English vineyard junks grape harvest due to quality concerns
11 Oct 2012
An award-winning English vineyard has junked its entire grape harvest due to bad weather, though other English wine producers say the industry was not worse off despite a second difficult year.
According to AcNyetimber in West Chiltington, West Sussex, it had not had enough warm, dry conditions to ensure top quality, though other producers were just picking.
According to Julia Trustram Eve, marketing director at English Wine Producers, the company knew its harvests were going to be difficult. She added, at the moment, it was too early to make any firm predictions of a drop in yields.
She said the company knew it would take a hit on volume this year.
Nyetimber has bagged 65 awards in the 20 years since its maiden vintage, including three times being worldwide winner for sparkling wine, and was at the forefront of the challenge to French champagne producers.
According to Cherie Spriggs, the firm's winemaker, the decision to not make wine from 2012 was a difficult one, since maintaining quality was paramount.