Creating healthy vines and soils at The Grape Escape Vineyard.
Improving vine health and performance begins at the root of the plant.
Building soil with a rich nutritional profile can be a challenge for viticulturists if the site has poor or hungry soil types and severe fluctuations in moisture content.
The viticulture team at Vinescapes focuses primarily on improving the soil condition of vineyards, which in turn regulates moisture levels across the site and facilitates nutritional growth.
At The Grape Escape Vineyard in Surrey, Vinescapes’ Viticulturist Rob Poyser has been working with owners Neil and Maria Corbould, to manage the health and nutrition of the soil to support their young vines through variable weather conditions.
Planted in early 2022, Rob said in just a few short years they have already seen a dramatic increase in nutritional biodiversity indicators across the vineyard.
“We have set it up so the vines are protected and performing well to deliver their first harvest this year,” said Rob.
About The Grape Escape Vineyard
Neil has won two Academy Awards and four BAFTAs as a special effects supervisor for work on blockbuster movies like Gravity, Gladiator and Saving Private Ryan. Maria too works in film production, contributing to movies like Harry Potter and Rogue One:
A Star Wars Story.
When they moved to their farm in Surrey with gentle south-facing slopes, wine lover Neil was convinced it was the perfect spot for a vineyard.
Maria thought this was just an idea until Vinescapes turned up with a team to start planting.
“Something shifted for me that day. The team’s enthusiasm was infectious, and I completely fell in love with the process; watching those baby vines go in the ground was magical.
“The most rewarding part has been watching the vines grow stronger every year,” Maria exclaimed.
“We’ve started an Instagram page @the.grape.escape.vineyard to document the whole journey, from planting to our first bottle.
“We want to show people what really goes into making wine – the setbacks and the little victories. Hopefully, by the end, we’ll have a great bottle of wine and a good story to share.”
Regenerative viticulture techniques
Together, Neil, Maria, Rob and the Vinescapes team have established a programme to limit tillage, reduce mowing and avoid synthetic fertilisers and pesticides.
In contrast to conventional viticulture, The Grape Escape Vineyard receives organic fertilisers rich in humus and organic matter, and this year the team will be sowing a selection of cover crops in alternate rows across the site to promote productive ‘living soils’.
The cover crop mix selected will provide a home for favourable insects like bees and ladybirds, with radishes to help loosen the soil and create space for vine roots to anchor deeper into the earth.
Nutritional and microbiological improvements
Rob conducts regular soil analysis to understand what the site needs and the impact of the changes on the health of the vineyard.
“In one year, from 2023 to 2024, we increased the microbiome in the soil by 254%; organic carbon increased by 4%; and, we have increased organic matter from 2.2% to 3%. Mineralised nitrogen levels have also more than doubled in just 12 months.”
Rob is anticipating further nutritional improvements over the next year with the addition of cover crops and a mulching regime.
Building resilience
Getting the soil conditions right, mulching and reducing soil exposure help to manage moisture and sustain the vines through varying climate impacts.
Although 2024 was a difficult season and the vines were quite young, the team only had to spray six times over the year. Sowing cover crops this year will add another layer of protection.
One of the biggest challenges Neil, Maria and the Vinescapes team have encountered was the discovery of a Victorian pipeline which had broken in a corner of the vineyard. Neil and Maria commissioned considerable drainage works to redirect the water away from the feet of the vines.
“The discovery of the broken water pipe demonstrates how every site can present different challenges,” said Rob.
“Now the drainage has been corrected, I anticipate the work we continue to do in The Grape Escape Vineyard will reward Neil and Maria with healthier soils and outstanding fruit.
“It’s immensely gratifying to be a part of Neil and Maria’s journey in wine. We are only at the very beginning of what is likely to be an epic story of The Grape Escape.”
Photo: JC Olivera/Getty Images
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