Home   News   Article

Subscribe Now

Raise a glass to Chateau Cobbs





Hungerford’s only vineyard, Cobbs Farm Shop Vineyard, is celebrating its first ever harvest, despite one of the worst summers for most produce in years.
The five acre vineyard on south facing slopes was planted in May last year.
Around 4,500 4500 Pinot Noir grapes were planted and 1,500 Chardonnay.
Cobbs Farm Shop spokesman Tom Newey said: “We bought a high-graft root stock that ensured the vines we’re that little bit further advanced prior to planting and also enabled us to take a crop this year, only one year after planting.
“Against the backdrop of the worst summer for however many years it has not been an easy season for growers of pretty much all types of crop. Vines are no exception and really have struggled to produce anything near the yields they are capable of.”
He added: “When we heard that, only 10 days previously, a 400 acre vineyard in West Sussex had simply decided to cancel this year’s harvest we resigned ourselves to a similar fate at Cobbs.
“Unbelievably, when our grape harvest advisor arrived he told us to get ready to harvest the following Tuesday, when the sun was set to shine.”
The harvest has to be done in one picking to ensure grapes of a similar ripeness.
Mr Newey said: “This first harvest was as much about going through the process for us and we really didn’t expect to be picking. We stuck to picking only the Pinot Noir grapes with the Chardonnay sadly just not having ripened enough to make the grade of quality.
“Whilst not a huge crop by any standards for our first year we’re really proud and incredibly excited at the future prospects – but we’re always going to need the weather on our side.”
The grapes were sent off the same day down to a producer on the South Coast who will blend them with other grapes to produce English Sparkling Wine.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More