Recent warm and wet conditions may put the dampers on what has been shaping up to be a bumper UK grape harvest, an East Anglian vineyard owner has warned.
Ian Evans, of Copdock Hall Vineyard, near Ipswich, said the region’s winegrowers had enjoyed a good summer.
“It rained a lot early on in spring which gave excellent moisture in the ground and then we had weeks and weeks of warm sunshine and dry days. Sometimes it felt more like the vineyards of California, South Africa and Australia,” he said.
“However the recent heavy rainfalls have been a sting in the tail – damp, warm conditions are a breeding ground for mildew so we’re all keeping a look out between the vine rows.”
He added: “It’s maybe a bit too early to tell but it could be a bumper year for yields. Harvesting may also be two or three weeks earlier because the grapes are reaching the right acidity and sweetness for picking.”
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