To say the British weather has not been kind this year is an understatement but all’s well that ends well, and for the Candover Brook vineyard things have certainly ended very well with a record-breaking crop of fantastic fruit.
We were mostly spared the damaging late Spring frosts and the double benefit of the good conditions of last season and a dry June this year saw the vines flowering prolifically and setting more fruit than we've seen since 2018. Then came the rain! July and August were certainly challenging and much work went in keeping on top of rot and mildews; canopy management was a priority with lots of crown-thinning and leaf-stripping to keep disease at bay.
Given the high volume of fruit on the vines and the cold and wet July and August, come September we decided on a green harvest (removing 15% of grape bunches). This proved essential in achieving harvest ripeness as did that wonderful late Summer heatwave we all enjoyed.
By 17th October the grapes were ready but finding a window to harvest in amongst the October showers was tricky! Despite this last climactic curveball we are pleased to report all fruit was picked before any disease or the dreaded Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) had a chance to take hold. There are still grapes on the vines and many that didn't make the cut which is a testament to the high standards of Samuel and his amazing team; only the very best fruit make it into a bottle of Candover Brook!
THANK YOU to everyone, our volunteers, contract pickers and core team who all worked so hard to produce a crop of stunning grapes; we couldn't do it without you. We have every reason to believe 2023 will be a quality vintage and one well worth waiting for. Over to the experts in the winery……
