Okay, so not everyone knows someone who owns a vineyard – but if you do, then there’s a chance you’ll understand that this is a family affair.
Whilst an army of experienced seasonal labourers gets to work at harvest time, smaller vineyards rally additional support, calling on friends, family, loyal customers, neighbours and passers-by to help them safely gather in the precious fruits.
And it’s great fun!
We learned the basics at a grape harvest event at Bluebell Vineyard and that gave us confidence.
So when Donna and Graham Barbour at Woodchurch Wine sent out an appeal for pickers, we responded.
After all it is one of our very favourite sparkling English wines (with a new rosé added to the range since we were last there) and the thought of sipping a future vintage and being able to say, hand on heart, that I was part of it – it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling.
How to harvest grapes
The theory of harvesting grapes is straightforward. You’re assigned a row, preferably working in pairs, one on each side of the vines.
You select a bunch, find where it’s attached to the vine, hold your hand underneath to catch the precious load, then snip about a centimetre away from the top of the fruit.
Lay it carefully in the bucket (no lobbing!) and move on.
Those with big hands can manage two or three bunches at a time, but for a little one like me, it’s snip, catch and place.
Of course, the actuality is a little harder.
Sometimes you confidently snip, and a completely different bunch tumbles to the ground.
Or you snip and the bunch stubbornly refuses to drop, as it’s wrapped tightly around the vine stem, supporting wire or its own neighbours.
Then there’s the occasional (and the rows I picked at Woodchurch only a very few) cases of noble rot that have to be snipped out.
Perfect harvesting weather – not
We started the day in unpromising weather – lowering clouds and a hint of drizzle.
Conversation amongst the vines was desultory, touching on topics like traffic, country living, music, jobs and of course food and wine.
There was the occasional sigh of exasperation as a bunch refuses to play ball, and much straightening up of creaking spines.
But the work is rhythmic, soothing, and it’s very satisfying to work your way along a row, slowly denuding it of its bounty.
After a couple of hours snipping pinot meunier, we were invited up to the marquee to have a light lunch, a sip of the aforementioned rosé (workers perks) and to hear Graham and Donna’s plans for the future.
“Last year was a bumper crop – around 28 tonnes,” Donna explains. “We’re not expecting quite so many this year because not all the flowers turned to grapes due to the unseasonally chilly summer.”
“But since then the days have been warmer and sunnier and the fruits have ripened well, so we’re very happy with the quality.”
Award-winning Woodchurch Wine
Graham says since we last visited and tried their 2012 vintage, they’ve gone from strength to strength.
“Our 2013 classic cuvée and rosé which we released in 2015 both won silver awards, and it was gratifying that Matthew Jukes writing in the Daily Mail selected our rosé, putting us up there amongst the big producers.”
“We’re working hard to get our wines into stores and restaurants, but we know the price tag can be a limitation – we’d like more restaurants to consider stocking it to sell by the glass. But our ethos remains the same – we’ve established ourselves locally, and we do as much as we can for ourselves.”
They currently have the wines made for them by Kevin Sutherland at Bluebell – although the blending and tasting is all up to the Barbours – but they have plans to expand.
“We’ve got planning permission for a building which will become a visitor centre and tasting room, a permanent structure in the heart of the vineyard with a balcony offering beautiful views of the vines and surrounding countryside.”
They’re also extending their range, having planted some bacchus vines ready to produce still wines in future years. Just 1,000 of them, so they’d only have enough to sell at the cellar door.
English wine from Kent
“That’s our main focus – keeping it local,” says Graham.
Suitably refreshed, and blessed by some unexpectedly warm autumn sunshine, we headed back to the steady snip, catch, drop routine for a few rows of pinot noir until we finally called a halt.
I leave the heavy lifting to the lads on parade – they push the tray-loads we’ve gathered onto the tractor-trailer and load them into the truck, heading at the end of the day to Bluebell Vineyard for pressing and the meticulous and careful process of turning these precious fruits into wine.
As we leave the vineyard, starlings flock to the nearby trees, fluffing up their feathers and chattering as they settle down for the evening.
The experts will be back on the land again tomorrow bringing in the beautiful, pearlescent chardonnay grapes, but for us amateurs it’s time to go – rewarded by a surprise bottle of delicious bubbly for our labours.
More information about harvesting English wine
For information on English vineyards which are open to the public or who welcome help with the harvest check out Wine Cellar Door and for more about Woodchurch wine see their website
We think English wine is something to celebrate.
Where next?
• 5 tips for wine-tasting in France
• Backpacking before the internet
• The Manor at Hemingford Grey