I spent a day grape-picking at an award-winning Sussex vineyard - these are the eight tips I learnt

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Tinwood Estate and Vineyard at Halnaker near Chichester in West Sussex produces award-winning Sussex Sparkling Wine. In October, as part of its Harvest Experience, customers have had the chance to enjoy an immersive day of food, wine, and hard work hand-picking grapes in the vineyard for the 2024 vintage. Editor In Chief Gary Shipton joined them to find out the secrets of a successful grape harvest.

After two rather delicious croissants and a cup of coffee we set off for a day’s grape picking. Well, not a whole day but a good two hours at least.

The tools of the trade were somewhat sparse. A black plastic bucket, a pair of transparent gloves, and a rather aggressive set of clippers – the sort with which you might prune a particularly spiky garden rose bush.

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But our mission on this surprisingly sunny and dry Sunday morning was not in pursuit of floral blooms.

Chardonnay grapes on some of the oldest vines at the Tinwood Estate at Halnaker, just north of Chichester in West Sussex, which was founded in 2007. Photo: Gary ShiptonChardonnay grapes on some of the oldest vines at the Tinwood Estate at Halnaker, just north of Chichester in West Sussex, which was founded in 2007. Photo: Gary Shipton
Chardonnay grapes on some of the oldest vines at the Tinwood Estate at Halnaker, just north of Chichester in West Sussex, which was founded in 2007. Photo: Gary Shipton

We were headed for the oldest vines on the Tinwood Estate dating back to the vineyard’s birth in 2007. And the grape variety in question was the much maligned Chardonnay – which remains the star ingredient of many of the finest bottles of sparkling.

Tinwood fizzes not just with delicate bubbles on the palate – but with the energy and enterprise of the family that runs it. Its three main bottles – Blanc de Blancs, Brut, and Rose – have secured one award after another; and the vineyard with its stunning restaurant and lodges has become a must-visit destination at the foot of the South Downs.

Owner Art Tukker was leading the group of nearly 50 would-be wine makers who had signed up for the Harvest Experience and showed us the secrets of successful grape harvesting.

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1 Work in pairs. The vines are planted in long rows and the most certain way of not missing any grapes is to work with a partner, one either side of the vine.

Gary Shipton picking chardonnay grapes on some of the oldest vines at the Tinwood Estate at Halnaker, just north of Chichester in West Sussex, which was founded in 2007. Photo: ContributedGary Shipton picking chardonnay grapes on some of the oldest vines at the Tinwood Estate at Halnaker, just north of Chichester in West Sussex, which was founded in 2007. Photo: Contributed
Gary Shipton picking chardonnay grapes on some of the oldest vines at the Tinwood Estate at Halnaker, just north of Chichester in West Sussex, which was founded in 2007. Photo: Contributed

2 Wear gloves. You might not instantly think of grapes as nature’s superglue but pretty much everything sticks to you after man-handling them for a few hours. So if you want to be able to safely pick up a glass of the award-winning fizz at the end of the day, cover your hands.

3 Snip the bunches of grapes off – and not your fingers. It seems that while no-one has actually lost a digit at Tinwood, self-inflicted wounds from attacking your finger rather than the tether of vine holding the grape in place is not uncommon. Art carries a packet of plasters with him, just in case …

4 Keep a bucket with you to collect the grapes as you go. It’s useful to collect the grapes as you proceed down the vines as well as a reminder that this venture should be on everyone’s bucket list.

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5 Attention to detail. Tinwood doesn’t pick grapes by machine but by hand – to ensure the highest quality is maintained. As Art explained: “You need to look and see if a bunch is ripe. If it has been pecked at by a bird. If it has mildew or rot. You can then decide what is a good bunch and what is bad. A machine harvester will take everything but by doing it by hand we have the opportunity to sort it so we can ensure we get the best quality. This year has had a lot of rain, it’s been quite cold at times so it is even more important to pick by hand.”

The Tinwood Estate restaurant at Halnaker, just north of Chichester in West Sussex. Photo: Gary ShiptonThe Tinwood Estate restaurant at Halnaker, just north of Chichester in West Sussex. Photo: Gary Shipton
The Tinwood Estate restaurant at Halnaker, just north of Chichester in West Sussex. Photo: Gary Shipton

6 Don’t leave bunches behind on the vine. Keep checking … they often hang low and hide themselves very carefully.

7 You need to be fit to pick grapes as a profession. “You have to be willing to be at the vineyard at 7.30 in the morning come rain or shine. We have a lovely morning today but to do an eight or nine hour day you have to be quite fit. You will feel it in your back and your legs at the end of the day.”

8 Women tend to be better grape pickers than men. "You need to be determined. And women often make better grape-pickers than men because they have more dexterity in their fingers, they tend to be slightly shorter, so of our team it’s about 65 per cent female and 35 per cent male,” Art explained.

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Tinwood employs about 40 people a day during the harvest season and they will gather in a staggering 24 tons of grapes in one shift – the equivalent of about 13,000 bottles of 75cl sparkling.

Some of the many awards proudly displayed at the Tinwood Estate at Halnaker, just north of Chichester in West Sussex, which was founded in 2007. Photo: Gary ShiptonSome of the many awards proudly displayed at the Tinwood Estate at Halnaker, just north of Chichester in West Sussex, which was founded in 2007. Photo: Gary Shipton
Some of the many awards proudly displayed at the Tinwood Estate at Halnaker, just north of Chichester in West Sussex, which was founded in 2007. Photo: Gary Shipton

In all, the vineyard will hope to produce some 220 tons of grapes of which about 40,000 bottles will appear under the Tinwood label.

Whether 2024 will be as generous as the excellent 2023 in terms of yield seems doubtful.

“When we started picking we were worried. And actually the quality has been pretty good, better than we were expecting. But the quantity we are picking is less. So the sugars and the acids are in the right place and through this sorting by hand we are getting a clear crop to the winery but, especially in the pinots, the bunch size is quite small and we are harvesting on average about half the pinot that we did last year off this same number of vines. So it is having an effect on the amount we are picking. It is definitely going to be a lower yielding year than last year,” Art confided.

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There is, however, something rather satisfying in knowing you played your rather small part in producing a handful of those bottles quite apart from the wonderful therapeutic benefits of setting aside all the cares of the world for a couple of hours … and concentrating on not cutting off your fingers.

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