The legendary Luke Spalding hosted our second annual vineyard visit for regeneratively minded growers at Everflyht vineyard in Sussex, England in May 2024.
Growers from around the country were joined by wine makers, retailers and agronomists.
Luke shared his experiences of what has and hasn’t worked for him during the previous year. Discussions included:
Compost and how to ensure it’s biologically active
Cover crops and how to manage them
What you need to make sheep work in your vineyard
Alternatives to agrichemicals
The pros and cons of different methods of planting vines and the importance of genetic diversity
Water management
The problem with too many badgers
Wines were tasted and shared in the beautiful setting of the South Downs National Park to the accompaniment of skylarks singing overhead (they can be pretty noisy!)
Huge thanks to Luke for his openness and honesty. It’s through growers that we can share local knowledge. If you’re interested in holding a similar event (or already have!) let us know and we can share what you are doing.