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English sparkling winemakers to harvest earliest grape crop on Sept. 14

Nyetimber expects almost 2,500 tonnes of grapes, which could translate into more than 1.5 million bottles from the 2026 vintage.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Agriculture

English sparkling wine producer Nyetimber expects its earliest grape harvest on record, after a scorching summer and hot, sunny conditions helped grapes ripen quickly, according to the Guardian Business.

The company says it will begin picking grapes on 14 September from its vineyards across West Sussex, Kent, and Hampshire, which it says will be the earliest harvest since it planted its first vines in 1988. Nyetimber’s previous earliest harvest was 2018, when picking started on 19 September.

Nyetimber expects the 2026 harvest to yield almost 2,500 tonnes of grapes, potentially producing more than 1.5 million bottles of sparkling wine from the 2026 vintage. The winemaker expects the crop to be slightly smaller due to late spring frosts that affected almost 30% of the harvest, and because summer drought has decreased the size of certain berries.

While winemakers are looking forward to a potential “vintage year,” beer sellers have warned of a potential shortage as drought reduced much of England’s barley harvest, the Guardian Business reports. That uncertainty contrasts with Nyetimber’s view that concentrated sugar from the weather could support strong wine quality.

Latest closeSugar $19.35 ▲6.9%

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