Spring Has Sprung at Saffron Grange

We may all be experiencing a strange Springtime this year, but our vines don’t seem to have noticed. All this beautiful weather means the vineyard is quite literally springing back into life. Despite it being too early for the grapes, this is one of our busiest times of the year with challenges like pruning, planning and frost-fighting keeping our team busy on these sunny days.

Vineyard Life

The rows between our vines are covered in beautifully colourful wildflowers, like daisies and dandelions. We cultivate underneath the vines by turning over the earth to remove unwanted weeds, but we are very careful to preserve this stunning natural display in the centre of each row.

Our rows of Italian alder trees are planted strategically around the vineyard to help protect the vines from wind and these have now turned from barren wood to leafy green, perfectly framing and protecting each section of vines.

Views are changing daily as our plants and trees enjoy the glorious sunshine, along with the bunnies, birds and butterflies.

Bud Burst

Winter is a time when vines essentially have a long nap: leaves disappear, the vines turn woody and show little sign of life. However, as soon as the weather starts to turn warmer and the temperatures rise, the vines begin to awake from their long winter snooze. Buds start to swell and then burst into life, marking the start of this year’s growing season.

Frost Protection

This time of year can often mean many a sleepless night for Paul, our owner, as he closely monitors the vineyard temperature.

The joy of seeing new buds showing signs of life, is always tempered by concern about a certain Mr. Jack Frost. At this time of year, the vine is at its most vulnerable to frost. If the cold gets inside the buds, it can cause damage that reduces the amount of fruit a vine will produce.

One overnight frost can threaten the whole season. Fortunately, we have invested in sophisticated technology to protect our beloved vines, including an industrial fan called the ‘tow and blow.’

Anyone who has been on one of our tours will know this piece of equipment is enormous! It does exactly what the name suggests: it’s towed to the right spot in the vineyard and then blows air across the entire site overnight, preventing the frost from sinking and reaching the buds.

Coming soon…

Alongside the daily routine of vineyard management, we have also been very busy making preparations to release our next vintage. We are very excited to share these with you – to be the first to hear details and special offers, please sign up to our newsletter.