Out & About Autumn 2021

Out & About leisure

September and October Winding Wood Vineyard tours It is that time of year when the farmers are busy with their combine harvesters, bringing in their crops between rain showers. Not so in English vineyards where the harvest of grapes is likely, with luck, to be at the end of October and maybe even into November. This season has been very cold and wet. We need more sunshine for the rest of the season for the grapes bunches to ripen slowly. Sugars need to increase and acids reduce. That is the nature of growing grapes in a cool climate. Across the Channel things are pretty dire in France where the early season of spring heat and then frost has decimated many wine regions as far south as Bordeaux. A national disaster has been declared. Winding Wood has converted this season to being an organic vineyard, which means the only minute amount of copper. No more herbicide, fungicides or pesticides can be used. What a year to start out! It has been a busy time in the vineyard this summer with lots of small parties coming for tours and tastings. Many around Newbury have discovered that they have vineyards on their doorstep — either via walking or cycling passed or online — and are nicely surprised at what they find. The tour starts by inspecting the chardonnay and pinot noir vines in the boutique vineyard, just a stone’s throw from the house. Then guests sit down in the tasting room and sample three of the sparkling wines accompanied by a selection of nibbles. We explain the extraordinary growth of the English wine industry in the last 10 years and now how we are producing world beating wines which win a host of medals in wine competitions around the world. Tours, available to book online or by phone. For more information visit www.windingwoodvineyard.co.uk defences against mildew are sulphur, seaweed, garlic and a

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