Recent research, by scientists at the University of East Anglia and Vinescapes has identified land across England and Wales that could rival the Champagne region of France in terms of quality and scale for viticulture. However in a cooler climate location, such as England, site selection is critical to ensure the commercial viability of a vineyard. 

With chemical-free weeding and finding mechanical solutions to reduce labour, on everyone’s minds Kirkland UK is pleased to announce that it is now the UK importer for Italian manufactured, Orizzonti Equipment. 

This May Chris Cooper and Rob Saunders, vine specialists in the Hutchinsons Horticultural Team, consider some positive news regarding plant protection products for 2019.

With the European elections coming up it will be interesting to see how the public vote. The feeling of disappointment and loss of faith was clear to see in the recent local elections. Pundits are suggesting this all stems from the failure to agree a deal on leaving the EU. This I am afraid will be a conversation and discussion point for many months to come particularly as the deadline of Brexit has been pushed back to 31 October. With this in mind here, my colleagues have been looking at what affects business should consider when we do eventually leave. While this is some time ahead it is sensible to start planning now.

Sustainable soil health is now firmly on the agenda. Michael Gove is driving forwards with his ‘Green Brexit’, growers are spending more on mechanical weeders and less on herbicides, under vine and interrow cultivators are being put to use, and it is becoming increasingly common to see cover crops, such as Red Clover, among alleyways providing both nitrogen and deep spanning roots to help aerate the soil and alleviate tractor compaction.

How did you get started in viticulture?

When I was 20, I worked for Mark Savage MW and Stephen Eggerton in Northleach where I learnt a great deal about wines from all over the world. I headed out to Reschke Vineyard in Coonawarra to gain some hands-on experience and that’s where I met the viticulturist, Mary Kennedy who became a dear friend and mentor. I was truly thrown in at the deep end and adored it. I worked in wineries but kept finding the outdoors and vines too much to resist. I love the unpredictability of viticulture and the fact that ultimately Mother Nature has the final say – you can do what you can to protect the vines but there is only one true boss!

The 2019 winner of the Vine-Works Vinegrower of the Year award, which is organised in conjunction with Wines of Great Britain (WineGB), has been announced.

With 2019’s planting season underway, the thought of harvest may seem a long way off. Yet, as with most things in life: preparation is key. There are many factors within viticulture that are beyond our control, but making considered decisions about equipment, efficiency and our ecological impacts allows us to prepare sufficiently for anything Mother Nature may throw at us.

The wine grape vineyard is often claimed to be one of the most intensive growing systems of a perennial crop in the UK, with green tissue and active growth typically occurring across seven months of the year.