Vine

With two decades of experience working as a consultant in precision agriculture, Ian Beecher-Jones has embarked on a mission to revolutionise how technologies are being used on vineyards to work towards solving the industry’s greatest challenges while growing the best grapes possible.

The Sussex Business Awards have announced that VineWorks has been shortlisted for Medium Business of the Year for 2023.

Berry Bros & Rudd and Symington Family Estates have confirmed their acquisition of Hambledon Vineyard, following a successful plc takeover bid.

Balfour Winery, one of England’s largest producers, believes that 2023 could represent a seismic shift for the industry, after a record-breaking harvest which could create new opportunities for English wine; both in this country and abroad.

The 2023 grape harvest is complete and the team at Albury Organic Vineyard in Surrey is celebrating a huge crop.

East Yorkshire vineyard Laurel Vines has been able to decrease the amount of ag-chems applied to vines using a natural product made by earthworms.

A new project is aiming to create an open standard for digital maps of commercial vineyards in the UK and around the world.

A new collaboration between the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) and the University of Worcester is looking at how grape growers might be able to make green wine – in terms of its environmental impact, that is.

2023 brought a dull July with low light levels, high rainfall and low temperatures, so this year’s grape harvest will almost certainly be a low-sugar and late one. This will increase the risk of fungal diseases such as downy mildew and grey mould, which can be difficult to manage. Two of Hutchinsons’ senior agronomists, viticulture lead Chris Cooper and horticultural agronomist Rob Saunders, review the options open to growers to manage these challenging pathogens.

Wineries, on a day-to-day basis, are focused on their core purpose for being in business: making an exceptional bottle of wine. To this end, they have all the best systems needed already in place. They have an excellent approach to vineyard management, a sound selection process for raw materials and modern production management systems for producing that good bottle of wine. However, what happens once the wine is made and bottled?

Within wineries there are numerous health and safety hazards that require careful management to protect staff and minimise the risk of injury. Following the recent tragic death of Italian winemaker Marco Bettolini, who was overcome by toxic fumes while attempting to rescue a colleague, Fruit & Vine spoke to Defined Wine CEO Henry Sugden who offered some advice.

Ian Evans, co-owner of Copdock Hall Vineyard in Ipswich, spoke at the recent Autumn Farming Conference to share the highs and lows of running a boutique vineyard and wedding venue.