Plant protection products available to vine growers are tried and tested, the result of years of manufacturer research and development, and also from years of experience of recommendation and observation in the field; specifically wine grapes under UK conditions. Bio-pesticides are gradually becoming more available and should also have this pedigree as they must jump the same hoops of the registration process; though experience of them in our cool climate is more limited.    

How did you personally get started in wine?

My path to wine was about as indirect as you can get. I lived all over Australia and South East Asia while working as an exploration geologist, however, there was a tipping point in around 2010 where my passion for wine took over. 

In the South East of England we now review all land which is being sold to see whether it might have potential for vineyard planting, such is the demand from buyers and also sellers who are savvy about land values. 

This month Chris Cooper and Rob Saunders, vine specialists in the Hutchinsons Horticultural Team, are making general observations on the current status of the vine crop. 

By the time this article goes to press most growers will have completed shoot removal and shoot selection / crown thinning and will be looking at lifting their first pair of foliage wires into position. In the UK, the majority of growers train their vines using the VSP system with most trellis systems having 2 or 3 pairs of moveable / catch / foliage wires.

One Stave or two, in how many litres of wine and for how long? This is a testing question to work out when looking at the wide offering of the Nobile Range from Laffort with different toasting levels and wood types available. Building on the previous article last month, the use of tannins is something that can elevate wines to the next level when looking at stability, aroma and quality. Whites, Rose and sparkling wines can benefit from targeted tannin, improving against oxidation and boosting flavour profile as well as the red wines.

Ben Raby, Department for International Trade (DIT) head of Exports in the South East, outlines the growing demand overseas for wine produced in his region. 

Part of the eclectic mixture of events, promotions and tastings which were hosted around the UK for English Wine Week, on Wednesday 29 May, Roberson Wine held a ‘Bacchus in Focus’ masterclass at its winery in Fulham, London. 

In our beloved wine country, the old and new alike venture in search of the perfect vineyard across the Southern line. However as suitable land is becoming scarcer and land prices continue to climb, is planting the future for the UK wine industry? Well, perhaps not.

It’s not a new thing – urban wineries. There are some superb examples in Australia where the fruit comes in to the wineries from hours, and sometimes days, away and they manage to make epic wine. It’s not a question of transporting grapes; we know how to do this. London Cru has made delicious wines from grapes transported from the Languedoc, Limoux and Calatayud, in Spain, so distance from harvest is not a factor here. These foreign wines and foreign wineries don’t concern me this month though.