Green shoots appearing
We’ve continued to see more growth in the vineyard this month, but it also feels like the first green shoots of some sort of recovery are beginning to show.
It’s certainly not the spring we expected. We should have been just days away from the London Wine Fair as this issue goes to print, but at least we now know that we will still be able to attend Viti-Culture Live on 9 July – however, not quite as we thought.
The show will now be completely online but offer the same key elements – with live seminars, Q&As, exhibitors on their virtual stands, as well as the addition of an online cellar door for vineyards. You can read all the details we have so far later in this magazine.
It might not be the bustling summer the industry was hoping for, but at least this signals that there is potential to do things in a slightly different way and means we won’t miss out on the vitally important opportunity to share ideas and innovations as a collective.
The success of the Big English Wine Good Friday is yet another example, and has sent ripples of positivity through vineyards. The decision by WineGB to continue to push these online events must be applauded. This month I got to speak to Welsh grower Montgomery Vineyard who were enjoying the benefits of Welsh Wine night, and you can read all about it in this month’s Editor’s Visit.
Like the teams at Montgomery Vineyard or Defined Wines, who also feature in this month’s issue, I doubt many of you are getting a moment to stand still. I hope you are getting an opportunity to think about how you move your business forward in life after lockdown though, and that this issue gives some food for thought. I’ve been fortunate enough to get some time with commercial director of Hattingley Valley, Gareth Maxwell, to find out more about exporting wine, and some young businesses have offered their advice on getting your postage and packaging right.
With so much change, I’d love to hear what you want to read in Vineyard Magazine, too. If you’d like us to investigate or publish advice on a particular subject, or if you’d simply like to share your experiences in the pages of this magazine, please do get in touch using the contact below.
Send your thoughts and comments by email to vineyard.ed@kelsey.co.uk
