Summer heat brings bumper wine harvest in the East

The summer heatwaves have had one major positive — the grape harvest is booming

A summer of heatwaves has been instrumental in producing a bumper harvest of grapes for wine-making.

The number of vineyards across the UK has increased by 7% in the last year to more than 1,100 - with many also bringing in revenue with tourism.

Dan Kirby, of the eight-hectare Flint Vineyard at Earsham on the Norfolk/Suffolk border near Bungay, said 2022 was "really hot and really dry" but this year the heat and a little rain provided an "almost perfect year for growing grapes" with picking taking place early.

He said the climate in East Anglia made it "fantastic for producing still wines".

The grapes are hand-picked and placed straight into presses at the vineyard

Ben Witchell, co-founder of the Flint Vineyard, said less frost this year had meant they were "producing more and more wine over the summer".

"It has been a good year; we've had high yields and high quality," he said.

The vineyard has planted Bacchus and Pinot Noir vines in the last couple of years for still wines - and hybrid varieties this year for sparkling wines.

The company said it was expanding with new wine presses and was hoping more people developed a taste for locally produced wine.

Ben Witchell, co-founder of the Flint Vineyard, said it had been a good year for East Anglia's vineyards

The wine presses at Flint Vineyard are loaded up with seven tonnes of grapes where the juice is extracted in the first process of wine-making

Nick Watson, grape grower and vineyard consultant at WineGB, said tourism had also increased by 55%, with 1.5 million people visiting vineyards across the country in the last year.

"People are learning more about vines and wines," he said.

"We're lobbying the government on behalf of vineyards, which also provide valuable employment opportunities for rural communities.

"In the rural economy, vineyards employ about 20% more labour compared to traditional farming, which is helping to create more jobs.

"By 2040, it's predicted that around 30,000 people will be working in vineyards."

East Anglia is one of the driest and sunniest regions in Britain, with the bacchus variety thriving in the warmer, drier climate.

Pinot noir is also commonly planted in the region, alongside other grape varieties such as Solaris, Madeleine Angevine, Reichensteiner, Schönburger, Seyval, and Pinot Blanc, according to Virgin Wines.