2025 Harvest is in!
We took advantage of the long hot summer to eke out as many days of autumnal sunshine as we dared.
Our wonderful team of family and friends responded to the call, as soon as we were able to confirm the date for picking the grapes on October 11th. While this was pretty much in line with our two previous harvesting dates, this year many other local vineyards which also grow the Pinot Noir grape were harvesting up to two weeks earlier.
Friends and family getting ready for the harvest. Photograph by Simon Coupe.
This was not surprising, as we have had an exceptional summer of high temperatures and low rainfall in this area. Those with well established vineyards could benefit fully from these conditions, while our young grapes were more tested because the root structures weren’t deep enough and so struggled to find moisture in the soil .
A heavy burst of rain in early September gave our bunches a boost of juice, and this was followed by more sunshine and dry weather. We were keen to build up sugar levels as much as possible and keep our options open for the wine we will eventually produce with this year’s crop.
This decision to wait as long as possible meant being ever vigilant. We worked hard to keep fruit fly and botrytis out of the vineyard. Hanging bottles of apple cider vinegar - which attract fruit fly - at the end of the rows helps us to monitor the levels and risks of infestation.
To optimise the effect of the late summer sun on the grapes, we stripped leaves back to give as much direct sunlight onto the bunches. But of course, there is always a balance to strike, and in doing so, the birds - notably pigeons - started to take an interest in the juicy bunches.
Our tactic in response is two high flying ‘kite’ kites - which float around menacingly on the slightest breeze. They did a good job - aided by an array of shiny and sparkling foil windmills and twirling decorations which reflect light and keep our avian friends at bay.
The picked grapes. Photograph by Simon Coupe.
On harvest day itself, our well versed teams wasted no time in moving up and down the rows at speed. We have two pickers filling buckets on either side of each row, aided by a ‘runner’ who carries the full buckets to a weigh station, where we record the total weight for each row. This helps us to keep a close eye on yields in all areas of the vineyard and determine the fertilisation programme for next year’s harvest. This year, the 1,550 vines on our 0.4 hectare vineyard produced a total of 1.383 tonnes.
The harvest was completed in record time, enabling us to make an early delivery to Three Choirs. As the winery receives different grape varieties from more than 40 vineyards, it pays to be at the front of the queue. That means that our grapes go straight into processing - another of the many factors which maintains the quality of the fruit.
Vigneron Jeremy Macklin, thrilled with the harvest output. Photograph by Simon Coupe.