Pruning the Path to a Perfect Vintage

Winter is often seen as a quiet time in the vineyard, but at Albury it’s a season full of essential activity. While the vines slumber under the frosty skies of the Surrey Hills, we are busy preparing them for the year ahead. Winter pruning, a meticulous and vital task, is at the heart of this work and lays the foundation for the quality of the next vintage.

Pruning is one of the most important jobs of the year. Our vineyard team carefully prunes over 30,000 vines by hand, ensuring that each one is set up for healthy growth and an optimal harvest. We use the 'Double Guyot' training method, selecting the two best fruiting canes from each vine and tying them down horizontally to the trellis wires.

These canes are left with eight to ten buds each, and from these buds, new shoots will emerge in the spring. Each shoot will produce an average of two bunches of grapes, meaning every vine will yield around 20 bunches—just enough to create one bottle of our award-winning sparkling wine. It’s a process that requires precision and care, ensuring that every vine’s energy is focused on producing high-quality fruit.

Pruning is about more than just preparing the vines for spring. It’s also a time for us to reflect on the connection between the vineyard and the surrounding environment. Winter days spent outside in the beautiful Surrey Hills are a reminder of the importance of working in harmony with nature. 

As pruning draws to a close, our attention shifts to the next stage in the vine’s life cycle: bud burst. This is one of the most exciting times of the year, as the vines awaken and tender new shoots begin to emerge. However, with this comes the ever-present challenge of spring frosts. A late frost can burn off these delicate shoots, jeopardising the year’s crop. While the vines will produce secondary and tertiary shoots as a backup, they are never as fruitful, and the shortened growing season leaves less time for the grapes to ripen.

To protect our vines from frost, we rely on boujies - candles used to warm the vines during frosty nights. These small but powerful heaters create a layer of warmth across the vineyard, helping to protect the fragile new growth. Frost protection is one of the many challenges we face each year, but it’s all part of the delicate balance required to create exceptional English sparkling wine.

As we work towards reopening in March, we invite you to follow our journey and join us for an unforgettable experience in the vineyard this Spring. Whether it’s a vineyard tour, wine and cheese tasting, or simply enjoying the stunning views, we look forward to welcoming you back to Albury Vineyard.

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