Ranging in size from just a few plants adorning an arbour to up to five acres, growers on this scale tend to do most of the work by hand. And it is hard work – new entrants are often quite surprised by how much is involved in establishing and nurturing a vineyard.

At harvest time, typically from late September to mid-October, it’s all hands on deck, with family, friends and neighbours rolling up their sleeves to help out, often in exchange for a barbecue and a glass of wine.

The grapes tend to go off to a contract winemaker or local producer and, depending on the number of vines and success of the harvest, you could look to produce anything from a handful to thousands of bottles of homegrown wine. What better to serve at a dinner party?

Vines can take a few years to produce any meaningful fruit, so it’s not a quick process but if you’re in it for the medium to long term, it’s an exciting and rewarding journey. 

Whether you envisage a few vines to pep up your garden or rows of plants over a larger area, here are some tips for getting started.

Site

The quality of the end product relies heavily on the choice of land. Sheltered, south-facing slopes away from the coast, but no higher than 100m above sea level, provide the ideal conditions. 

Plan ahead 

Whatever you put into the ground now is what you’ll be drinking in four years’ time. So it’s important to consider what you want to produce – still or sparkling? Red, white or a combination? Planting lots of different varieties could make the harvesting process slightly more challenging, but it’s certainly doable.

Timing

The best time for planting is late autumn to early spring, while the vines are dormant. Ideally, you’d want to avoid the potential for winter damage, so if the young plants are not protected, spring is the best time.

Expertise

A viticulturalist can give advice on maintaining the vines, including what needs to be done throughout the year to achieve the best harvest. This includes pruning in early to mid-winter, while vines are dormant, and regular maintenance during spring and summer such as training and further pruning, trimming back new shoots and thinning out the fruit.

Production

Identify where you’ll take your grapes to be turned into wine. In our experience, it’s a friendly cottage industry, similar to that of apple juice or cider production. The winemakers might keep some of the grapes for themselves and produce a batch for the grower for their own enjoyment, possibly with their own label if they’re having a bit of fun with it. 

Environmental benefits

Consider additional planting for environmental benefits, for example wildflowers between the rows. Roses, which typically have the same type of soil and sun requirements, can be added to help attract insects like aphids away from the vines.

Rules and regulations

You don’t need any permissions to plant the vines and create a vineyard. However, if your hobby starts to evolve into something more commercial or if you’re looking to create a destination for visitors, you would need consents in the usual way for any buildings required for winemaking, storage, or a café/shop for tours and tastings, along with an impact assessment.

Here is our pick of established vineyards currently on the market, from a small hobby vineyard in Hampshire to a commercial enterprise in East Sussex:

Further information

Contact Chris Spofforth or Natasha Selbie