Harvest 2018

With the last of the grapes picked things have started to settle down in the vineyard. What a fantastic year we’ve had for growing grapes, we really couldn’t have asked for better conditions. We have been thrilled with the quality of the grapes and are already looking forward to seeing our first wine in bottles.

Spanning a month, we picked on five different days with more than fifty people coming down to help harvest. We loved welcoming so many people and sharing our journey with them. It was great to meet new people, introduce them to what we’re doing here at Dunesforde and to drink some English wine to toast a successful harvest.

With all the fruit now in the winery, the long journey to our first bottles of wine is in the final stages. The varieties we picked back in September - Solaris and Pinot Noir Precòce - have already completed their primary fermentation and are currently settling in the tanks. With these being destined for our sparkling wine, they will still have to undergo a secondary fermentation in the bottle and spend time ageing before being released, the whole process will take at least a year.

Fortunately, the still wines will be ready a lot sooner than that. At the moment we are looking to launch in late Spring next year. Keep an eye on the website and sign up for our newsletter if you want to know when you can get hold of the first wines.