Description

Harvest 2026 – Volunteer Picking Information

Thank you so much for signing up to help us carefully hand-pick and bring in our precious Saffron Grange grapes, which will go on to make our 2026 Sparkling Wines.

Unfortunately, due to significant spring frosts, this year’s harvest is smaller but the fruit quality is excellent, so it’s more important than ever that we bring every single grape in safely!

Below is everything you need to know ahead of your picking day. If you have any questions or concerns, please email harvest@saffrongrange.com.

What to wear & bring

We’ll provide the equipment you need, along with a full briefing and training. We recommend wearing or bringing:

• Waterproof shoes or wellies
• A waterproof coat – and possibly waterproof trousers depending on the forecast
• Layers
• A refillable water bottle
• A small backpack or cross-body bag to keep your personal belongings in and carry with you while picking
• A smile!

Your day at a glance

Please note that timings below are approximate and subject to change.

08:15–08:30 – Tea & coffee
08:30–08:45 – Vineyard team briefing
Please arrive promptly so we can get started on time.

09:00–11:00 – Picking session #1
11:00–11:30 – Tea & coffee break
11:30–14:00 – Picking session #2
14:00–15:00 – Lunch & a well-earned glass of fizz! 🥂

You’ll receive a full briefing before we start, and there will be plenty of support from the vineyard team throughout the day.

If you’re unsure about anything, please just ask!

Dietary Requirements

We will provide lunch for you on the day though as a small business, we’re unfortunately not able to cater for every individual dietary requirement other than vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free. If you have questions about the food or any concerns, please email us at harvest@saffrongrange.com.

A few important things to know

Harvest dates can change

Our picking schedule can change at short notice depending on weather conditions and the speed at which the grapes ripen.

If we need to make any changes, we’ll contact you via email and post an announcement on our Harvest WhatsApp Community, so please keep an eye on both.

If you haven’t already done so, you can join the Saffron Grange WhatsApp Community here:

Join our WhatsApp Community

Thank you in advance for your understanding – harvest is a very weather-dependent operation!

Age restriction

For health and safety reasons, we’re unfortunately unable to accommodate children under 16 at harvest.

Get Ready for Picking

If you’d like to get ahead, please follow the links below to view some videos from our previous harvests where our Vineyard Manager, Paul offers some guidance on how to pick grapes.
Don’t worry if you don’t have time to watch them – we’ll give you a full briefing and show you everything you need to know when you arrive!

A Guide to Picking Pinots
A Guide to Picking Chardonnay

Additional Volunteers

If you know anyone else who would like to get involved and help us fill the last few spaces, please send them our registration link below.

Register your interest for Harvest 2026

Thank you again for your help in advance. We’re really looking forward to welcoming you to the vineyard and getting Harvest 2026 underway!