A Frosty Vineyard

It was bitterly cold on the vineyard last night with the soil reaching -7.6C and air temperatures as low as -3.6C. Fortunately, a result of the cold weather in March and early April, bud burst is late this year so hopefully there won't have been much damage.

Most of the vines are at "first swell", which means that the buds are showing on the canes but they are still brown with no colour. At this stage they can withstand temperatures as low as -10C. However when they have fully swollen,with some colour showing, they can only withstand -3C without being damaged. Once we have bud burst then any temperatures below -1C will be a problem.

A bud at Full Swell

The weather forecast look ok for the next few days but a frost is forecast for next weekend so it looks like we will soon be out in the middle of the night lighting the boujies again.

Our Vines are Weeping

It seems that Spring has finally arrived. We know this, not just because it warmer, but because our vines are weeping.

During the winter vines go into a deep state of dormancy and can withstand temperatures of -15C. But as the soil begins to warm up, and temperatures get above 10C, the vines start to wake up. The roots begin to absorb nutrients and water and osmosis pushes the sap up from the root system which is expelled from the pruning cuts made during the winter. This looks like the vines are weeping. It only lasts a few days but in some countries a single vine can expel up to 5 litres of water!

The sap provides energy to the vine which initiates bud break. This is late this year as a result of the cold weather in March and early April. That's good news for us as we are therefore there is less risk of damage to the buds from late frosts.

Silent Pool Rosé to be Served at the Royal Opera House

Our Silent Pool Rosé 2012 will be available at Royal Opera House Restaurants this summer.

Silent Pool Rosé was one of only three English wines served on the Royal Barge last year as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Made from a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes it is a refreshing still dry wine and is ideal as an accompaniment to light meals or al-fresco dining.

Ben Fielder, who is beverage manager for Royal Opera House Restaurants, said “The English wine industry is doing great things and with provenance an important part of our ethos, Albury Vineyard was of great interest. Following our tasting we are proud to have Silent Pool Rosé on our list.”

We are delighted that Silent Pool Rosé has been chosen to be served at another Royal establishment. We hope our quality sparkling wine will also be served at the Royal Opera House when it becomes available in 2015.