Hot weather means more wine, says vineyard

While the heatwave and the drought have negatively impacted farmers, for one vineyard it has led to a bumper crop.

Heather Williamson, the co-founder of Foxbury Fields on the Gloucestershire-Herefordshire border near Ledbury, said: "I think we've got far more grapes this year than we had last year.

"I'm pretty confident that we've done at least a tonne and considering we've left out quite a lot of vines that's substantially more [than usual]."

She said the hot weather and a disease-free year had contributed to the crop.

Williamson thought the heat "will mean we are producing more grapes as a nation".

However, not all of her crops have done well.

She said there had been a divide in her vineyard, with one half doing really well, and the other half being quite dry.

"The bottom bit is very little impact and it's all very positive down there. That normally produces less grapes than the top section."

"I think the ones that have done well have done well because of the heat. I think the ones that have not done well have not done well because of the heat."

She added that they had not had any disease this year.

"I think if [the weather] continues like this we might have to put in some sort of irrigation system, especially for the middle vines which we've never really considered doing before.

"We have a reservoir here and we have the facilities, but we hope we don't have to.

"We hope that there might be a bit more rain.

"I think it [the heat] will mean we are producing more grapes as a nation and there will be more wine available."

Tim Wilder is the Vineyard Manager at Two Beacons Vineyard in Great Malvern and said they planned to harvest their grapes in the next couple of weeks.

"We believe we're going to have more than last year.

"We do have a much heavier yield than last year.

He said overall the hot weather had benefited the vineyard.

"If it had been a dull, grey year with not a lot of sunshine and lower temperatures and high humidity, we'd be suffering with mould and mildew and that would mean a reduced crop."

Wilder said wetter conditions would produce lower quality grapes.

"It's always going to be swings and roundabouts.

"Some benefits and some things that are going to cause you problems."

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.