The 2019 Harvest at Simpsons’ Wine Estate is now complete. The vineyard and winery team have worked tirelessly for the past month, often with the Great British weather working against them, to ensure that all of the fruit has been safely gathered in.
The growing season had been relatively good, but there have been lower overall temperatures this year. For instance, there have been 876 growing degree days in 2019, versus the 974 days we saw in the sensational 2018 season. Thus, the team made the decision to hold off harvesting until later this year to ensure the maximum ripeness and flavour profile of the fruits.
Nevertheless, this has been another momentous year for the Estate, as it has been the first harvest from all three of the Simpsons’ vineyard sites in the Elham Valley. Thanks to EU funding from the East Kent LEADER project, our state-of-the-art winery has seen a vast expansion in terms of tank capacity and the housing of a second Inertys press, which has ensured a smooth transition as the yields and productivity increase.
As the profile of Simpsons’ Wine Estate increases, it is thrilling to be able to work on creating the next vintage of still and sparkling English wines to captivate and enthrall our wonderful supporters and to entice some new palates.
