It's not just bad weather that challenges our winemakers

November is a time when many vineyards across the northern hemisphere can let out a deep sigh of relief.

- ROSAMUND HALL

The vintage is over, the wines are tucked up safely in tanks and barrels - having completed their fermentation and are now embarking on their journey to becoming a wonderful product for us to enjoy. The floors have been scrubbed and the equipment cleaned; safely stowed away for another year.

Has it been a good or a bad year? Well, in the UK, it’s fair to say it’s been a “challenging year”. Do you remember a summer of long, halcyon sunny days? No, me neither – we had a pretty bleak winter, spring and summer; interspersed with some good ripening days. So, broadly speaking, volume is down – but the quality is solid. We are at the very margins of winemaking in the UK and so are fortunate to have such a dynamic and tenacious industry.

Wine is always at the whim of pressures far beyond the control of the winemaker. And while we’ve faced our own challenges on these shores, so too have our immediate neighbours. The vintage in France this year was one of the lowest in the past century, with major wine-producing regions including the Loire Valley, Burgundy and Bordeaux seeing a significant drop in volumes.