Our very first harvest took place on 24th October 2024, and we couldn’t have asked for a better day – crisp and bathed in autumn sunshine. Although not particularly warm, it was dry and the working conditions were pleasant for our twenty pickers, along with two tractor drivers.
After a challenging growing season marked by cool wet weather, mildew, botrytis and hungry birds, we were thrilled to bring in three and a half tonnes of organically grown grapes from our six-acre vineyard. The grapes had been left on the vines for as long as possible to reach the maximum sugar content. It had been forecasted earlier in the season that we had the potential for around five tonnes of grapes so, after discarding a number of bunches that were unusable, a total of three and a half tonnes was a great result.
Given that many vineyards saw a 60-70% drop in production this year, our young vines (planted in May 2022) delivered a result of which we are incredibly proud.
The grapes left Mutton Row Vineyard the evening they were picked to be taken to a winemaker in Rye, Sussex who is confident he can turn out a very decent still red and some rose.
The vines are now dormant and will be pruned in late February or early March 2025.
Here’s hoping for a good summer in 2025 with a frost-free flowering period in April and May.
