March /April 2022

Having evicted our sheep in 2012 in order to plant a vineyard, we had a reunion of sorts in February when we invited a few ewes back for a mini-break to do a bit of grass nibbling, courtesy of local farmer Trevor Gore. Trevor was silently a bit worried that they might start chewing the trunks of the vines, as can happen with young apple trees, but they stuck to the main task and left the vines alone.  They also provided plenty of natural fertiliser.

Our organic journey continues as we enter our second year of ‘conversion’ (of the non-religious kind). In February, we planted a wild-flower bank below the pinot field which is bedded on membrane to help get it established.  This should look terrific in the summer.

The gruelling task of winter pruning is complete, and the new vine canes are tied down tightly on to the heated wires (our frost protection system). The next month is always a nervous period when the tender buds are vulnerable to spring frosts. To date the buds are dormant after mixed weather in March and the beginning of April.

This photo below shows the gang — from Romania but living in Didcot — led by Doru who helped me tie down the vines… and will help me all summer. There is nothing the incomparable Doru does not know about looking after vines.

We have just released our first sparkling rosé to add to our selection of three styles of wine: brut, demi-sec and brut rosé.  Coral pink in colour with lots of red fruit, our brut rosé should be a winner this summer.  All the wines from our 2018 harvest reflect the wonderful summer we had (the best in a generation it is said) with perfectly ripe fruit.  This vintage has our lowest dosage to date.