.
It is therefore very important for winemakers to manage CO2 in order to guarantee the right concentrations in their wines. However, one needs to remember that it is always difficult to manage gas in wine especially when (like in the case of CO2) the measuring devices are neither very accurate nor easy to use. People are also quite unsure on how CO2 can be protected when wine is bottled.
CO2 in wine CO2 is a gas naturally produced by yeast during
fermentation and as all gases, has the ability to dissolve into liquids. CO2 is more soluble in wine than oxygen (around 40 times more). The solubility
of a gas in a specific liquid is measured as the saturation concentration. Henry’s law is used to quantify the solubility of gases. The solubility of a gas in a liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas above the liquid. This relationship is written as:
Pco = Hco ·C where Pco is the partial pressure of oxygen, C is the concentration, and Hco is the solubility constant, also known as Henry’s constant.
This key parameter is affected by temperature and composition of the liquid medium. Therefore, the amount of CO2 that will be present in the liquid at a given pressure (for
example atmospheric pressure) will change depending on the temperature and the type of liquid. Temperature has a big effect on the solubility. When temperature rises, CO2 becomes less soluble. Alcohol and sugars content have also an impact, by decreasing the amount of CO2 being dissolved (Figure 1).
CO2 can also be hydrated by water to form carbonic acid (H2CO3), which is a weak acid, but the reaction is in favour of the CO2 form and, because of the wine pH range, the H2CO3 formed is not being able to dissociate in hydrogenocarbonate (HCO3-).
As air contains a small amount of CO2 (~0.03%), the CO2 content in wine tends to decrease over time during the winemaking process but also during storage until an equilibrium with air is reached (around 0.5mg/L of dissolved CO2 in the wine).
Measuring CO2 in wineMeasuring the CO2 dissolved in wine remains
challenging, although some methods have been developed.
The OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine) proposes two methods to measure CO2 in wine.
The first one is based on pH titration. The sample of wine is fixed to pH 10 - 11 and then titrated with a standard acid solution. The carbon dioxide content is calculated from the volume of acid needed to change the pH from pH 8.6 to 4, which corresponds to the area in which CO2 is converted from the bicarbonate to carbonic acid form. A degassed blank is done the same way to take the titration of other acids present in the wine into account and correct the results accordingly.
The second method is based on pressure release and monitoring. Sodium hydroxide is added in the sample to bind the CO2. The wine is put in a flask connected to a manometer and the CO2 is released with sulfuric acid. The resulting pressure increase is then measured and
Water
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Must (200g/L)
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olub
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> Figure 1: Effect of temperature on CO2 solubility of different liquids
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compared to a calibration curve.Unfortunately, these two reference methods are
only suitable for laboratories and are not really accessible for wineries.
In wineries, the “carbodoser”, a cheap and easy-to-use device, is probably the most widely spread. Wine (100 mL) sampled in a graduated cylinder is shaken to degas the CO2. The shrunken wine volume and temperature are then measured and a handy chart translates the result into milligrams per litre. The main drawback of this method is its poor accuracy (+/- 100 mg/L) which is too low to guarantee good CO2 management in wineries.
Another common measurement technique is the Pressure/Temperature method. A specific volume of wine is entrapped in a chamber and the system forces the CO2 equilibrium between the wine and the air. Thanks to the higher solubility of CO2 compared to those of O2 and N2, CO2 will increase the total pressure measured, allowing the CO2 measurement.
Another technique on the market is the thermal conductivity (TC). In fact thermal conductivity of CO2 is much lower than the one of O2 and N2, and can be measured by creating a 1°C difference between two surfaces. This measurement has to be done in a gas phase, so a specific diffusion membrane separates the wine from the TC detector. Nitrogen is used to purge the detector between two measurements. Calibration has to be carried out very often.
As a conclusion, we can say that the wine industry is still after an affordable technology that would allow for accurate CO2 measurement in an easy set-up.
CO2 in the bottleBefore bottling, the amount of CO2 dissolved
in wine is adjusted, but bottling and then bottle ageing will affect CO2 concentration.
During bottling, the wine is moved from the tank into the bottle, which can potentially involve contact with air and therefore loss of CO2.
The filling of the bottle is the main step where CO2 will escape from wine during bottling, with greater losses occurring at beginning and end of the bottling run, as in the case of oxygen. Bottles coming out early can potentially have less CO2
due to mixing of the wine with the air present in the piping and filter, resulting in CO2 migration from the wine into the air. At the same time, the last volumes of wines being bottled are also exposed to higher CO2 loss, as this is the wine that remains in the tank longer and therefore more in contact with air.
So, if no care is taken, the first and last hundred bottles (according to the size of the line) of the process will contain more oxygen and less CO2. To limit this phenomenon, the use of inert gas is necessary. Especially in whites and rosés, the use of a 50% CO2/50%N2 mixed gas is a good solution.
After bottling, CO2 pressures will reach an equilibrium between dissolved and headspace. If no CO2 is used to inert the headspace, some CO2 from the wine will migrate to the headspace. As the headspace represents a small volume, the decrease of dissolved CO2 remains rather small. This decrease accounts for 1% in a case of an
inner closure and 2% for a screw cap (Figure 2). If the headspace is inerted with CO2, diffusion of CO2 from the headspace into the wine could occur, but the increase of dissolved CO2 due to this process is somewhat negligible.
During bottle storage, due to the higher partial pressure of CO2 in the bottle compared to ambient air, loss of CO2 over time is commonly observed. This loss will be regulated by the closure through its specific permeability. As in the case of oxygen permeability (OTR), closures have a carbon dioxide permeability, which can be expressed as carbon dioxide transmission rate (CO2TR).
Temperature can affect the CO2 loss over time. The CO2TR is dependent on the CO2 gradient, which is, in this case, driven by the CO2 pressure in the bottle. A lower temperature increases the CO2 solubility in the wine and so decreases the CO2 pressure in the bottle. As a consequence, at lower temperature, loss of CO2 will be slower.
ConclusionManaging CO2 in wine is key to wine quality
but remains very challenging. In fact the challenges are linked to the lack of easy-to-use and accurate methods to measure CO2 in wineries when winemakers have to make quick decisions while preparing the wines for bottling. If the right CO2 target can be reached before bottling, then good bottling practices and the closure choice can impact the level of consistency from one bottle to another.
CYLINDRICAL CLOSURE SCREWCAP
CO2 at bottling in wine (mg/L) 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000
Headspace management Vacuum CO2 Nothing CO2
Volume headspace (mL) 5 5 15 15
Temperature (°C) 17 17 17 17
CO2 in wine at equilibrium (mg/L) 993 1,005 978 1,014
> Figure 2: Effect of headspace management on dissolved CO2 (750 mL bottle)
Since being founded in 1938, crop production specialists Hutchinsons has grown from an operation serving fruit growers in the Wisbech area of Cambridgeshire, to one of the nation’s leading agricultural and horticultural input advice and supply companies.
Today, brothers David and Mike Hutchinson continue to play an active role in the family-owned business which celebrated its 80th anniversary last year. Driven by a modern, forward-thinking approach, the Hutchinsons and their dedicated, 450-strong team are committed to providing the best agronomy and crop protection advice, products and services to growers of all crops across the entire UK, from Aberdeen to Truro.
Well-known for its unfaltering support of even the most rarely planted and emerging crops types, Hutchinsons is a leading light in the UK’s flourishing viticultural scene, with its specialist agronomists advising vineyards of all sizes, on all aspects of grape growing from site selection to strategic pest and disease management programmes.
With a busy sundries department, Hutchinsons is also able to provide vineyard managers with a range of essentials and, to complete the grape to glass journey, sister company, Producing Packaging, is also on hand with its extensive box-making expertise to ensure that English and Welsh wines reach consumers in the most pristine conditions.
Expanding plantingsGrapes are not a new crop for Hutchinsons, and in fact the team is now
proud to be building relationships with many second-generation viticulturists. Chris Cooper, Hutchinsons’ agronomist looking after growers in the South and West regions, remembers dabbling with home-made wine and ‘popping up the valley’ in Devon in the 1980s to talk about viticulture with Gillian Pearkes, one of the doyennes of UK viticulture.
There has, however, been a tremendous change in the sector in the last few years. Focus has shifted from producing still whites with Germanic varietals
to traditional method sparkling with the classic trio. Growing systems are different, technology is more advanced, and the management is better informed with many having studied on viticultural courses and workshops.
Most notable within this evolution is the expanding area under vine, which has increased by 82% since 2015. By comparison to the 3.9 million hectares of arable crops grown in England in 2019, the UK’s 3,000 hectares of vines might seem just a tiny drop in a very large agricultural ocean, but for the horticultural team at Hutchinsons grapes continue to be one of the firm’s most interesting and valued crops.
“It is very exciting to see so many people planting vines and starting their journey into the viticulture sector,” said Mike Hutchinson, horticulture director at Hutchinsons. “We want to be the number one provider of agronomy, inputs and services to the vineyard sector. We have always been passionate about working with niche crops and consider ourselves to already be in that position with other minor crops, such as blackcurrants and hops. Regardless of whether there are hundreds, or thousands of acres planted, all growers are extremely important to us.”
With the expansion of plantings testament to the popularity and interest surrounding English and Welsh wines, the distance between neighbouring sites is undoubtedly shrinking and once isolated growers have started to notice increasing disease and pest pressures.
“Vines are currently following a similar pattern to blueberries which took off very rapidly in the UK about 10 years ago,” said Mike. “When a crop is planted initially, there is almost a pest and disease holiday because there are hundreds of miles between sites. As we progress to several million vines in the ground, diseases inevitably find it easier to
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spread. It also becomes more challenging to contain pests, such as Light Brown Apple Moth or European Vine Moth. Nature is very unpredictable. Everyone is learning together, and our team is here to help vineyard owners and managers to understand how to grow and better protect their grapes.”
Adopting a vigilant approach to crop monitoring and protection is vital to ensuring that fruit survives in top quality condition right up until harvest. Whether novice or expert, having the support of a skilled and specialist agronomist, who not only knows your site but who also has a real-time overview of pest and disease pressures in the surrounding region, is invaluable.
What is good agronomy?It is a myth that you can plant a vineyard on a commercial scale and, left
to its own devices, it will grow and thrive. It is also a myth that agronomists are a second line of defence; someone to call after the problems have started appearing. Good agronomy really starts before the vines have even been grafted.
“Site selection is vital for the long-term success and, more importantly, viability of the enterprise,” said Rob. “We have advised countless fruit growers on whether sites are suitable for vines, but for some reason people coming into viticulture from other careers, don’t always think to approach an agronomist first. We would prefer to start talking to clients before they have a crop in the ground because we will have a good idea of the local region and the individual issues they are likely to experience on their estate.”
As well as having a good eye for the land, the team at Hutchinsons can also advise on which varietals are likely to match the site, the growers’ capabilities and any end product expectations.
“If you have your heart set on making traditional method sparkling with the Champagne trio, then you need to be aware that the Pinots are more >>
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susceptible to mildew than hybrid varieties,” said Chris Cooper. “Having said that, a grower cannot simply choose varieties like Solaris or Rondo just because they are more robust and less disease prone. You need to consider what wine you are trying to make, where this will be sold and what style your target market will be open to. If you decide you need to grow a more susceptible cultivar to produce the right wines, then you should be willing to do everything possible to control the diseases, or risk losing the crop.”
For those preparing to plant a vineyard, this summer Hutchinsons launched a new soil mapping service called TerraMap. This high definition soil scanning system is capable of recording over 800 data points per hectare to produce over 21 different field layers. The machine measures naturally-emitting gamma radiation from the soil to calculate all common nutrient properties, pH, soil texture, organic matter and CEC as well as elevation and plant available water.
“This new technology allows growers to thoroughly understand sites and soils before planting,” said Mike. “By linking this data to our Omnia platform, agronomists and growers can make the most of precision technology, such as variable rate spreaders which will apply very specific amounts of fertiliser in exactly the right place. It is about optimising your inputs and ensuring that the land is well balanced before you even plant the vines.”
The TerraMap system can also be used in an already established vineyard to monitor the soil’s changing nutritional status over time and it is also useful in solving previously unexplained factors, for instance if there is a peculiar corner in a vineyard where the vines aren’t growing or are struggling.
Once planted, it is advisable that anyone who has established over an acre has some formal viticultural training with an education provider to ensure that they have a good idea of what basic diseases and pest damage look like. Recently, Chris and Rob have also helped membership organisation WineGB to produce a booklet of common diseases which can be used in the field.
“If growers have a good idea of what pest or disease they might be up against, then it is just a case of asking the right people how to deal with it,” said Chris.
What is a good agronomist?
One of the defining features of Hutchinsons’ viticultural offering is the team’s knowledge across a range of crops and an unmatched level of communication, both between agronomists and with their growers.
After developing an interest in vines while studying applied biology and crop protection, Chris Cooper moved to Kent where he shadowed the viticultural specialist at Heath Horticulture until they retired and Chris took on that
mantle. Chris joined Hutchinsons in the early 2000s, moving back to the West Country to service growers in that region.
While in Kent, Chris lived just a few hundred yards away from Rob Saunders, who was an assistant manager of a fruit farm at the time. They became friends and Chris introduced Rob to the idea of becoming an agronomist. Rob spent several years working as an agronomist in Kent, where he first became involved in viticulture in a small way, before an opportunity came up to join GlaxoSmithKline to look after the blackcurrants for Ribena. After the brand was sold to another company Rob decided to join Hutchinsons and has been taking a special interest in the viticultural scene since 2014.
“There are many interesting parallels between blackcurrants and grapes,” said Rob. “Both crops share a public enemy number one, botrytis; if you put on too much nitrogen the party is over; and the key aim is to make a good drink at the end. Richard Smart had it right when he titled his book ‘Sunlight into Wine’ and in both crops you are trying to manage a canopy to capture enough sunlight to get good sugar levels.”
Managing the canopy throughout the season can be particularly tricky in the UK, where sites are often much wetter than other traditional grape growing regions and where fertile soils promote overly vigorous vines.
“As well as keeping the canopy in an excellent condition, growers will also need to manage the vines in such a way as to keep botrytis at bay while fruit is still ripening into October,” said Rob. “It is a significant challenge because, by definition, a cool climate wine is one where the grapes are ripening at the same time as the canopy is declining. This is why so many winemakers say that wine is really made in the vineyard.”
As well as being able to draw on his 14 years’ experience in blackcurrants, Rob heads up an Innovative
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Farmers hop soils project, which focuses on improving soil health and looking at how soil health can be improved with winter cover cropping, and as the chair of the AHDB tree fruit panel he has been involved in extensive research into SWD in cherries.
“We have learnt a lot by looking at cherries as a lead crop and I have been able to apply this knowledge to grapes,” said Rob. “For instance, we found that red traps are more attractive to SWD, so it is easy to see why red grapes are more at risk. Then by looking at the cherry varieties which are favoured by the females, which saw a hole in the skin to lay eggs, it becomes clear that grapes with thin skins will be more at risk than those with thicker ones.”
Alongside Rob, the entire team at Hutchinsons, continue to work across other similar crops, such as hops, allowing for a powerful cross fertilisation of ideas and the ability to adapt protection principles from one crop to another.
“We have enough of an involvement in viticulture to know the industry inside and out, but having a wider horticultural view and previous experience of managing canopies and botrytis on an industrial scale is very beneficial,” said Rob. “Chris is also very knowledgeable when it comes to products and approvals and he is incredibly skilled at looking at what might be working well on other crops and applying them to vines. For instance, if there is something particularly effective in fighting downy mildew in hops, we can see if it will also apply to vines.”
This wider understanding is further strengthened and utilised as knowledge is continuously shared between members of the team via a very active group
discussion where photographs of key phenological stages, diseases, pests and weeds, along with new ideas and questions are
exchanged on an almost daily basis. >>
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“Each grower has access to their own agronomist and we are there to develop a one to one relationship,” said Chris, “but when we arrive at the vineyard, the grower is also tapping into a much larger bank of information and experience. It is impossible for any one person to know everything about a crop and this sharing ethos is a real strength for the entire Hutchinsons horticultural division.”
Pooling the team’s experiences is also a good way to break down geographical boundaries as Chris covers North Wales to South Cornwall, Rob covers the South East and John Chapman looks after growers across East Anglia.
“Problems often migrate and for the vineyards which might be very isolated, if their agronomist is aware of what’s happening elsewhere, it is possible to get a head start on issues,” said Mike Hutchinson. “If everyone else has already started thinking about strategies, you can have the radar on the pest or disease and when it does get to you, you will have the benefit of learning from other vineyards via your agronomist.”
As well as keeping in touch with each other, every month the Hutchinsons viticulture team write an essential agronomy diary for Vineyard Magazine to keep growers abreast of what’s changing and what’s going on. During the growing season, the team also produce a newsletter which is sent out to current customers. In this, Chris, Rob and John discuss what has been seen, as well as what growers should be expecting to see, and overall advice for how to mitigate and overcome any potential problems.
Services for growersOn a most basic level, the viticulture team at
Hutchinsons provide its growers with advice on pests, disease and nutrition, and prescribe relevant products which can help solve issues and protect fruit. However, there is far more to it than that.
“We are here to provide our growers with an overview and a real-time intelligence into what is going on with the crop in their vineyard and the wider area,” said Rob. “Then we can provide a strategic view and suggest what is the best way to deploy the tools available to the grower. A lot of that is esoteric and there are not many people the grower can have a sensible conversation with about the right sequence in which to go about something to get the best results. Although vineyard managers should have a good understanding of what they need to do next in the vineyard, it is often useful for them, to talk about what they are up to and so we also act as a bit of a sounding board.”
As different growers have different needs, the number and frequency of on-site visits will vary drastically. Those who are growing on a commercial scale and rely on that crop to make a living, may see someone on a fortnightly basis,
while those who understand what the relevant diseases and pest damage looks like might not need someone to come out that often, but will need occasional help with strategy and benefit from catching up with someone who has a more regional insight.
The team is also there to share understanding and knowledge about current legislation, product status and any changes. It is very easy for growers operating in a vacuum to try and implement the same regime or spray programme as last year, but a product might no longer be approved, or there might be something else now available which is stronger or has a better anti resistant strategy and a good agronomist can advise on this.
Future of chemicalsNo one is more skilled on this topic than Chris
Cooper. In support of the wider industry, Chris is a member of the WineGB viticulture advisory working group, and is also the membership organisation’s technical support officer, looking after its ‘Green Book’ resource which lists all crop protection products available to grape growers, their terms of use and status.
“In my role at WineGB, I endeavour to help get plant protection approvals for use within the vineyard and I keep members updated with new developments in legislation,” said Chris. “As the vineyard area in the UK increases it is getting slightly easier to secure approval for use in grapevines. Manufacturers and distributors see opportunity in this growing sector and are therefore more willing to invest in acquiring the UK specific data CRD needs to get a product through the approval system.”
Once in place, EAMUs last as long as the UK approval lasts, but as the off-label process is often tricky and time consuming, to avoid this, Hutchinsons is currently in discussions with companies about getting full label approvals for products.
While a lot of growers feel that there are only a small number of chemicals available in their arsenal, and these are mostly only available on EAMUs, there are also an increasing number of growers looking to move away from traditional chemistry altogether.
“We need to have a robust enough toolkit to cope effectively with disease and pest pressures but we also need to deliver the crop without any unnecessary or unforeseen consequences to the wider environment,” said Mike. “A lot of people coming into viticulture are keen to reduce the amount of chemicals and pesticides and we sympathise with growers who want to do the right thing and want to be as soft as possible when it comes to crop protection. We have been actively trying to develop biorationals, non-pesticidal crop protection, and crop health strengthening products. We are entering a very exciting new era where there will be a lot of
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> Mike Hutchinson
> Chris Cooper
> Rob Saunders
> Chris Williams
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opportunity to manage the spray programme with softer materials which don’t have some of the same concerns which growers have about conventional chemistry.”
Now on offer to growers looking to adopt a more holistic approach is a range of products including: biostimulants, which help the plant to strengthen its immune system to resist attack; biologically derived products, which attack pests and diseases; and physical products such as netting to prevent birds, and biofilm to better manage weeds.
Having studied the environment for his Masters degree, Rob is very passionate about
sustainability and believes that the key to this is not for the UK viticulture sector to stop spraying but to find better, softer ways to increase in yields and keep fruit healthy until harvest.
“Sustainability boils down to efficiency of resource use and one of the resources we utilise is land,” said Rob. “If you take land away to plant a vineyard, and you only produce one tonne per acre, then that is a grotesquely inefficient use of a resource. When we are talking about sustainability and minimising environmental impact, we should all be aiming to grow three tonnes per acre. The first way to do this is with good nutrition. A healthy plant is more resistant
and there are plenty of proven links between disease and nutrition, such as the impact calcium feeding has on reducing botrytis susceptibility. Then there are new materials, which can switch on the plant’s own defence system.”
The idea that a plant can be forced to trigger its own defence mechanisms against a disease might seem like something out of a science fiction novel. This concept is not new and has been talked about in woolly terms for years. Today, however, the science is catching up and more proven products are making their way on to the shelves, with one key example being the biofungicide FytoSave®. >>
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An efficient and sustainable solution against powdery mildew gets to work when the active substance in FytoSave is recognised by membrane receptors of the plant cell. Once detected, a biochemical signal is spread throughout the plant which sets off different defence mechanisms. As everything is happening within the plant, this also means that FytoSave is unaffected by rain.
“There is also a new product called CBL which contains flavonoids derived from orange,” said Rob. “These appear to switch on the plant’s immune system as well as affecting the roots, helping them to pick up nutrients from the soil. In using a programme of CBL application, growers can improve the health and vigour of the plant, by improving the plant’s access to nutrients in the soil. It is also thought to act against powdery mildew as during trials, Angela Berry at NIAB EMR found lower levels of powdery mildew where CBL had been used.”
New technology Developments are not just taking place within crop protection sprays;
Hutchinsons has seen much success with garlic paints, which seem to do just as good a job at sealing pruning cuts as manufactured wound protectors, and the firm is now offering bio-degradable films to protect against weeds.
“The biofilm has a lifespan of around 18 months to two years before it degrades into starch,” said Chris. “When used among newly planted vines it will supresses the weeds allowing the vines to better establish without competition which can set them back in the early years. When the biofilm does break down, the vineyard is left with a lovely soil surface with which growers can sow wild flower seed, fertiliser, or whatever is best for their site.”
The team is also able to help growers adapt to new technologies, such as weather stations, where the outputs can raise as many questions for growers as they answer.
“There is little point harvesting weather data if you don’t know what it means,” said Rob. “We will often sit down with growers and can help them to work out what the weather station is telling them. By turning that information into knowledge we can then inform strategy. I see a lot of Pessel units in vineyards and Pessel UK has recently launched a system called iMETOS LoRAIN. This system acts a bit like Wi-Fi and unlocks the ability to deploy a range of sensors around the vineyard. These sensors can include relatively cheap weather stations which generate enough data to drive a good disease
forecasting model, and because they are relatively inexpensive, growers can have them situated in every shady hollow, or hot spot, or corner of every vineyard. It can help to provide intelligence of what is going on in the vineyard and we think that this will help many growers to improve the job they are already doing.”
Finding new suppliers Many essential products, such as the bio-degradable bio-film to protect
against weeds, have been carefully researched and sourced by Hutchinsons’ sundries manager Chris William.
Based from the firm’s Canterbury depot, Chris joined the team 18 months ago and has been drawing on his 26 years’ experience within the horticultural sector to build and develop an offering of 400 products. Supporting viticulturists throughout the entire growing season, the range encompasses everything from harvesting scissors, to metal posts, wires and clips, pruning secateurs and tying down wire.
“For decades Hutchinsons has been well-known for providing quality advice and now we are also able to provide quality tools which vineyard managers need to grow profitable crops,” said Chris. “I have been finding new suppliers from across the globe and we have been slowly expanding our offering. While the range will continue to grow to meet growers’ demands, we will release a catalogue in early 2020 detailing everything we can supply.”
As well as the launch of a comprehensive catalogue, the sundries team is also trialling a Spanish manufactured set of electronic secateurs and is expecting to have these available for the 2020 pruning season.
“We have a good relationship with Altuna and its mechanical pruners are certainly performing well in the field,” said Chris. “Looking at the battery life, comfort and usability, the battery-operated backpack system is showing good results across the board.”
Currently growers can purchase and collect a range of sundries from the Canterbury, Ledbury and Marden depots and those further afield can take advantage of Hutchinsons’ own fleet of delivery vehicles.
“We aim to offer a more customised service than the larger suppliers and can deal with vineyards and orders of all sizes,” said Chris. “If a grower needs to replace a few posts, or wants to plant just a couple of rows, we are here to help. Equally, if a grower needs something urgently, depending on the product, we can respond rapidly and can use our own vehicles to get products shipped overnight.”
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Practical box solutionThe support available to growers from the
Hutchinsons team does not stop once the grapes have been harvested. Its subsidiary company Produce Packaging can supply wine producers with a full range of recyclable, attractive and practical boxes.
Based from its head office in Marden, Kent, Produce Packaging has been supplying fruit growers in the South East with recyclable, biodegradable and compostable packaging specifically designed for the fresh food industry for many decades.
In 1993 Hutchinsons purchased Produce Packaging. As well as helping the East Anglian agronomy company to expand its reach into the ‘Garden of England’, there was an appealing synergy between the two firms and Hutchinsons was finally able to offer crop packaging solutions to its growers in the East Anglian area and beyond.
Distributed nationwide from its four depots, Produce Packaging now also provides English and Welsh wine producers with one, two, three, six and 12 bottle boxes. Having various manufacturing partners means that the team can create bespoke boxes with windows, inserts and dividers.
“Concepts are only limited by the producers’ imagination as we are here to translate that into a feasible and practical box solution,” said Jeremy Sharp of Produce Packaging. “We have decades of experience in making cases and boxes for fruit growers so they can transport and display their fresh produce. As vineyards were becoming increasingly prevalent in our home territory, Kent, it seemed natural for Produce Packaging to extend its offering to the viticulture industry and to offer a full range of branded and transportable wine bottle boxes and gift packs to English and Welsh wine producers.”
Branded boxes range in material from single layer brown corrugate, normally used for transit, to solid board material, which can be used for elaborate designs and prints, including varnishes, to give that perfect presentation. There is also the option to produce premium printed wooded boxes. These are a step up from anything which can be produced in cardboard and are aimed at producers of premium wines which require a premium presentation.
“The quality of the box is normally determined by the purpose of the case,”
said Jeremy. “If enhancing a brand, it needs to be attractive and convey the qualities of the producer, or if it is simply for delivery it needs to
be practical. These are not mutually exclusive of course.”With sustainability hot on the agenda,
all Produce Packaging’s boxes are made from 100% recycled materials
and even if you are having varnishes, embossing or gold leaf as part of the
design, all boxes are 100% recyclable.“As long as producers are not wanting
their boxes to be waterproofed with polythene laminate, all our boxes, from the plainer transit
options to the elaborate and colourful gift packs, will be fully recyclable,” said Jeremy. “As well as the boxes, the inserts which protect the bottles are made from a moulded fibre, paper pulp. This pulp is made from recycled sources and can be recycled too, unlike polystyrene chips or inflatable pockets.”
Regardless of which sector you are operating in, branding can be the difference between an easily forgotten product and one which is sought out time and time again.
“If a customer has purchased from a specific brand, they will be expecting their package to represent that brand,” said Jeremy. “However, producers often worry about wine packages going missing when being delivered by a courier. A non-descript brown box can alleviate the external interest, but inside that plain transit packaging you still need to have quality brand packaging which the customer is expecting to see. Those shipping individual bottles via couriers, will also need to think about the level of protection the packaging offers. Our moulded fibre inserts completely envelop the bottle and we can also work with producers to do an entirely bespoke insert.”
With a presence in all the major winegrowing regions of the UK, if a producer has an idea and wants to talk face to face, Produce Packaging have local representatives which can visit the vineyard. Alternatively, producers can call in to one of the offices or the team can work entirely via email. From concept to delivery, the process can take as little as six weeks, depending on how long it takes for the artwork and design to be finalised.
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Will Mower
How to design a vineyard.
The vine post
A recent report from WineGB tells us that an estimated 3 million grapevines were planted this year. 1.6 million in 2018 and 1 million the year before that. Vine-Works Ltd have been at the forefront of this growth and have expanded to accommodate the requirement for professionally designed vineyards. We design vineyards following a checklist of requirements and the client's business goals, but it all starts with one question – what will the grapes you grow be for?
Understanding what the grapes are ultimately destined for defines almost every decision in the design process. For example, a farmer diversifying their business by adding a new crop to their portfolio and growing grapes to sell on futures contracts or on the open market, may want long rows with large headlands and easy to manage square blocks. Less turns for tractors and the ability to use over row, trailered sprayers will increase the efficiency of vineyard operations.
A business started with the purpose of becoming a wine producing brand, building a winery, selling from a cellar door and running tours will have a very different approach to vineyard design. Blocks could be smaller with more variation in row length to follow existing features in the land. Lateral views of end posts could show pretty curves making the vineyard more aesthetically appealing to visitors.
An early consideration in the design process is land. Land value still holds steady and in recent years we have even seen a premium on land destined for a vineyard or land with significant positive attributes to plant grape vines. Whether buying land to pursue the planting of a vineyard or fortunate enough to already own the land,
optimum utilisation of land is paramount. The land that has been acquired or designated
will most likely have a sloping aspect and natural undulation. Within cool climate wine production, it’s understood that rows following north-south orientations will allow for even canopy exposure to the sun and will not cast shadow on the neighbouring row. Not all fields in this country fall away directly to the south allowing for this standard approach to planting, sadly. If land slopes away to the south east or south west, then for practical purposes it makes sense to plant in that direction. For machinery operations and to negate the need for terracing, following the topography can be far more economical. Reducing frost is an important consideration during site selection but can also be addressed in where the rows start and finish. Leaving substantial cold air run-off areas or creating gaps in tree lines for it to escape can be crucial to avoiding damage to grapevines from spring frosts.
Headlands and windbreaks are an integral part of any vineyard design and are often overlooked or underestimated in their importance. There is a balance, however, between utilising plantable area and making it difficult for operators to turn their tractors.
Windbreaks can offer protection for vines and, spaced correctly, can also become useful side lands for vineyard traffic. What’s planted for windbreaks should be considered carefully otherwise they could harbour disease and pests.
The decision on how much space between rows and between the vines will come back to the initial question of what will happen to the fruit. This is where consideration must be given to the varietals
being planted. Some varieties can benefit from more space between vines and others by being closer together. Vigour, phenolics and acidity can all potentially be managed with vine spacing. Also, provisions should be made in the design to match varieties to the warmest or coolest areas of the vineyard. If frost is a real concern for the site, then perhaps keep early budding varieties away from this area.
Our diverse and extensive experience in vineyard design has exposed our team to interesting and impressive projects. With the continuing expansion of vineyards in this country, we see more and more intricate designs to fit around private houses, newly purchased land and established businesses. Our designs always focus on why the fruit is being produced, then around existing site attributes and followed with improving and utilising land to its fullest potential.
New technologies are entering the market that allow us to perfect this design process further and its likely we will be using these to map as accurately as we can around soil profile and bedrock formations.
Whether the reason to start a vineyard is practical or emotive, design will be a small but important part of the process as what is ultimately planted and trellised will last for a generation.
Will Mower Our expertise in the production of cold rolled steel products has enabled us to develop a range of agricultural systems offering a unique combination of durability, stability and value for money. The manufacturing process behind our UltraSTEEL® products not only ensures a long service life, season after season, year after year, but also delivers more environmentally friendly products.
Our vineposts are available in a range of lengths and strengths to suit all applications, as well as supplying endposts and nursery posts for young vines.
Flexible Vineyard SystemsBespoke Steel Solutions Without Compromise
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For more information about how we can help maximise the productivity of your fruit enterprise, or for a copy ofour Vineyard Toolkit, please get in touch with our Customer Services Team on 0845 607 3322
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The expectation of delivering a crop in perfect condition can set one’s nerves jangling.
Rain or shine?Mat Strugnell
My first harvest in England was as a student in 2000 at St George’s vineyard in East Sussex. My memory of that year was the rain and having to pick in the rain as there simply were not any dry days.
Nearby Lewes and Uckfield were badly flooded and Lewes station made an appearance on the front cover of Private Eye magazine, ‘The boat arriving at platform 3 is the delayed 3.25 from Hastings’.
Well OK, it’s nowhere like it was then, but the recent remnants of storms tracking across the Atlantic has given us constantly changing weather forecasts. According to some of my colleagues at Ridgeview head office, I am approaching harvest in a buoyant and calm mood. As one of them put it, I haven’t yet been seen doing my ‘don’t talk to me about harvest’ face.
Even when the crop is looking magnificent, the expectation of delivering a crop without a hitch and in perfect condition can set one’s nerves jangling. Have I booked enough pickers? Have I chosen the right day to start picking? Will the fruit be ok until we get around to picking it? Will the bird scarers work ok? Has my sampling been representative? Will the crop forecasts hold true, or at least be within an acceptable tolerance? Will the weather be ok for picking?
The weather was great throughout most of
September, right up until the 29th. The rain since then has meant picking schedules have been moved around and ripening is slowing down, but thankfully still slowly climbing.
Titratable acidity (TA) has been a curious thing this year. Right from the start of sampling in early September, the TA was looking lower than normal, particularly in the Pinot noir and Pinot meunier and in many vineyards. It was pleasant ripening weather, but we’ve had plenty of nice Septembers in the past so nothing too unusual.
Veraison was around the normal sort of time. There wasn’t much rain to speak of, so nothing to dilute the acidity. There was a spell of quite chilly nights too, something that we rely on to keep the acidity high. Yet the TAs were getting below 20g/l before any appreciable sugar accumulation. With the recent wet weather, my worry has been that the acidity will be further diluted, but in fact what is happening is that they have fallen to just about the perfect level and have pretty much stayed put.
I suppose the story of 2019 has been a year of stop-start weather; mid 20’s in February, record breaking temperatures over Easter, a cold start to June, good flowering weather, but a fairly ordinary August apart from the Bank Holiday heatwave. Social media has shown pictures of individual bunches displaying the full spectrum of berry development from green, pre-veraison,
right through to full ripeness. A few instances of berry shrivel that looked like
heat stress and there is a large spread of bunch counts and bunch weights. Despite this what is currently hanging out there right now looks fantastic. The Pinot noir and meunier is all safely picked, the winery team are happy, and we are now waiting to pick our Chardonnay. Very happy with the ripeness and the general health of the crop, it’s just trying to get a good day to pick it.
Perhaps we have been slightly blessed with the weather at harvest for the past few years. Sure, there have been rainy days over the harvest period, but I can’t remember being quite so anxious about the rain at this time for quite a few years. Once the pickers have started, I’ll find myself going through the crates, picking out random bunches, tasting them, testing with the refractometer and making sure that the fruit is clean and ripe. Then I walk a few rows seeing how full the crates are. Is that crop forecast looking good?
In a year of ups and downs, overall it is all looking very promising at the moment and as ever I am sure everything will work out beautifully… fingers crossed.
Harvest is later than last year but now well underway and the quality and quantity of grapes looks encouraging – next we look to the winemakers to work their magic, as the more autumnal weather approaches.
If your site escaped the frost, the subsequent temperatures have been largely favourable. A review of the Met office records for summer temperatures (the mean for June, July and August) reveals that the high of 2018 (17.73°C) has not been repeated, but the 2019 reading of 16.72°C is usefully in line with the new norm. But it has been much wetter: 101 mm in 2018, more than doubling to 220 mm in 2019, and that is reflected in the prevalence of downy mildew, even on the best managed sites.
Mites appear to have been favoured by the warmth of 2018, followed by the stop/start spring which gave rise to a poorly synchronised, protracted emergence, so timings of spring treatments were difficult, and
Chris Cooper
only thing returning to Australia this year, our good friend Dr Richard Smart is also moving back. The author of the Plumpton Students must-have textbook “Sunlight into Wine”, he was never one to hold back on giving an opinion and debate a position he believed to be correct. At Hutchinson’s we will miss those forthright thoughts and we wish him all the best for the future.
in places mite populations were substantial enough to stunt initial leaf and shoot development. Where applied early, Batavia (spirotetramat) has been very effective.
Unsettled weather, typical in October, favours Botrytis. There are protectant materials available should a short harvest interval botryticide be required. The severity of infection at this time of year depends on how robust the programme was around flowering, along with the myriad management decisions influencing spray cover, bunch architecture, fruit exposure and nutrition.
There will be a bit of time to feed the vines before leaf fall occurs; this can include Copper to assist in improving cane quality and then the pruning can commence.
We are told that “The Ashes” are not the
Rob
Sau
nder
s
Legal adviceBasic considerations for adverse possession of land
Jack Staker Trainee Solicitor
Once the land has been occupied for the requisite period of time, the squatter can be deemed as having obtained “factual possession” of the land.
2. Physical control of the land
For applications under both the old and new regimes, the squatter must be able to show that they have exhibited a ‘sufficient’ degree of exclusive control over the land. What is deemed as sufficient will depend on the circumstances of the case and nature of the land and its use.
An owner may break the chain of a squatter’s continuous occupation merely by resuming their possession for a short period of time.
3. Intention to possess the land
The squatter must also be able to show an intention to possess the land during their period of occupation. This intention must relate to occupying
Acquiring land by adverse possession is a legal process by which a non-owning occupier “a squatter” of a piece of land can apply to the Land Registry to become the registered proprietor of the land having occupied it for a specified period of time.
Before such an application can be submitted there are a few basic considerations to bear in mind:
1. Is the land under occupation registered or unregistered?
The answer effectively determines the period of time the land has to have been adversely occupied. If the land is registered, in accordance with the Land Registration Act 2002, the squatter must have occupied the land for a continuous period of 10 years prior to the application. If the land is unregistered, the process remains pursuant to the ‘old regime’ which requires a period of 12 years’ continuous occupation.
the land on their own behalf, in their own name and excluding all others including the registered proprietor.
Once an application has been submitted to the Land Registry if the land is registered then the “paper” owner is notified and given 65 business days to respond. The events following would very much be determined by the response, whether opposed or otherwise. However, if the paper owner disputes the claim, then the claim will likely be referred to the First-tier Tribunal.
Should you have any issues with squatters on your land or if you believe you have a claim in respect of land you occupy it would be advisable to seek legal advice before initiating any legal action.
Wire joiner designed for UKGripple goes back to its roots with greenhouse solutionInnovating joining and suspension solutions manufacturer, Gripple, has launched a new wire joiner specifically designed for the UK grape growing market.
The Gripple GP90 wire joining device has been in development for more than 12 months. It is a faster, easier and more versatile alternative to knots, U-bolts and ratchet strainers in the installation of crop weight support systems.
It quickly joins and tensions line wire to perpendicular boundary bars, ideal for creating wire crop support to enable stronger growth of crops and greater yield by reducing the risk of collapse.
GP90 clamps onto boundary bars before the line wire is fed through the self-locking system and tensioned using the Gripple Tensioning Tool.
Fitting takes seconds and uses a single component system which is lighter and smaller than traditional U-bolts, turn buckles and ratchet strainers, offering significant savings in transportation costs. It requires little training to fit and reduces risk of injury and time working at height.
“We became aware of a demand from the European fruit growing market for a new way to join and tension through 90 degrees,” said Will Anderson, Gripple product manager. “It would have been easy to create an adaptation for our existing range but instead we have invested in the development of a new product which offers even greater time and labour savings to our customers. GP90 simplifies and speeds up installation, reduces labour costs and provides
a strong, reliable and re-tensionable solution which will last for decades.”
Testing replicated the equivalent of 25 years of hailstorms and corrosion, through methods such as cyclic load testing, instant load testing and salt spraying. A range of accessories are also available to complement the GP90 including a robust low-effort wire tensioning tool for contractors and a setting key which allows wire to be removed or repositioned in the GP90 before tensioning.
Gripple, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2019, began making wire joining and tensioning devices for the agricultural industry. It now supplies solutions using ‘grip and pull’ technology from hubs in Europe, North America and India and has sold more than 700 million units.
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• PRE-PLANTATION ADVICE: All advice and organisation of soil & site preparation works.
• GRAPEVINE SUPPLY: All vines sourced through one partner nursery, proven vine establishment over many years.
• VARIETIES, CLONES, ROOTSTOCKS: All combinations created to suit your vineyard site and target wine styles.
• PLANTING: Planted by GPS guided machine, accurate to within 8mm.• TRELLIS MATERIALS: We supply everything, sourced direct from the
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Representing youWorking 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.
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
Jo Cowderoy Operations m
anager
What WineGB is up to: First viticulture apprenticeship launched
Plumpton College has launched a new viticulture apprenticeship programme that will start this Autumn. The programme, endorsed by WineGB, is seeking UK producers who are interested in taking part in the first pilot group.
The college has developed the government approved Level 3 Crop Technician apprenticeship standard into a new viticulture apprenticeship, which will be delivered on a national basis, and provide excellent coverage of all aspects of practical vineyard management.
Students will learn a variety of skills including canopy management and pruning, key vineyard operations, as well as tractor driving and use of vineyard machinery. The course will also incorporate a range of competency certificates, such as first aid and pesticide application.
The apprenticeship is work-based and requires attendance at Plumpton Wine Division on block placements over the two-year period, during which accommodation will be provided, making the course accessible.
Jeremy Kerswell, principal of Plumpton College commented: “With the UK wine industry going from strength to strength, it is actively seeking staff to establish and manage its vineyards, so the launch of this course is coming at a crucial time for the UK.”
To discuss further please contact, Hamish Dow on 01273 890454 or email [email protected]
Sustainable winery water management
The WineGB Environmental Sustainability Working Group, established in January 2019, encourages and supports grape growers and winemakers in producing sustainable wine in the UK, through informing members on sustainability issues, via bi-monthly practical bulletins, as well as developing an accredited sustainability scheme.
The September bulletin focuses on winery water management and provides guidance on how to reduce the use of water in the winery, with practical water saving tips, and a section on how to manage waste water.
Future bulletins will deal with topics such as crop management, vine nutrition, energy use in wineries, environmental conservation, integrated pest management, greenhouse gas management in wineries, social responsibility & engagement and waste management in wineries. These bulletins are circulated to WineGB members electronically and are available on the sustainability pages of the WineGB website.
The WineGB Climate Change and Sustainability Conference and launch of the Sustainability Scheme, that was due to be held in November, has been postponed and the target date is now Spring 2020.
Raising our industry profileMuch of the WineGB marketing activity is to raise the industry profile to
three target groups: consumers, trade and media. Our key focus now is communicating more with consumers – we want to excite and inform them of our wines and vineyards and encourage sales and tourism. Our website is
> New Viticulture Apprenticeship programme (photo credit: Plumpton College)
Follow us on:
@winegb instagram@wine_gb @WineGB
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WineGB supports the grape growers and winemakers in Great Britain with regular news bulletins, online resources and technical conferences. See the WineGB website for a wide range of resources including:
Planning permission: A WineGB member, retired planning consultant and vineyard owner, is available to help fellow members through what is often a minefield when it comes to planning for vineyards and wineries. The most recent update covers outside tanks for wineries.
Wine tourism: A focus on regional and national tourism initiatives, with a charter of standards soon to be published. There are some very exciting cooperative wine tourism initiatives in different parts of the country and information on these is to be shared across England and Wales.
Calendar of events: Lots of marketing activities to participate in during the lead up to Christmas!
Recommended reading: Lots of book titles, journal and other links on grape growing, winemaking, marketing as well as the general wine industry for those new to the industry as well as the more experienced.
RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR PRODUCERS
being redeveloped to be more consumer-friendly and interactive, to include an online map with related links to all our listed member vineyards.
WineGB has also just appointed a digital media officer to focus exclusively on developing our social media activity and with that create more engagement through Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. We are communicating with our members for stories, content and conversation and driving some special campaigns and stories online to further inspire and inform consumers. With Christmas just around the corner, look out for more coverage!
The experts guiding WineGBTo ensure a sustainable and profitable future for the industry, WineGB has
a programme of projects designed to deliver on strategic objectives. These projects are driven by the Management Advisory Committee (MAC) which consists of the leaders of ten working groups. These working groups are formed of experienced professionals who volunteer their expertise in order to develop policies, best practice or guidance in areas including regulations, duty, sustainability, training and education, viticulture, winemaking, R&D, exports and wine tourism. WineGB would like to acknowledge the huge amount of valuable work these volunteers contribute to the greater good of our industry. The MAC meets four times each year and the minutes of each meeting are published on the WineGB website along with the current WineGB Project Portfolio.
Another high yield harvest? As harvest is underway and many vineyards are experiencing higher than
average yields again in 2019, DEFRA have confirmed that the changes proposed to the maximum yield by WineGB to the PDO and PGI schemes are being accepted. This means that yield limits are raised from 80/100 Hl per Ha to 165 Hl per Ha for both schemes. There is also a more rigorous quality taste test for English and Welsh PDO wines in place.
Supported by partners and patrons
The WineGB patrons programme enables the organisation to raise funds to support activities that benefit the membership and encourage the industry to develop.
WineGB welcomes Vineyard Magazine as a patron and looks forward to working together, as both organisation have a mutual interest in supporting and communicating with English and Welsh grape growers and winemakers. Vineyard Magazine will dedicate two pages each month to keep readers informed of the current WineGB activities and events. The Grape Press will continue to be the WineGB members' magazine and will provide technical content for producers twice a year. For details of WineGB patrons supporting the industry, please go to the WineGB website.
Sparkling Wine Consumer Research Report
The latest consumer research report ‘Sparkling Wine in the UK Market’ from Wine Intelligence providing a very useful insight into the sparkling wine market is now available. A free extract version containing the management summary and the English sparkling section is available exclusively to WineGB members. The full report is available from Wine Intelligence, with a special price for WineGB members. Details of both the free extract and the discount for the full report can be found on the WineGB website.
THURSDAY 30 JANUARY 2020The first WineGB Business & Marketing Members’ ConferenceTaking place at Denbies Wine Estate. The conference will be chaired by Ruth Simpson (Simpsons Wine Estate) and promises an excellent line up of speakers to cover many aspects of business and marketing for members. This is a members-only event and further details will be circulated soon.
FORTHCOMING EVENTSAll welcome
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JEREMY CLOUDE 07710 870153
COVERING KENT, SUSSEX AND SURREY
RICHARD SMITH 07483 035922
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MACHINERY SALES AND HIRE 35 years working hand in hand with UK vineyards
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48O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 | V I N E Y A R D
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Arable cultivation technology offers weed control option vines.
Control troublesome weeds
A Kent fruit and hops grower is using a well-known arable cultivation technique in an attempt to maintain control of troublesome weeds as herbicide options diminish.
Josh Berry used a short disc cultivator for the first time this year at Gushmere Court Farm near Selling in the hope of controlling both annual and perennial weeds.
The implement has two rows of aggressive discs set at an angle to cultivate the soil and dislodge weeds to keep them at bay during the growing season.
A key attraction of the implement is its hydraulically-adjustable working width, which means it can be adapted to operate at different spacings making it ideal for use in vineyards, as well as the blackcurrant orchards and hop gardens planted at Gushmere Court.
“There’s resurgence in the hops market so we want to maximise yield and quality but it’s a very specialist crop so the herbicides we’re permitted to use are becoming fewer all the time, which is why we’re looking at being more effective with cultural methods,” said Josh Berry.
Operating the small-scale but heavy-duty Ovlac Minivid Pro cultivator was one of the first jobs given to a new tractor on the farm.
The 95hp Landini Rex 4-100V, supplied by local dealer Horsepower UK, is an ultra-narrow tractor that nonetheless has the power, strength and rear lift muscle to handle the implement.
“We specified larger diameter discs on the cultivator to ensure penetration into hard, dry soils through the summer, so it’s quite a heavy implement for its size,” said Josh. “The hydraulically-operated telescopic frame also adds weight but it’s ideal when we’ve one hop garden at 2.1m plant spacing and another at 2.4m.”
Although the trio of earlier Landini Rex tractors on the farm are the ‘F’ specification, suited to working in the farm’s blackcurrant, pear and cherry orchards, the narrower ‘V’ configuration was chosen for the new-generation Rex 4-100 to ensure it can work down the rows.
Despite the narrow width, operator Daryl Rook says the cab is spacious enough, with the new smooth, slightly curved floor being a big improvement on the ‘straddle’ seating position of other orchard and vineyard tractors.
“Instead of being forced to always have your legs in one position, you can move them to
different positions to stay comfortable throughout the day,” said Daryl. “The seat is positioned a bit higher, and together with the taller windscreen, that gives you better forwards visibility.”
This is an important consideration for operations at Gushmere Court where the tractor is equipped with front lift and pto to operate a pruning machine and a pulveriser, so that the operator has the best view for maximum accuracy and control.
“I specified relatively small front wheels for maximum steering manoeuvrability, especially to avoid damaging the blackcurrants when the tractor’s operating our three-row trailed sprayer, but in all other respects went for the top spec,” Josh Berry explains. “For one thing, I wanted to get the best possible performance from the tractor with different equipment in different situations; but also, I think it’s important for our hard-working operators to have the best possible equipment.”
The tractor’s new transmission therefore has a power shuttle for easiest changes between forward and reverse, a clutch button on the gear lever for pedal-free shifting, and three-step powershift to get the maximum number of ratios for different applications and easy speed shifts under load.
“The engine speed memory is ideal for headland turns,” said Daryl Rook. “You set one speed for turning and one for working, flick the switch between the two and you always return to the correct pto speed without any fiddling.”
Hydraulic resources are also generous, the tractor is equipped with a 50-litre/min pump to supply a good complement of spool valves to operate increasingly complex machinery like the farm’s new pruning machine.
“It’s a tough tractor, too,” adds Josh Berry. “It’s quite capable of carrying flail pulverisers front and rear for maximum efficiency.”
As for operating the inter-row disc cultivator, the tractor takes it in its stride, says Daryl Rook, and he is hopeful the discing action will provide effective weed control.
“The cultivator’s simple to set up and operate, and it’s easy to use on this new tractor," he says. “It’s clear that a lot of thought has gone into the Rex 4’s design, especially to make life easier and more productive for the operator.”
For the coming season Zanon has introduced some lightweight easy to use tools aimed at the small to medium size growers, adding to the heavier duty range of secateurs and cane tying down guns for the larger more demanding vineyards and contractors.
The attractive price of the new tools puts them within reach of most growers with the ZM 25 Wireless secateurs at £599.00 and the ZL 25 Wireless tying tool at £749.00. If both are purchased together using a common battery the cost is £1,215 plus Vat and delivery.
The battery is integrated into the handle of the tools thus avoiding cables and backpacks. The secateurs weigh 890 grams and the tying tool 990 grams.
Vitifruit Equipment continue to sell the Electrocoup range as well as Zanon. The Electrocoup secateurs are marginally lighter in the hand, although more expensive, but otherwise similar in performance.
The Zanon tying tool however has little competition when it comes to easy use and speed of work with many users offering glowing reports of how much time they save and how they enjoy doing the job.
Most have also found the business of winding the cane around the training wire after pruning a waste of time and effort finding it far easier to lay the cane, pull the trigger and move on.
The adoption of this type of tying down system also greatly assists those using the amazing Provitis cane pulling out machine which saves a huge amount of labour cost with one man typically pulling out three to four hectares a day while simultaneously mulching the prunings as they pass under and out at the back of the tractor.
All of these tools are available to hire or buy from Vitifruit Equipment. Please contact David or Richard for further information.
