Can English vineyards weather the storm?

July 09, 2007

Hull is still underwater, fish and chip shop owners are struggling after potato and pea crops were destroyed and now it has been reported that English vineyards are also going to be big losers after the downpours the UK have suffered this summer.

The reputation of English wine has been enjoying a rise in popularity, with Waitrose reporting that sales have gone up 40% year on year.  There are worries that after "the wettest June in 50 years", vineyards will be unable to keep up with the increased demand that has gone hand in hand with the improved reputation of English wines.  Bob Lindo, chair of the UK Vineyards Association and owner of the award-winning Camel Valley vineyard near Bodmin, Cornwall commented that "yields will be down by around 20 per cent, with some producers even losing a considerably higher proportion of their crops".

On the bright side, the crops that have survived the summer, are likely to be better quality than ever. Duncan McNeill, manager of the New Hall vineyard, one of the oldest and largest wine producers in Essex says "as the quantity reduces, the quality of what's left will increase. If we get an Indian summer now, the wine we do produce could be exceptional."

Even all the rainclouds in the the UK have a silver lining.