A bumper grape harvest at Gusbourne Estate vineyard, Kent, has produced enough for more than double the 40,000 bottles of wine produced in 2012.
The crop was grown on the same acreage as last year but CEO Ben Walgate said exceptional weather for flowering increased the yield for this year.
He said: “Combined with the great summer it meant that the fruit ripened well and the vine's foliage remained clean and healthy. The increase in production volumes is purely down to growing conditions.”
Walgate said sales had risen significantly during the course of the year. “2013 has been a very busy year for us; we've floated on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange, we've built a new winery and we've also won a raft of awards. We hope 2014 will be another great year.”
Walgate said that the estate has 105 acres, of which 59 are mature and in full production. The firm has a foothold in another English county too: “This year we planted approximately 46 acres in West Sussex in May,' Walgate added.
Gusbourne grows Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grape varieties for use in award-winning sparkling wines and premium red and white wines.
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