September has arrived, with a change in temperature & an autumn feel in the air, along with the promise of grape harvest just around the corner.
Harvest at Biddenden usually begins around the 3rd week in September and runs through to the start of November, largely dependent on weather conditions. By growing all of our grapes here on the estate we are in a position to be able to closely monitor every variety and only pick when we feel each is at optimum ripeness. Every bunch is picked by hand, again meaning we can be extremely selective over the grapes we pick to be pressed for each wine and as the winery is on site, grapes are pressed within hours of coming off the vine, and sometimes even minutes!
It’s a great time to visit, as the vines are laden with grapes giving a real insight into the varieties which go into producing our award-winning range of wines and over the coming weeks the leaves will begin to turn to vibrant autumn colours, which is a beautiful sight in itself. Our self-guided vineyard walks are open daily and take in our 11 varieties of grapes grown on the estate, or for those looking for a more in depth introduction to Biddenden, we’ll be running our final Open Tours of the season on Saturday 14th, 21st & 28th September 2019 (pre-booking is essential as numbers are limited).
The full range of Biddenden wines, ciders & juices are available to taste & buy in the vineyard shop, which also offers a wide selection of local & artisan food & drink and sharing platters are also available to enjoy with a glass of Biddenden, no need to pre-book, simply order in the vineyard shop and your cheese or charcuterie platter will be prepared specially for you.
Further information on visiting the vineyard may be found here.
