Biddenden Vineyards completed their harvest this Monday 29th October, finishing with their red varieties and finally Scheurebe, a German variety which is used as a blend in their sparkling white wine.
Although reports on harvest across the county have been mixed, with poor weather from early in the year right through to harvest time, Biddenden has managed to take a good crop overall. The first variety to be harvested was Ortega, the variety for which the vineyard is best known, which saw around half the expected crop being taken. This was then followed by the remaining 9 varieties, including Reichentsteiner with almost a full crop and red varieties such as Dornfelder & Pinot Noir.
Although the quantity produced is unlikely to be quite as high as in previous years, Biddenden Vineyards are confident that the wines produced will be of the usual high quality. Julian Barnes, Managing Director, commented “Although there may be less still wine to be released next year from the 2012 vintage, there will still be a good amount of sparkling wines available from previous vintages which are still to be released. Despite this year’s crop not being outstanding, we are still keen to welcome visitors to the vineyard to learn more about where our wines are made and the way in which the weather can impact our growing seasons, as seen across agriculture as a whole this year”.
Biddenden Vineyards is open to visitors throughout the year, with free admission & tastings. Free tours run on Saturdays until 17th November inclusive and give visitors the chance to learn more about the history of the vineyard, with a guided vineyard walk, look in the winery and tastings in the vineyard shop. For further details please contact the vineyard on 01580 291726 or visit www.biddendenvineyards.com/visiting-us
