Our Vines

We have planted just over 5,000 spaced at 1.6m in rows 2.3m apart. We have 55 rows with a combined length from the first vine to the last of just over 8 kilometres or 5 miles! So keeping fit is a distinct plus side of having a vineyard.

To support the vines we use just under 50,000 metres of wire, 1,500 posts, wire tensioners and post anchors to ensure the row does not fall over.

We are pruning the vines to be trained on a Double Guyot trellising system which is as the name implies is French in origin and looks like a large T.

The varieties are as follows:

White Grapes
Pinot Auxerrois*	A distant relative of Chardonnay and used in the Alsace Region of France
Reichensteiner*	A German Grape developed in the late 1930's, known for its heavy cropping abilities
Sevyal Blanc*	A French grape developed in the 1920's and at one time France had over 1300 hectares, though this has reduced in recent years. A consistent variety that can be used for sparkling wine production
Red Grapes
Pinot Noir*	One of the classic varieties grown throughout the world for red wine production and also for sparkling wine production especially Champagne.
Dunkelfelder	A German variety grown purely for its colour, it does produce "Blood Red" juice and is often used to blend into Pinot Noir to add colour.

 * These varieties can also be used in the making of sparkling wine

We did a little replanting in the spring of 2006 to fill in a few gaps and are considering some Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as our next new planting.

Lynn is also keen to have a variety that will produce a sweet or pudding wine, as yet we don't know what's the best horse to back.

Paul has other weird ideas on grapes, more on that later perhaps.

We are after all a commercial business and the best grapes make the best wine and give the vineyard owner the best return.