'We could double our 2024 harvest!' Grape expectations at Halfpenny Green Wine Estate thanks to heatwave
Halfpenny Green Wine Estate at Bobbington is expecting to double its grape harvest this year compared to 2024, with the ongoing hot weather giving increasing cause for cheer.
After the wet season of 2024, owner Clive Vickers is looking ahead to a potentially bumper yield, having already benefited from the avoidance of heavy winter frosts.
Mother nature’s latest intervention couldn’t have arrived at a better time, during English Wine Week which runs until Sunday (June 29).
“We don’t want to tempt fate, but we couldn’t have asked for a better first half of the year,” said Clive. “We’re still nervous, but we’ve got reason to be excited at the same time. There’s no reason to think we won’t double our 2024 harvest.”
The contrast with last year couldn’t be starker. A succession of setbacks saw smaller crop yields, but with flowering and fruitset stages already complete ahead of schedule - one of the most crucial phases in the calendar – all signs are pointing towards a significant revival.
