The Fruitwise Vineyard
Grapes are grown to make wine in parts of southern England, several major vineyards are near us. I don’t think English wine is usually very good, but it can be drinkable, and I planted a dozen vines. They have been overgrown and neglected and not done very well, but last year I tidied them up and now we have had a very hot dry spring so these vines have got off to a good start. Due to my carelessness, I can’t remember which is which but this is a mix of several varieties including Seyval Blanc, Chardonnay, Gagarin Blue and Madelaine Sylvaner. I continue to believe that English cider is better than English wine, but can afford to grow a small vineyard to se if maybe 1 year in 3 we get enough grapes to make half a dozen bottles of something drinkable. We’ll see. They will need netting against birds. John Seymour quote ‘I grew a few rows of vines on my farm in Norfolk. The pheasants ate all the grapes, but I ate all the pheasants so that was all right.’
Beautiful vines. You do inspire me to want to try new things. I wish there were more days in the year. Sadly, I must be patient and learn one or two things at a time and learn them well before adding more to my garden. Good luck with your vines. You might try making Pyment if the grapes don’t have enough sugar for wine. Do you have bee hives or access to bulk quantities of honey?
Beautiful vines. You do inspire me to want to try new things. I wish there were more days in the year. Sadly, I must be patient and learn one or two things at a time and learn them well before adding more to my garden. Good luck with your vines. You might try making Pyment if the grapes don’t have enough sugar for wine. Do you have bee hives or access to bulk quantities of honey?
Beautiful vines. You do inspire me to want to try new things. I wish there were more days in the year. Sadly, I must be patient and learn one or two things at a time and learn them well before adding more to my garden. Good luck with your vines. You might try making Pyment if the grapes don’t have enough sugar for wine. Do you have bee hives or access to bulk quantities of honey?
@docsimonson Thanks, no we don’t keep bees-used to, but too demanding of time given all the other things I try to do. Bees need regular and often urgent attention and I just wasn’t suited to it temperamentally. Plenty of white sugar in the shops though. If we can protect these from the birds and have a warm September we are hopeful. I’ll keep videologging so folks can see what happens, good or bad, but I am no expert on vines. Happy to host any video responses from anyone who knows more.
I wonder if the low sugar content has to do with less sunshine in the UK ? In Ontario we grow all of these varieties commercally (except the Russian one, which I’ve never heard of). Even tho our winters r so much colder, there’s no need to add sugar.
I hope every 1 of those flowers turns into a big bunch & thanks for sharing another excellent video.