A 2016 project to plant and start a new organic vineyard in Bramley, Surrey. To bring a passion and hobbie together having spent an amazing year helping out at Wedgetail Estate, Yarra Valley, Melbourne.

The plan is to plant 50 Chardonnay, 50 Pinot Noir, 25 Pinot Meunier and create the best we can in several years time.

The site: Slight issues regarding drainage, soil type and direction but despite all this we are going ahead as this is the only land we can acquire.

With the drainage issue it is time to put in some precautions, Land Drains. Additional help was needed including the dogs.

After that massive task, Trellis preparation. Time to call Sister and Brother inlaw.

 

The big day. Planting. The vines have arrived from France. All SO4 root stock to heed the wet. For this operation I had to pull as many pals as possible together.

 

Checking everyday with little patients, it happened. First bud burst 2016 July

 

And so the management of the weeds and grass begins. Not an easy task.

 

The end of Year 1, October 2016.

Great weather, all roots took to the soil, a positive start

 

Year 2

With pruning complete during winter (4 bud cuts & single stalk) and the buds looking good. The winter ended abruptly with early sighs of spring. Great I thought as I had buds starting there summer run.

 

The 2017 late Easter chill.

Death to all buds, with myself being preoccupied in a new job in London. I didn’t have the time to candle the vineyard at night lifting the ground frost.

First harsh lesson in patients. Fear was embedded in me. That a year of work had gone to waste. To the experts for advise. I was guided and told to trust in the root. A late burst is likely to come from the base. The vines may not be dead just set back a year.

 

The resurrection happened. The vines sprouted from there bases and we got enough late growth to start again for 2018. Lessons learnt.

 

Now with a new job and having started project Barn. The vineyard went in for an unintentional fallow year. The weeds ran a muck. Vineyard or Wildflower garden?

Back to work

 

Winter passed and 2018 began. But this time we had the beast form the east. Thus keeping the buds tucked up for any late frost.

 

Now back to the endless challenge of the weeds and dealing with the extreme amount of rain we have had this spring (2018). Soil is to be added to the beds as digging the weeds out are damaging the roots.

Weeding phase 2. Make the beds more manageable.