by John MacRae-Brown,
I am reliably informed by an artificially intelligent acquaintance of mine that the number 41 represents, for the symbolically minded, a transition into new beginnings, positive transformations and an indication that perseverance will pay off. However, be that as it may and somewhat more prosaically, the number is of significance to us at Chilworth as the maximum temperature we reached so far in the vineyard this year! At 17.15 on 24th June to be precise.
The vines, being the ultimate sun worshippers, have responded accordingly and are now growing at a pace that keeps the vineyard team on its toes! Looking through the rows today as the shoots are tucked into the trellising and clipped in place, you would be hard pushed to remember that night of frost at the end of April which, by its rare admixture of hot and dry days, very low humidity and fast plunging temperatures, caught out many vineyards. Alas, the damage caused means 2026 will not produce the generous yields we have enjoyed these last couple of years though we hope ‘small but perfectly formed’ will ultimately be the more accurate description!
Growing grapevines in the UK certainly makes one more sanguine about taking the rough with the smooth and we have emerged from this adversity looking always forward: the combination of abundant, glorious sunshine and the careful nurturing and feeding of the vines in their recuperation over these past months has resulted in something of a resurgence.
It is a truism in viticulture that all the attention paid to your vineyard in a given season is not just for the immediate benefit but for the next season too and for the ones after that. So it is hugely gratifying to see the vigour of the vines restored. This means plenty of significant new shoots growing on now which in turn will give us the opportunity, at winter pruning, of selecting the strongest and potentially most productive canes for the following season.
This heatwave is also working its magic in another more subtle way too…over this year’s sun-drenched flowering period, the vines have been establishing the microscopic shoots and flowers for next year, boding well for the possibilities of vintage 2027.
For some reason, I keep thinking there is a timely analogy in all of this …an unexpected and tough defeat followed by a hopeful victory… the vines’ new (K)anes indicating great promise for the future (surely also vintage 2028?)…someone needs to be wearing the number 41 shirt!
