Happy New Year from the Poulton Hill Estate

January is named after Janus, the Roman God of beginnings and transitions who has one face that looks to the past and one to the future.

Here at Poulton Hill Estate we have been reflecting on the fantastic year we had in 2023, where our harvest was one of the best ever, we won awards for our wine and we developed new partnerships with shops, restaurants and other local food and drink producers. We have also been looking ahead to 2024 and our work to make sure our vineyard is healthy and our harvest plentiful again this year.

This work starts in January, when we tend to start winter pruning. This is a massive undertaking, all done by hand. In essence, we are selecting strong canes and a spur that will be the basis for our growth this year. The other canes are removed. The selected canes will be trimmed down and tied to the fixed fruiting wire with eco-friendly natural cane ties. Any large wounds are treated with garlic paste to prevent disease from entering the vine. We will also plant replacement vines where there has been die back due to disease or environmental conditions.

The plant life in the vineyard is not limited to vines, and these all need our care and attention too. We have roses at the head of some rows, which act as a natural early warning system as they attract insects such as aphids before they get to the vines. The roses are also likely to get fungal diseases, such as black rot and mildew, before the vines, so we can see when we really need to spray.

We have Italian Alder and Poplar trees planted as windbreaks that protect the vines when they are in bud and fruit. These need to be monitored, and in January we replace any that are dying back.

In between the rows of vines, when they are dormant in the winter, we plant a cover crop. This can be radish, which have long tap roots that help to aerate the soil. But we also plant clover and a mixture of other flowing plants. These have a number of functions. They prevent weeds from growing up, meaning we do not have to go up and down the rows with a tractor and spray, which can impact the roots and compact the soil. They attract bees to the pollen and nectar and provide habitats for predatory insects that do not feed on pollen, thus boosting the beneficial insect population.

 

Pop to the Cellar Door to try our new Phoenix 2022 

The Cellar Door is open Thursday and Friday from 9am to 5pm; and on Wednesday from 9am to 4pm. We are also open on Saturdays between 11am and 3pm. We not only sell all our wines and spirits, including our recently released Phoenix 2022 white wine, but we also sell wine by the glass. Why not pop in for a chat and a glass of wine to cheer yourself up in this long, cold month?

 

Take a private wine tasting?

Our Tours and Tastings usually take place in the summer when the vineyard is looking beautiful. We held our first winter tasting in December, which was a great success. We are also looking to offer private wine tastings. Would you like to bring some friends or a group along to the vineyard and have a personalised tasting session with us? Why not drop us an email at info@poultonhillestate.co.uk or pop in to see us to talk about what we can offer?

 

Hold your event at Poulton Hill Estate

Poulton Hill Estate is also set up for events and parties. We have the Long Room, nestled in a wing of Poulton Hill’s magnificent country house, that can accommodate up to 80 guests. Outside is a courtyard and beautiful garens, while inside is equipped with a small kitchen, a bar area and two cosy fireplaces. There is plenty of on-site parking. For more details, please contact claudia@poultonhillestate.co.uk