"Early tests on our grapes are showing that the yield has well-balanced sugar and acidity levels due to the warmer late summer temperature this year, and we’re confident that 2020 is going to be another fine vintage for Quob Park Estate.”
After a year in which many have spent far too long indoors, we decided to offer followers of the Quob Park Estate Instagram and Facebook channels the opportunity to get outside and join Our Team for the 2020 Grape Harvest. In exchange for their time, our Harvest Volunteers were given the opportunity to explore the vineyard, sample some of Our Exceptional English Sparkling Wine, and given 3 months Free Membership to Our Vine to Wine Club.
This year’s harvest took place on the 8th October 2020, a day on which our Harvest Volunteers were fortunate enough to enjoy warm late summer conditions – conditions that have also helped our grapes reach optimum ripeness a little earlier than in recent years.
In fact, overall the South of England enjoyed a very warm September – around 0.2 degrees warmer on average than the previous year. Combined with the refreshing rains in August, and the early Spring heatwave, 2020 is promising to be another great vintage for English Sparkling Wine.
Set against the background of the global coronavirus pandemic, this year’s harvest was conducted with strict social-distancing guidelines in place, with over [xx] pickers working across four plots of Quob Park Estate’s vineyards, where the holy trinity of grape varieties for Sparkling Wine are grown: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay.
With staggered arrival times, our Harvest Volunteers relished a quick lesson in viticulture and how to identify and select only the ripest grapes, an important first step in Quob Park Estate’s approach to winemaking in ensuring that only the finest grapes make it through to the press.
After a pleasant pick in the temperate sunshine, Harvest Volunteers were invited up to the winery and tasting rooms to enjoy a range of canapés prepared by our in-house Executive Head Chef, as well as the opportunity to sample a selection of Quob Park Estate wines.
Quob Park’s Founders, Rob and Tracey Terry, said, “2020 has been a challenging year for all in the wine industry, but we’re very pleased to have been able to organise a safe, socially-distanced, and enjoyable day for our Harvest Volunteers – hopefully creating a little levity in what has been a difficult year for many. Early tests on our grapes are showing that the yield has well-balanced sugar and acidity levels due to the warmer late summer temperature this year, and we’re confident that 2020 is going to be another fine vintage for Quob Park Estate.”
If you would like to experience Quob Park Estate for yourself, join one of our Group Tours of Our Vineyards and Wine Cellar. Our Vineyards are located in a 170-acre Natural Clos, nestled in the heart of the Hampshire countryside. Acting as a nature reserve for many types of local flora and fauna, including over 30 deer, you’ll get to see how Our Wines are made, followed by a Wine Tasting where our Exceptional English Sparkling Wines are contrasted to a selection of market-leading Champagnes, all paired with beautifully prepared canapés.
We allow ample time from the purchase of Your Group Vineyard Tour and Tasting Ticket(s) to arrange the date for Your Tour, with all tickets having a 12-month window before they expire.
