Vine

A consortium led by the UK’s oldest wine merchant, Berry Bros & Rudd, has initiated a takeover bid for Hambledon Vineyard in Hampshire.

Can piwi varieties help British vineyards manage the threat of disease? What do growers need to do differently when managing these hybrid varieties? Do they make good wine – and how do we market them to consumers? The Viti-Culture event in East Sussex saw a panel of experts tackle these questions.

With a spotlight currently on improving sustainability in farming, Becky Sykes, programme director at the recently launched Regenerative Viticulture Trust, spoke to Fruit & Vine about how British vineyards could benefit from regenerative techniques.

Chapel Down’s new purpose-built winery is set to be complete by harvest 2025 and will have the capacity to produce six million bottles a year, placing its Canterbury site at the centre of the country’s thriving wine industry.

Vines have been planted to establish the first vineyard on the Harper Adams University estate – with the grapes potentially ready to produce wine within two years.

Fruit & Vine chatted with Worstead Estate co-owner Bruce Paterson about his plans for establishing a vineyard on his Norfolk site.

WineGB has announced the appointment of Nicola Bates as its new CEO, who will be taking over the role from former chief executive Simon Thorpe starting 30th October.

NIAB is hosting a ‘Vine and Wine Discovery Day’ at its East Malling site in Kent, exclusively for UK grape growers and winemakers.

As we race towards flowering and fruit set, inflorescences (bunches) develop and become more visible. This provides an opportunity to make an assessment on the potential for this year’s harvest, explains VineWorks business director and head of vineyard services, Chris Buckley.

The British wine industry is one of the fastest-growing in the world with just under £480 million invested in vineyards and wineries over the past five years, as demand for English wine rises to unprecedented levels, a recent viticulture report has revealed.

Despite challenges in both the fruit and vine growing industries, the market for crafted ciders and English wine continues to grow. Fruit & Vine deputy editor Sarah Kidby spoke to consultant viticulturist, and wine and cider maker, Simon Day about industry trends, innovations and challenges.

Vinescapes, one of the world’s leading vineyard and winery consultancies, has launched the industry’s first ever Graduate Training Programme of its kind and is delighted to announce the appointment of Sarah Stott as the first graduate trainee.