According to reports from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), England has recorded its second-worst harvest since records started. Wheat, winter barley, and oilseed rape experienced significant declines in production.
Winemakers have only recently begun their grape harvest this week, leading Wine GB, the trade body, to hesitate in providing an official estimate for the 2024 crop.
Nonetheless, CEO Nicola Bates shared with Decanter.com: ‘Similar to many wine regions across Europe, we have faced tough conditions this year and anticipate lower production levels due to heightened disease pressure that has required active management.
‘Vintage variation is typical in our cooler climate, and while we achieved record volumes last year [21.6 million bottles], our average production over the last five years is 12.4 million bottles. A detailed report on this year’s harvest will be released in December.’
According to various reports, many winemakers in England anticipate this year’s grape harvest will see a decline ranging from 20% to 70%.
The region of Hampshire appears to have been particularly affected, prompting us to visit and learn how local growers are managing through the challenging weather conditions.
In a significant endorsement for the emerging English sparkling wine scene, renowned Champagne house Vranken Pommery made a notable investment in Hampshire back in 2016.
Currently, the company cultivates approximately 50 hectares of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Gris vines located in Old Alresford, which is close to Winchester.
“We’re only at about half of what we would typically anticipate in a normal year and roughly one-third of last year’s remarkable harvest,” explained Clément Pierlot, the cellar master at Vranken Pommery.
“It seems Hampshire has been affected more severely than many other counties. Last year was exceptionally good for us, which reassures us that this is part of a natural cycle that we simply have to accept.”
Will Perkins, the head winemaker at Vranken Pommery’s Pinglestone Estate in Old Alresford, remained optimistic while addressing the difficulties his team has encountered this year.
“This has certainly been a notably tough season,” he confessed, standing in a muddy vineyard surrounded by rows of Pinot Meunier vines. “Nevertheless, reaching this point with the quality we have in the vineyard is a true reflection of everyone’s dedication.”
“This year, we’ve had to stay extremely adaptable to the changing conditions. The pressure from diseases has been exceptionally high. The quality we’re managing to achieve is outstanding, and we are thrilled with what we have to present for 2024, especially considering the various challenges we’ve faced this season.
“From January until now, there hasn’t been a stretch of more than six days without rainfall, which has been quite demanding. On August 1, we experienced 40ml of rain in just one hour. It was very localized, affecting only our area and a nearby vineyard. This occurred during the most critical time for downy mildew in the UK. We’ve had to remain highly aware of our circumstances and respond accordingly. Our approach has been extremely careful and detailed.
“Our focus has had to be on preserving the premium parcels we have. Although we’re down in overall quantity, the quality remains top-notch, which reflects the commitment and enthusiasm of our team.”
Downy mildew has been the main worry for English winemakers throughout this year’s wet and humid growing season.
Fred Langdale, the vineyard director at Exton Park, situated approximately 10 miles south of Pommery’s vineyard in Hampshire, is confronting significant losses. “The fruit quality was indeed good, but the quantity fell around 20% short of our initial expectations for the season,” he remarked. “There were numerous areas where the fruit hadn’t fully ripened, so we had to be very selective during our picking.”
“The difficult weather conditions began in late June at Exton Park, when it was quite damp during the flowering stage. The high humidity persisted throughout the summer, increasing pressure on the vines and raising the risk of downy mildew.”
“The Pinot Meunier was particularly affected, as it bloomed during a wetter phase compared to our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. While this did not harm the grape quality, it did impact the weight of the bunches.”
Producers throughout Sussex faced difficult circumstances this year, while vineyards in Kent seemed to have managed better.
Tamara Roberts, the CEO of Ridgeview Wine Estate located in East Sussex, remarked: ‘As we approach our 30th anniversary, this year’s growing season has turned out to be one of the most challenging.
‘Nonetheless, our approach of collaborating with growers across southern England has proven to be essential, particularly as our eastern locations have been less impacted by the heavy rainfall.
‘Diversifying our grape suppliers is vital for the quality of the wine we create. Each source possesses unique characteristics and adds something exceptional to our English sparkling wine.’
Gusbourne Estate, which operates 16 vineyards across 90 hectares in Kent and West Sussex, is experiencing a similar predicament. CEO Jonathan White noted the impact of mildew on many vineyards, emphasizing that West Sussex is particularly anticipated to produce much less fruit compared to last year’s exceptional yield.
‘Through diligent efforts in the vineyard, we are assured that we will only harvest pristine, clean fruit,’ he stated. ‘Any fruit that falls short of our rigorous standards will remain unpicked in the vineyard. Consequently, while the 2024 harvest will see a significant reduction in quantity, we believe the wines will continue to exhibit our hallmark exceptional quality.’
Plumpton Wine Estate in East Sussex is set to gather only half of what it harvested last year, attributing this reduction to ‘disease challenges stemming from persistent rainfall.’
At Oastbrook Estate, situated on the Sussex-Kent border, winemaker Nicholas Brewer remarked: ‘The year 2024 has posed challenges in England, with lesser yields and a delayed harvest, yet it illustrates the notion that sometimes less is more, as our grapes are ripening beautifully without any disease issues.’
According to Wine GB, Sussex, Kent, and Hampshire represent 64% of the total vineyard area in the UK. The southwest of England, which constitutes about 6% of the nation’s vineyard area, also faced a challenging season.
Duncan Schwab, the head winemaker at Sandridge Barton located in Devon, anticipates a 70% decrease in production compared to the previous year. He mentioned that many producers in the southwest have encountered similar downturns.
Climate change has enabled English sparkling wine producers to compete with their counterparts in Champagne regarding quality. The climate in southern England now resembles that of the Champagne region during the 1960s and 1970s, with comparable terroir as well.
Nonetheless, experts believe the English wine industry must develop greater resilience as it confronts the challenges posed by climate change in the future.
Tom Lancaster, who works as an analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), remarked, ‘This year’s harvest has been a significant disappointment, with climate change being the primary factor. It’s evident that climate change poses the greatest risk to food security in the UK, and these effects will worsen unless we take action to lower our greenhouse gas emissions.’
Matt Strugnell, the head of viticulture at Ridgeview, noted, ‘There is a level of uncertainty concerning the implications of climate change for our operations. Integrating climate resilience into our vineyard management is crucial, and we are beginning a thorough investigation into the status of our soils.
‘Alongside this, adopting a more detailed pruning strategy should lead to healthier vines over time, allowing them to better withstand the challenges posed by a shifting climate.
‘This season has served as a poignant reminder that we cultivate grapes in a challenging climate. It will continuously bring us hurdles, but I believe this aspect is what renders our wines intriguing and vibrant – growing these varieties at the edge.’
Producers nationwide took measures to save as many grapes as they could amid the heavy rainfall of 2024.
‘This year has certainly been tough, but we are accustomed to dealing with such conditions,’ stated Pierlot from Vranken Pommery. ‘We have significant experience with these situations in Champagne as well. We understood early on that a typical yield would not be possible this year. It’s essential to focus on specific plots.’
‘We’re relieved to see the quality of the juice, especially after our concerns a month ago. We were anxious about downy mildew and botrytis, yet the fruit has turned out quite healthy. While it may not reach the ripeness levels of 2022, it will still be acceptable.’
Langdale from Exton Park remarked: ‘Normally, we would allow the cover crops between the rows to grow tall and bloom, fostering a habitat for insects. However, this year we had to trim them shorter to reduce humidity and promote better airflow through the vines.’
“We also implemented more rigorous leaf stripping to allow sunlight and airflow to reach the grapes, keeping them as dry as possible. Our meticulous canopy management during the appropriate seasons encouraged the canes to grow vertically rather than becoming tangled, which maximized airflow. Additionally, we were careful in selecting the products we used to spray the vineyard. This combination greatly helped us address the difficult weather conditions.”
In the previous year, English winemakers celebrated a record harvest, yielding 21.6 million bottles thanks to nearly ideal weather conditions. Wine GB referred to this as a ‘miracle harvest’ and noted that the top 25% of vineyards achieved an average yield of 15.6 tonnes per hectare.
Consequently, many producers still have surplus stock remaining from last year’s abundant harvest, which should assist them in meeting current demand.
“We have reserves in the tanks from last year,” Pierlot stated. “Reserve wines play a crucial role in helping us adjust to challenging years.”