March/April 2025
I normally down lay my bloggers pen during the hibernating months, ie Nov – Jan, and the end of 2024 and the start of 2025 was no different. A new season now beckons, yippie, and the vineyard is on the point of bursting into life. The keyboard clicks away merrily.
Last November the British Biodynamic Association (BDA) notified us that we were now certified as Demeter organic/biodynamic. It had been a vigorous 3 years ‘in transition’ ( as it should be) but an epic milestone for the vineyard to have reached. Although the vineyard has been run along organic lines since 2021, the first vintage we can display the Demeter logo on the label will be the 2025. Only a handful of the 1,000 + vineyards in England and Wales are biodynamic so we are now a member of this elite group.
The winter pruning this year has been gruelling. I arrived back from South Africa on 17 February (neatly having missed a vile period of weather in the UK) and within a couple of days I had started stripping the vines of last year’s coat. Richard followed me down each row taking the cuttings off the wires and piling them up at the end of each row. These are put through a chipping machine and then blown into a couple of compost bins by the side of the vineyard for use as fertiliser next year.
Vines with last year’s bare coat still awaiting the big cut away
Last year’s terrible weather took its toll on the vines and their limbs needed a lot of attention to get the crown of the vine back in shape back. For good sap flow we needed to do a fair amount of pruning and carried out what is called ‘controlled dieback’. What we do not want is non-bud bearing limbs.
Polly Gibson undertakes a bit more than ‘gentle pruning’ with her loppers!
The end of March saw us invite the Duro team back to tie down the new canes. To make things easier for them we selected just one cane to weave and tie down (no second and sacrificial cane left vertical as in previous years) and all spurs were pruned and prepared to 2 buds. One of these will become next year’s cane.
Doru and his gang carefully tying down vines at a good rate
A few mishaps ensured in the winter pruning with Yours Truly managing to cut through a heated wire in the pinot field while Polly looked on in astonishment. An expensive error but I am glad it was me who was the perpetrator. No one to blame but I was very cross with myself.
CC looking pleased with himself before he cuts through the heated wire
We installed an extra defence this season: a deer fence down the southerly boundary of the vineyard. We suffered badly last year from the deer chewing our young buds. Also, a windbreak screen to lessen the cold winds which we think caused so much damage last spring. In due course the windbreak sheeting will be replaced by a hedge of willow which we planted from whips foraged from the banks of the nearby River Dundas.
The deer took one look at the fence and decided nonchalantly to trot up the drive. I found two roe bucks chewing grass on my lawn one morning. Therefore, the decision has been made to fence the entire perimeter of the vineyard together a cattle grid at the end of the drive so that, once and for all, we are fully protected.
The price of our wine may have to rise to pay for this investment. ‘Harrump’ I hear our customers snort.