An extra hall, new exhibitors, exciting English and Welsh wines to taste and a sparkling atmosphere combined to make the Vineyard & Winery Show another spectacular post-harvest celebration.
The Vineyard & Winery Show saw 130 exhibitors highlighting a range of vital vineyard services from agronomy and accountancy to bottling, trellising and labelling, alongside stands crammed with the latest machinery, from under-vine trimmers to high tech grape harvesters.
Well-established businesses were joined by relative newcomers looking to make their mark as the viticulture industry continues to grow steadily and UK wines, particularly those of the sparkling variety, continue to make waves.
With demand from exhibitors continuing to increase, organisers this year had to add on a third hall which, amongst other attractions, was home to a wine hub showcasing wines made from UK Piwi grapes such as Divico, Solaris and Cabaret Noir.
The other wine hubs were as busy as ever as visitors sampled some of the best of the UK’s increasingly well-regarded output. Rather than each showcasing the same wines, one of this year’s hubs featured The Golden 50 – wines that had won a gold medal at one of nine competitions throughout the year – and the other was devoted to wines featured in Vineyard magazine by columnist Matthew Jukes throughout 2024.
Matthew again delivered a flawless exposition of six of his favourite wines at his ever-popular masterclass, while Piwi wines had their moment in the spotlight at their own masterclass, another first for this year.
The buzz around the tasting hubs was matched by the buzz around the stands, with visitors taking the opportunity to catch up with friends, chat to suppliers, run their hands over glossy new bits of kit, talk to professionals and generally seek out inspiration and advice.
The extra stands made it feel busier than ever, while the extra space still allowed room for visitors to chat and enjoy a few hours of downtime following a challenging harvest at the end of, for many, a tricky season.
With plans already in place for another Vineyard & Winery Show at the Kent Event Centre, Detling next year (19 November for those with a diary handy), it’s clear that the show has become an established highlight for those whose vintages are themselves becoming increasingly well established in the competitive arena of fine wines.
Exhibitors came from far and wide, with some making the journey across the Channel. Specialist French cork manufacturer Bourassé was one such company, with export manager Patricia Houppe declaring the show “a great place to meet new customers”.
It was Bourassé’s second visit to the show, and the company had a full range of corks on display, suitable for both still and sparkling wines. The corks are manufactured in Portugal and finished in France, with even the company’s more technical products made of 96% natural cork.
The range includes the Cristal, which promises “absolute neutrality” and preserves wines for up to ten years, and the Jump SC which is moulded from de-aromatised cork pulp using supercritical CO2 and is designed for sparkling wines.
Agrii agronomist Gary Saunders also noted the “good buzz” throughout the three halls of the show and said he had found visitors “upbeat” despite a difficult year which had seen limited spraying opportunities because of the high rainfall levels.
“Growers this year faced lots of disease pressure but had limited opportunities to do anything about it,” he commented. “The poor weather also meant that if they chose to harvest later to ensure better sugar levels, they again risked disease issues. Despite that there’s a good vibe at the show and growers are keen to talk about how Agrii can help them.”
It was the third year at the show for machinery manufacturer Rob Burr of Pinks Group Ltd. “People buy from people, and that’s why it’s great to come along to a show like this, chat to old customers and find some new ones,” he commented. “It’s a really good show and that’s why I keep coming back.”
Rob was demonstrating a number of his high quality, bespoke pieces of equipment including an undervine strimmer, a contractor-spec flail mower and an Ecoline rotary mower, all manufactured in house and built to last.
“My machinery is built without a lifespan,” said Rob. “It has a three-year warranty, but I’m not expecting to have to deal with any claims.”
It would be reasonable to assume that the oldest established company at the Vineyard & Winery Show was Murphy & Son, Nottingham-based suppliers of most of the ingredients and additives needed to produce wine apart from the grapes themselves.
Founded in 1887 by Albert John Murphy, who recognised the importance of water in producing drinks such as ale and porter and helped brewers improve their craft, the company has since built on that philosophy while expanding to support the wider beverage industry.
It now supplies everything from yeast and finings to nutrients, stabilisers and cleaning products, providing customers globally with technical support as well as products.
“We have a 60 strong team with considerable expertise in winemaking. What makes us different is the free consultancy support we offer alongside a full range of end-to-end product solutions,” explained technical sales manager Derek Orford.
“We pride ourselves on our customer focus and are always happy to talk to customers about what issues they are facing and suggest technical and product solutions to tackle them.”
With 130 exhibitors to choose from, plentiful wines to sample and a seminar programme that saw attendees queueing in the corridor ahead of some of the talks, the cake still had room for some icing, in the form of not one, but two wine masterclasses.
Again, there was something for everyone, with a distinct contrast between Matthew Jukes’ inimitable delivery, littered enthusiastically with metaphors and similes galore, and the more technical presentation by Define Wine’s head winemaker Nick Lane.
Nick’s look at six Piwi wines, made from grapes selected for their disease resistance and their suitability for the UK’s cooler, damper climate, was a fascinating insight into the details behind the wines selected for the occasion as he highlighted harvesting dates, sugar levels and other detailed information about the grapes and the winemaking process.
The wines set out for tasting included two from The Gunyah Vineyard, the Mountfitchet Red made from Cabaret Noir and Regen and the Mountfitchet White (Souvignier Gris/Sauvignac), First Crush from The Rutland Vineyard (Caberet Noir, Acolon and Pinot Noir) and two Divicos, one from Oast Wood and the other Yotes Court’s The Favourite.
