News from the Vineyard

Some of you may remember that I used to write regular (or at least occasional) updates for our newsletter and blog, sharing a little of what was happening behind the scenes at Dunesforde. Over the past few years those updates have fallen by the wayside. Having two children in two years (and five new grandchildren and nieces in the family as a whole!) has had a remarkable effect on how much time I have available for writing.

However, as we enter our tenth year at Dunesforde, I’m keen to start again. Partly because I enjoy sharing what goes on behind the scenes and partly because I think it’s important to document the journey. I often say that it’s the small moments and milestones that stand out most when we look back and it feels important to keep a record of them as we go.

So, as we celebrate English Wine Week this week, it seems like a good time to let me catch you up on what’s happened so far this year.

Every winter I put together a detailed vineyard schedule for the season ahead. It covers everything from pruning and shoot thinning through to harvest. The weather always has the final say but the schedule gives us a benchmark for what a “normal” season should look like. When you hear someone say the vineyard is a week ahead or a week behind, this is what they are comparing it against.

This year got off to a brilliant start. Pruning was completed exactly on schedule, with me finishing the final row on Easter Sunday to make sure we stayed on track ahead of budburst.

Then came the frosts, right as the new buds were arriving.

Three separate frost events arrived in quick succession. On each occasion, the forecast suggested temperatures would stay comfortably above danger levels. On the first night, we were expecting around 8°C and instead saw temperatures fall to 0°C for several hours. Thankfully, after carefully walking the vineyard over the following days, there appeared to be no damage.

The second frost was similar. The forecast suggested 6°C. Again, the weather didn't behave as anticipated. Temperatures dipped to -0.5°C but, after more careful inspection, we concluded that the vines seemed to have emerged unscathed.

The third frost was different.

Again, the forecast promised 6°C overnight. Instead, temperatures fell to -2°C and stayed there for more than two hours. This time there was no escaping the damage. Around 30% of the vineyard was affected, particularly in the lower-lying area we often refer to as the “frost pocket”. Dead and dying shoots littered the area and, after a week of cold, miserable weather, recovery seemed unlikely.

Thankfully, nature had other plans.

The glorious sunshine we’ve enjoyed over the past few weeks has transformed the vineyard. New growth has exploded across the vines, and what looked like a major setback has become a story of recovery. In fact, the vineyard has bounced back so enthusiastically that we have been scrambling to keep up. According to my schedule, we are still just about on track, but the vines themselves seem determined to run several weeks ahead.

We’re confident we’ll catch up, but if you’ve ever fancied lending a hand amongst the vines, there has never been a better time to join our wonderful team of volunteers!

While all this has been happening in the vineyard, there has been plenty happening with the wines too.

We’ve been working on our first fully homegrown Queen of the North, the 2022 vintage, and it is stunning. In my admittedly biased opinion, it is the best Queen of the North we have produced so far, potentially the best sparkling wine full stop (although that may be bordering on controversial!). It captures everything I love about our wines; vibrant fruit character, crisp, fresh and all exceptionally well-balanced.

We have also been eagerly awaiting the release of our 2025 still wines. As stocks of previous vintages have steadily disappeared, we have been doing everything possible to ensure these wines were released on time and looking their absolute best. I’m delighted that pre-orders have gone out as planned and even more delighted by the response from so many of you who were keen to secure bottles at the earliest opportunity.

For months, I have been quietly telling people that the 2025 vintage might be the best collection of still wines we have ever produced. Now that people are starting to taste them for themselves, I’m happy to say it loudly:

I believe 2025 is our best vintage yet!

Alongside the excitement surrounding the new vintage, we've also been fortunate to receive some welcome recognition for wines already in bottle. Earlier this year our Queen of the North Special Reserve 2019 was awarded a Silver Medal at the International Wine Challenge, followed by both the Special Reserve and our Sparkling Pinot Gris 2021 receiving Silver Medals at the WineGB Awards.

My favourite part of this process is reading the tasting notes from some of the world's most experienced palates.

For those that are interested, this is what the International Wine Challenge judges had to say about our Queen of the North Special Reserve.

I'll let you into a little secret... I actually had to Google what a "tense finish" meant, as I wasn't entirely sure whether it was one of those wine terms that sounds complimentary but is actually terrible.

Thankfully, it turns out it's a very good thing.

Away from the wine and the vines, we have also completely reworked our food offering. The amount of effort that has gone into this project has been enormous and the whole team deserves tremendous credit, particularly Emily, who has driven much of the work. Alongside this, we continue to refine all our private events, corporate experiences and hospitality offering more generally, with exactly the same attention to detail that we bring to the vineyard.

All in all (and despite the rather gloomy political/economic climate), it feels like a wonderful time to be a vineyard in North Yorkshire.

The sun is shining, the vines are thriving, the wines are tasting better than ever and, as my mum always says, the people who visit us are always fabulous.

Thank you for taking the time to read this rather lengthy first instalment of our revived News from the Vineyard. I hope to write these updates regularly from now on and share a little more of the journey as we continue through what has already been an incredible ten years.
Until next time,

Peter