Deep Roots and High Hopes: A Vineyard Update as Harvest Nears

As we move towards the end of summer, the growing season at The Weyborne Estate is progressing beautifully. While many in the world of agriculture have faced a challenging year — from gardeners contending with unseasonable weather to farmers watching yields suffer and prices quadruple — we have high hopes our vines will tell a different story.

It’s a reminder of the quiet advantage that time and care can bring. Our vines are now well established, their roots stretching deep into the chalk beneath our South Downs slopes.

The recent heatwave has coaxed the vineyard into a flush of vibrant green. At 190 metres above sea level, our grapes are quietly ripening under the South Downs sunshine — a slow, steady transformation that holds the promise of the harvest to come.Of course, it’s still early days. In winemaking, as in sport, you don’t declare victory until the final whistle. The journey to harvest is like playing until the 80th minute — and anything can happen in those last moments. One well-timed downpour can shape the volumes we bring in. We’ve seen it before.

For now, we watch, we nurture, and we wait. The vines stand strong, with deep roots anchoring us with confidence as we head toward the most important moment of the year.