The grapes had spoken.

At Southcott Vineyard in Pewsey, the grapes had ripened and were ready for harvest, but it's a harvest with a difference! Tim and Sarah Ingram Hill, who own the vineyard, don't just harvest the grapes – they invite volunteers to come and help! The harvesting team was fully recruited within just 48 hours of the notice going out – and we went along to join in.

It was a beautiful, autumn day in early October – we, along with about 30 other volunteers, congregated on the lawn next to the vineyard, with a spectacular view of Pewsey Hill and the White Horse above us.

Tim provided us with the equipment – secateurs and a bucket – and explained the process. Crates would be made available for us to empty our buckets when full and if possible take out the mouldy grapes from the bunches. We then paired up with a 'picking partner' and were allocated a row to pick, with a picker on each side of the row so you didn't miss any grapes. And off we went!

Fortunately, I had an experienced picking partner in Ian who has done this a few times before, but once underway the process was very straightforward. I learned that you had to be careful not to cut yourself and you had to double-check under the leaves to make sure you hadn't missed any bunches. There are three types of grape grown here – chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunière – and Ian and I picked all three. The red ones were much easier to spot than the white ones!

It was so much fun!  The conversations with other pickers, the beautiful weather and the spectacular location made you feel you were contributing to something very special.

The vineyard has just 2000 vines, so it is small but it produces the most delicious sparkling wine, available from local outlets (such as Gastro Nicks in Collingbourne Ducis) and from Southcott Vineyard’s own website.

We stopped for a mid-morning break of cake, tea and coffee and then continued our work. 

And once our work was done, and because we had finished slightly early, we had time for a glass of their gorgeous sparkling wine and then it was time for a tasty light lunch back at the house.

Whilst this was going on, the blue crates were wrapped and loaded into the truck to go for pressing in Guildford where they will produce about 1000 bottles per ton of grapes.

It was such an enjoyable day – Tim and Sarah were so welcoming and hospitable and clearly love what they do.  And the sparkling wine is delicious.  Try some!

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About the Author: Susie Brew

Susie Brew
Susie is the Coordinator for the Pewsey Vale Tourism Partnership. She is passionate about the Vale of Pewsey and its place in the North Wessex Downs. Susie really enjoys sharing the history and stories of the area and to help local businesses and organisations thrive. With four dogs, she is often out walking up on the downs with her husband Tim.

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