Winemaker 'optimistic' of record-breaking harvest

Weather conditions this year have been favourable, according to a winemaker

A maker of English sparkling wine says it may be a record-breaking harvest this year.

Nyetimber said it was optimistic about the prospect of a top-quality vintage as it mobilised 500 people to harvest the grapes across its 11 vineyards in West Sussex, Hampshire and Kent.

A spokesperson said the favourable growing conditions in South East England was largely due to a very warm and sunny spring and a hot and dry June.

Winemakers had already drawn comparisons with the record-breaking harvest of 2018, they added.

'Exciting time'

"When making wine in a cool climate, you can never get ahead of yourself, as nature will always have the last say," said Nyetimber's head winemaker, Cherie Spriggs.

"However, we are entering this year's harvest with an optimistic outlook."

Ms Spriggs added that the reputation of English sparkling wine was continuing to grow around the world.

"There is a lot of work to be done... but this is a very exciting time of year for our team."

Hundreds of grape pickers are working on Nyetimber's vineyards, the winemaker says

Over the next two to three weeks the pickers will harvest up to 400kg of grapes a day across the company's vineyards, which total 375 hectares.

This will make up to 1.8m bottles of sparkling wine – nearly triple the number produced a decade ago in 2015, it said.

Grape harvests typically take place in October, making this year's the earliest ever, according to Nyetimber.