A company providing a comprehensive service for the UK’s wine producers and fruit farmers has added the Vinepost range, manufactured by Hadley Group, to its offering; with Four Boys Vineyard in East Sussex its latest project.
Vine Care was founded by Paul Woodrow-Hill and is based in East Sussex from where it offers growers a complete package spanning consultancy and planning a vineyard to planting, tending and picking; including the supply and installation of trellis systems. The company has customers stretching from Dorset in the south west across the south coast through to Essex, while it is also working with growers establishing vineyards and orchards in the north of England, Scotland and Wales.
Paul Woodrow-Hill comments: “I have been involved in the industry since the eighties, including many years working in and managing vineyards, during which time I have always used Hadley Group Vineposts and so am able to advise clients on the type they need. This is mainly down to the type of soil type they have: you need a longer post for a dry crumbly soil than if you are inserting them into some type of rock such as chalk.
“I’ve always admired the finish and the look of the Hadley post from day one and was delighted to hear that, in strength tests conducted in Germany, it came out top against other established manufacturers that had been producing metal vineyard posts for years. The patented ultra steel process increases the strength of the posts and enables a greater uptake of galvanising material, making it more robust against the elements”.
“We employ a special machine with a vibrating head to drive the posts into the ground; and then have a larger one with a brace for the strainers at the ends. We create some very large trellises making use of every orientation and aspect to the land.”
One of VineCare’s most recent installations of the Hadley Group’s posts for trellises covered ten acres at Four Boys Vineyard, near Bodiam East Sussex, where the company is providing both labour and consultancy support.
Paul Woodrow-Hill said: “Four Boys Vineyard first began planting the classic Champagne grapes – Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot meunier – for its sparkling wine back in 2009, and also grows Bacchus for a still white wine.
“We have been buying Hadley Group Vineposts since we were the first to use them for a project in Hampshire in 2008, and we are increasing stocks at our distribution depot. Meanwhile, this current expansion of the Four Boys vineyard saw us on site for some six weeks, erecting the new trellises and carrying out other work at the farm. It is all successfully completed now and the customer is very pleased with the outcome.”
Hadley Group’s Vinepost range offers the industry a wide range of sizes and strengths to suit differing ground conditions, as well as grape varieties and other crops. The different sections all feature easy to use wire retention brackets, as well as end posts and a wide choice of powder coat paint finishes. Hadley Group also has an international team of experts able to offer advice to clients.
