We have always described our vineyard as experimental and no year has been more experimental than 2026, so far at least. True much of the ‘experiment’ has been forced upon us through no choice of ours. A combination of events such as the partial retirement of our 83 year old ‘handyman’ who lives next to the vineyard and used to cut / strim the grass amongst many other things. He still used to do light duties but recently even this has stopped on account of an operation on his hand. We aren’t in any physical shape to take up the slack and other sources have been equally absent.
So all that means that a number of activities (already mentioned grass cutting) but also fertilising, pruning, tying up, de-leafing etc. have also suffered. All of which has meant that the vineyard and the vines have been left to their own devices. We’ve positively renamed it re-wilding which as many people know is very fashionable currently. Giving all God’s creatures a fair chance. Rabbits apart that is they need no help in thriving in the vineyard area at least.
I have to admit that this last couple of years has seen a reduction in our motivation to make our own wine*. A number of reasons, one of which is that we are now by no means unique ‘up north’. There are several vineyards in Yorkshire now whereas when we started I think there were only three and we were the furthest north whereas I think now we probably aren’t. So part of the challenge / attraction has gone. Shallow I know but that’s me all over, I’ve never been interested in doing something that others have already done. It was the same with work – novelty was all important. I’ll come back to this.
I’m not sure this year whether we will get a good crop of grapes (always an issue) although you can see from the photo above, it is looking promising but then after the summer we’re having, so it should. Only slight problem is that vines need water to help the grapes to swell and this year (like last) we’re getting very little of that.
Assuming we get a decent crop of grapes then the next question will be, what are we going to do with them? Making our own wasn’t very successful even though we did just about get all the equipment we needed to do so. We had a very successful year with a sparkling rose made by one of those near neighbours I spoke of but the next year he had plenty of grapes of his own so didn’t want ours.
Last year was weird (as I described in blog 101), we, accidentally almost, ended up combining our crops and they’re currently with a professional wine maker being made at considerable expense into a champagne-like pink version. It should be good because it’s costing a fortune to make. Fortunately we’re not paying for it, but that’s another (long) story.
So with our new hands-off approach to grape-growing / winemaking we are currently waiting to see what the result of this new ‘experimental’ approach will be.
*In a recent blog of mine I wrote briefly about a small regret I had about not starting a vineyard in Ireland. At that point there weren’t any vineyards in Ireland hence the motivation to be the first. Well, as of Sunday and the weekend paper, I now read there are a number recently planted and making wine. So it was with a certain regret that I read this and I did wonder if, as the saying goes, another door would open as this one closed. Wait and see.