A WINEMAKER says a wet and cold summer has created a very challenging harvest.
Nyetimber, a producer of sparkling wine, has launched its two-week harvest of its 280 hectares of vineyards across West Sussex, Hampshire and Kent – which will produce more than one million bottles of bubbly.
Brad Greatrix, who overseas wine production at Nyetimber in the south of England, said this year’s “traditional” British summer weather created enormous issues.
“The harvest is going well, but it’s been a very difficult season with the variable weather and the extremely British summer we have had,” he said.
“That’s posed a lot of challenges getting the vines healthy and producing a good crop.
“We benefit from our commitment to only use vineyards that we own, and our vineyard teams have done an incredible job adapting and responding to the cold, the wet and the wind to help the vines produce their best.”
The winemaker said the company has changed their nutrient plan this year to ensure their vine canopies stay as healthy as possible, as well as spending more time opening the fruiting zones to increase air flow and sunlight.
“Like all crops, weather plays a huge role in quality and scale of harvest,” he said. “A cooler flowering period means our crop will not be as bountiful, but we are still very optimistic on the quality of our fruit.
“The combination of hard work early in the season managing vine canopies, combined with a relatively fine September has allowed for some great looking bunches.
“We have experienced harvests as late as this in previous years and no doubt history will repeat itself. But for us it’s about adapting to each and every season and adjusting what we do in both the vineyard and winery to suit the year and always ensure the best possible result.”
Brad added that Nyetimber has also faced the challenge of finding workers for the harvest.
“It’s the uncertainty - people are not feeling confident to move between jobs,” he said. “There are people out there, but they are not wanting to relocate for short-term work.”
Nyetimber has been producing English sparkling wine for more than 30 years and exclusively grows the three celebrated grape varieties of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier.
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