To enter, read about the vineyard below then answer the simple questions. E-mail your answers to clare@organicdelivery.co.uk by August 31^st

Competition questions

1. What is their red grape called?

2. What year did Roy start his vineyard?

3. Which year saw the bumper harvest?

4. How many bottles do they produce annually?

5. Where is your favourite place to enjoy a glass of wine ?

 

 

 

Organic pioneers

 

Sedlescombe English Vineyard

grew out of one man's dream of self-sufficiency.

 

In 1974, Roy Cook was presented with a dramatic opportunity to drop out of the rat-race when he inherited ten acres of land near Sedlescombe, East Sussex.

He began his new existence in modest style in a simple caravan, and set out to grow sufficient organic food to provide a basic diet and a surplus that could be turned into cash to meet his other needs.

 

As with many dreams of this kind, this lifestyle proved very hard...

 

Necessity, being as always the mother of invention, Roy set out to utilise his land in other ways.

 

“I thought about planting tomatoes, but then I discovered I had all the right conditions for growing vines. I was in the South East where the revival in English wines was beginning, and the land I owned was on a south-facing slope, exposed to the sun. I wasn't at the bottom of a valley where you get frost and wasn't at the top where you get high winds. It was ideal.”

 

So began Britain's first organic vineyard.

 

Roy started with 2,000 plants on one and a half acres in 1979.Today the vineyard has expanded to 23 acres, which includes rented vineyards at Bodiam Castle, converted to organics in 1994, and the vineyard at Spilstead in Sedlescombe, converted in 2006.  Further plantings of two acres of black grape vines of the variety 'REGENT' were carried out in spring 2000, with additional acreage planted between 2001 and 2005.                                                               

 

The fantastic summer of 2003 saw a bumper harvest of top quality black grapes.

 

After pulp fermentation and maturation in barrique oak, this outstanding full-bodied English Red was released in July, 2004 and gained "highly commended" in the English Wine of the Year competition.  Other awards include “Best Dry White” at the English Wine Festival and 2nd prize for Rosé.

 

               

The vineyards now produce approximately 25,000 bottles annually of organic English wine. Although there are a total of around 400 vineyards in Britain, Sedlescombe is one of only half a dozen or so which have adopted organic methods. 

 

Someone once said that growing vines organically in England is like trying to do two impossible things simultaneously!

 

 In reality there are simply challenges to be overcome, from dealing with weed growth under the vines, to controlling mildew diseases and botrytis (grey mould) to boosting soil fertility and getting enough help to get all the                                       work done at the right time. 

 

How do they deal with it?

Weeds are controlled by mulches of straw or black plastic, or by mechanical cultivations,  Mildew diseases are controlled by careful canopy management which involves shoot positioning and de-leafing by hand around the ripening grape bunches.  In addition mineral sprays (sulphur and copper) are used to help prevent losses through disease.  Green manure crops ( clover, lucerne, etc) are grown between the rows to boost fertility and keep the vines vigorous.                                                                    To help with all the work we enlist the help of the voluntary labour organization Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF)

 

Last year’s (2007) harvest was one of the worst on record due to the incessant rain throughout the summer, particularly during late June and early July which came during the flowering period which prevented the fruit from setting properly. Consequently, they lost 90% of the crop and produced only one tenth of the 30,000 bottles produced in 2006. 

 

So far the 2008 crop looks good.

“We are hoping for better weather around Wimbledon time this year so that the grapes can set properly”.

 

 

 

Want to make a trip to see how it is all done, and taste some fantastic English wine:

 

With its Vineyard & Woodland Nature Trail and Wine tasting experience Sedlescombe is one of the main tourist attractions within the ‘1066 Country’ area in and around Hastings, Battle and Rye.

You can enjoy a Self-guided Trail of the vineyards, woodland and winery followed by a wine tasting of 6 different wines.  Wines are available to purchase either by the bottle or by the case direct from the vineyard shop.

www.englishorganicwine.co.uk