All is safely gathered in at Southcott Vineyard, Pewsey, all thanks to 22 local volunteers. And the 2 tonne of grapes are already at the winery where they will be transformed into the sparkling wine Southcott is famous for. The volunteers were all treated to elevenses, lunch, and a bottle of wine to take home.
Owners, Sarah and Tim Ingram, told Marlborough.news, “We are very grateful to all the volunteers who helped with the grape harvest. This is the first time we have advertised for volunteers. The response was amazing. It’s surprising how many people wanted to try grape picking.”
Choosing the right time to harvest the grapes is tricky. Sarah explained, “Sugar levels and acid levels have to be right before we pick. This has been a difficult year weather wise and the tonnage is quite low. However, we hope to make some rosé wine from the harvest. It normally takes about 4 years but rosé wine may be ready to drink in two.”
Southcott Vineyard is small but produces prize-winning wines. Earlier this year Southcott Brut won a Silver Award in the national competition run by WineGB (Wines of Great Britain). And on Tuesday this week the same wine was awarded the Silver Medal and a trophy for the best sparkling wine from a small vineyard in the Wessex Wine GB Competition. Wessex incorporates, Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and the Isle of Wight.
Southcott Vineyard was started in 2005 when Sarah and Tim Ingram Hill moved to Pewsey and planted classic champagne grapes, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunière. The vineyard is small and consists of 2000 vines. The terroir is chalk and green sand.
Southcott sparkling wine is available at The Parade Cinema, at the Lawn Farm Shop, Milton Lilbourne and through the website here. Sarah and Tim will also be selling their wine at the St Francis School Christmas Fair on Thursday November 18, 11 am to 6pm.
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