Vineyards of the United Kingdom

White Wine grapes	Red Wine Grapes	Grapes for Sparkling wine
Planting and problems

Rules for planting a vineyard

LATITUDE Vineyards can only be planted between Latitudes 35 and 50. In theory, this rules out all of Britain except the Lizard peninsula. However vines have been grown outdoors in Wensleydale (North Yorkshire) and in a walled garden at Whitworth Hall in County Durham .

ALTITUDEThere is a reduction in ambient temperature of about 2C per 100 metres. This means that sea-level is best in Britain, giving a great advantage to Mersea Island vineyard in Essex.

MARITIME INFLUENCE In South Africa, the cool Benguala current ensures that there are only dry onshore winds, and this resticts growth in Namibia .In Britain the Gulf Stream warms the coasts and extends the growing area northwards. However it does lower Summer temperatures in Devon and Cornwall. Humidity in areas near the sea can produce great wines- witness the Bordeaux region !

RAINFALL Wet Summers will prevent satisfactory flower set. Excessive humidity will also lead to fungal growth, requiring large amounts of spray

ASPECT The angle at which the sun's rays hit the vineyard. A steep south-facing slope is ideal in the Northern hemisphere - witness the Moselle valley of Germany. However such a slope is in shadow in high summer just after dawn and just before dusk. In Autumn though it gets the angle of sunlight good for late ripening varieties. Britain too has longer hours of daylight in Autumn than in Europe. Providing that period is relatively dry, good crop ripening into November is possible.

SOIL The French swear by the TERROIR rather than the climate.Chalk has good drainage and if it has a water-retaining sub-soil, then the roots can penetrate to any moist sub-soil beneath. The areas of the Champagne of France and Southern England produce good conditions
Very fertile soils tend to produce leaf rather than fruit. Sands can cool, giving a risk of frost. A combination of sandstone and limestone is probably best, being well-drained, warm, of average fertility and with a pH of between 6 and 7. The East Kent vineyards have underlying chalk while West Kent lies on Sandstone -based loam. Yearlstone in Devon is believed to be one of the perfect sites, with a south facing silt-clay earth overlying Devon sandstone.

TERROIR Basically, this means that anywhere in France where there is a vineyard is, by definition, a great site for a vineyard. A better definition is given by Hugh Johnson at his World Wide Web site on wine growing

The de Candolle INDEX of sunlight totals is also used as a measure of grape-growing potential. This involves counting the temperatures above 10C in the days of the ripening season . An index of around 1450 (as in the Medoc of France) is supposed to be ideal. Venezuala, with 3030 would produce very 'flabby' wines. A far better index would probably make use of the differences between day and night temperatures, as even conditions aid ripening. The red/brown soils of the Hunter valley of Australia reflect heat in the evening , even out the temperatures and aid ripening.
Land Obtaining a vineyard site that is accessible to the public can be difficult, especially in heavily populated areas. While Kent is ideal climatically, land tends to be more expensive than, say, in rural Devon. Obtaining planning permission to erect a winery (or even a house on site) depends on the attitude of the local authority. Certain local authorities have been known to classify wineries as industrial properties. See also Bob Tarr's notes on viticulture and Andy McLeod's at to see how a new vineyard was set up

Problems associated with grape growing

DOWNY MILDEW (Plasmopara viticola) Leaves turn brown and die, and the fruit shrivels and becomes leathery (The German name is LEDERBEEREN or 'Leather Berry'

POWDERY MILDEW (Oidium or Unicinula necator) The grapes take on a white dusty appearance, followed by splitting and blackening. Note appearance of 1 or 2 grapes in the bunch

BOTRYTIS or Grey Mould Bunch stems turn brown and dry up, causing premature bunch drop. On white grapes it does not matter if the grapes are ripe. French Sauternes and German Auslesen depend on the affected grapes for their sweetness and flavour

PHYLLOXERA The Phyloloxera vestatrix is a small aphid which affects the roots of ungrafted vines. The only cure is to dig out the vines and burn them

RED SPIDER Spider mite may produce malformed growing shoots and small brown-edged holes in leaves
Damaged grapes after wasp attack

BADGERS The Boze Down vineyard has a badger on its label, to celebrate the beneficiaries of the first crop. BREAKY BOTTOM co-operated in a badger research programme with nearby Sussex University. Badgers were tagged to trace their movements. The Vineyard was also fenced to stop them eating the grapes!

WASPS Troublesome on some ripening grapes, especially SIEGERREBE. Cures have involved traps with sweet solution in them. One owner tracks the wasps back to their nests and applies a blow-torch, though not when the nests are in the house!

The main grapes produced in the British Isles

White wine grapes & producers
Red wine grapes and producers
Brut style grapes and producers
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Oliver Richardson
Brunel University
Osterley Campus, Isleworth ,Middlesex UK

Oliver.Richardson@Brunel.ac.uk
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Problems associated with grape growing

The main grapes produced in the British Isles

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Vineyards of the United Kingdom

White Wine grapes

Red Wine Grapes

Grapes for Sparkling wine

Planting and problems

Rules for planting a vineyard

DOWNY MILDEW (Plasmopara viticola)	Leaves turn brown and die, and the fruit shrivels and becomes leathery (The German name is LEDERBEEREN or 'Leather Berry'
POWDERY MILDEW (Oidium or Unicinula necator)	The grapes take on a white dusty appearance, followed by splitting and blackening. Note appearance of 1 or 2 grapes in the bunch
BOTRYTIS or Grey Mould	Bunch stems turn brown and dry up, causing premature bunch drop. On white grapes it does not matter if the grapes are ripe. French Sauternes and German Auslesen depend on the affected grapes for their sweetness and flavour
PHYLLOXERA	The Phyloloxera vestatrix is a small aphid which affects the roots of ungrafted vines.	The only cure is to dig out the vines and burn them
RED SPIDER	Spider mite may produce malformed growing shoots and small brown-edged holes in leaves	Damaged grapes after wasp attack
BADGERS	The Boze Down vineyard has a badger on its label, to celebrate the beneficiaries of the first crop. BREAKY BOTTOM co-operated in a badger research programme with nearby Sussex University.	Badgers were tagged to trace their movements. The Vineyard was also fenced to stop them eating the grapes!
WASPS	Troublesome on some ripening grapes, especially SIEGERREBE.	Cures have involved traps with sweet solution in them. One owner tracks the wasps back to their nests and applies a blow-torch, though not when the nests are in the house!

Oliver Richardson Brunel University Osterley Campus, Isleworth ,Middlesex UK
Oliver.Richardson@Brunel.ac.uk ../wine/