Bumper year for Yorkshire vineyard after spectacular summer weather

On the first day of harvest this week 18 volunteers were hard at work at the family-run vineyard.

Nestled between Upper and Lower Dunsforth in the Vale of York, Dunesforde Vineyard is part of the flourishing English wine scene in the north.

There are now about 20 commercial vineyards in Yorkshire totalling just over 32 hectares, which is just under one per cent of the total hectarage, according to industry body Wine GB.The Townsend family are looking forward to a bumper harvest after the long, hot summer.

Planted in 2016, with four grape varieties, Solaris, Bacchus, Pinot Noir Précoce and Pinot Gris, the vines are now getting into their stride and hitting peak maturity.

This year they are expecting to produce 10,000 to 12,000 bottles - a 50 per cent increase.

On Thursday a small army of volunteers were doing the vast majority of the picking.

Mr Townsend explained that they'd stuck to last year's date for the start of harvest to ensure the grapes were at their best.

Mr Townsend, who works with his wife Bree, and parents Ian and Mandy, along with half a dozen other staff, said: "We've chosen to harvest at the same time to make the best use of the weather we've had this year - we are trying to put more sugars, more fruit flavours into the wine."This year all the signs are indicating we are in for a massive, bumper harvest."

Mr Townsend said they are expecting to have at least five more harvest days. He said: "There's a wonderful community vibe on harvest days. It does feel like a bit of a throwback to yesteryear when a whole village would get together.

"(These days) people come from further afield - it's a really nice day.

"One of the volunteers was saying the reason they come is that when it comes to a dinner party they can pull out a bottle of wine and say they helped make it - there's a sense of pride and you get to support a local business which for a lot of people is hugely satisfying."

Dunesforde’s Classic Cuvée, named the Queen of the North, was crowned Best Wine for Midlands and North earlier this year by Wine GB.

Julia Trustram, CEO of WineGB, said in the south things are a little ahead than "normal”, with harvest starting in some cases up to 10 days earlier.

At this stage it doesn’t look like a record-breaking year, with some areas affected by the lack of rainfall, meaning the grapes are quite small.

She said: "Fruit quality is looking great, volumes we’ll know more when it’s all gathered in.

"What happens in one year is sometimes affected by the previous year. Last year was a tricky year with slightly lower volumes, but we have had a lovely summer.

"The lovely dry weather was great but slowed growth and the berries were smaller, but recent rains have helped to swell the fruit a bit which is all positive."