Chapter 18 in the Vineyard
Fiona Shiner, Founder
It is always exciting to see the start of the new growing season and while we have a routine in the vineyard and processes which are carried out every year, each growing season is very different. It is Chapter 18 in Woodchester Valley's vineyard history. We have experienced a wide range of seasonal variation in the 18 years since we first planted the vines and while we don't yet know the challenges that the weather and wildlife will send us this year, we have an excellent vineyard team who are up for the task.
The vines are currently looking neat and tidy (not for long), the new growth is at a very similar stage to 2023 and the vines will shortly be going through their early summer growth spurt. It’s now full on in the vineyard as the vines require lots of tender loving care over the summer months as the momentum of the growing season gets underway and dictates the various tasks that need to be done.
Currently, the vineyard team are busy with bud rubbing (removing unwanted buds and shoots from the trunk of the vines) and crown clearance (removing buds and shoots from the head of the vine which are unproductive and cause crowding and shading in the summer). At Woodchester this is all done manually and requires experience to ensure the correct buds and shoots are removed. Mechanical mowing, strimming and hand strimming under the vines will continue throughout the year.
It has been a relief to have some sunshine and dry days in May, you may remember that April was wet, overcast and rather uninspiring. Surprisingly, despite the cold latter part of the month, April was nearly half a degree warmer than average, with higher than average rainfall and lower than average sunshine. We hope we are past the risk of frost in the vineyard. Frost was not a major factor this year and a small number of bougies were lit at around 5am on only two mornings in our Convent Field and Wycliffe Field where we can get some frost damage in the low spots and adjacent hedgerows of these fields. While May has been unsettled, the few days of sunshine and warmth have given the vines a good push.
