January 2021
From the photos below you can see that one has to pick one’s day to work outside in winter. We have been dodging the rain and snow this month whilst trying to keep body and soul warm. On a chilly day with a cerulean blue sky it is a joy to commune with our vines and dream of the summer’s produce.
Actually this is a busy time of year in the vineyard with the chore of cutting away all last year’s growth (winter pruning), removing the vine ties and the masses of tendrils which cling to the wires; then when the vine is naked eye up which cane to choose for this year, not to mention the spur for the year after; while all the time being ultra careful with our secateurs to avoid cutting through the anti-frost heated wire which runs along the fruiting wire (it has been done before and is very costly to repair).
This month we had a visit from our wine maker, Daniel Ham, to give us a master class in gentle pruning, a system we plan to adopt with our 9-year old vines. The idea put simply is to prune in such a way that allows the sap to flow through the trunk as efficiently as possible; and furthermore not to make secateurs cuts to any part of the vine trunk that is older than 2 years, otherwise this can lead to long-term damage with die back. We look forward to that light-bulb moment when we face a vine and know exactly what to do. Merely 3,000 plants to size-up and sort.
Daniel is a modest young man and not one to blow his own trumpet. However, I shall blow it for him. His former winery at Langhams in Dorset was awarded last summer one of the most prestigious trophies in the wine world: the IWSC (International Wine and Spirit Competition) 2020 sparkling wine producer of the year for their 2015 vintages which Daniel masterminded single-handed. We are very excited to have him make our wine. The 2020 wine is sitting quietly in Burgundy oak barrels at his new winery, Offbeat Wines, slowly ageing. Our first taste of the vintage will be in May — we plan a departure from our normal classic cuvée with two new styles: a sparkling rosé (by popular request) and a Blanc de Noirs (this is a blend of Pinot Noir with a small amount of Pinot Meunier giving the wine a blush-like complexion). Subtle yet delicious.
Before Lockdown 3 we held our first ‘social distance’ tour and tasting at the vineyard with a group of locals who chose this as one of their Monday club events. All keen horse-racing girls. It was a great success despite the chill. We cantered into the barn after looking at the vines and huddled around a BBQ heater to enjoy fizz and nibbles. We now plan to hold regular tours from next June for groups of 4-6 people, so feel free to visit the website and make a booking if you have not yet been to the vineyard and fancy a little trip out in the summer.