As the number of British vineyards grow so does the need for additional help with the grape harvest. Many small businesses, often family-run, rely on volunteers to help with the most labour-intensive part of the wine making cycle.
Harvest takes place September/October but the specific timing for each vineyard is dependent on what the weather has done and what it has in store! And of course, the amount of picking days depends on the size of the vineyard. The 2023 harvest was the largest ever yield - 20-22 million bottles according to a WineGB report and whilst I’m not sure I contributed much to that figure, I did have great fun as a volunteer grape picker at two Midlands vineyards.
Halfpenny Green in South Staffordshire is a large vineyard and winery which produces a wide range of its own wines as well as contracting its winery facilities to smaller vineyards. They have a four week window where, weather permitting, volunteers can turn up for morning or afternoon grape picking shifts (or stay all day). I went along with a friend for an afternoon shift on a sunny afternoon in late September. We were given buckets and secateurs and after some quick training on how to cut and what was acceptable and what should be rejected, we set to work. It’s fun going with someone you know as you work in pairs either side of the vine meaning you can cut and chat! It requires a lot of bending so those in the know had brought little fold away camping stools. It’s also very messy (red grapes especially!) so gardening gloves are a good idea.
There was a real buzz around the vines and the afternoon flew by as we filled bucket after bucket. When our shift finished, we headed over to collect our reward – a bottle of still wine of our choice (if you did the whole day you could have two bottles of still or a bottle of sparkling). We then went to the café where refreshments were available, and wines could be tasted. Most of the volunteers were seasoned pickers who enjoyed this annual activity.
A week later and I headed off to Welcombe Hills Vineyard near Stratford upon Avon. I had registered my interest in volunteering months before and was emailed information to book a place. I was a bit nervous going on my own, but everyone was really friendly and we easily buddied up to work the vines. Having learnt from my rooky errors, this time I was armed with a folding stool and gloves! The hospitality we received in return for our labour was delightful – welcome refreshments, a tea break and a delicious home cooked lunch washed down with a glass of their delicious sparkling wine. We even got a bottle of their Shakespearian themed still wine to take home. And all the grapes we picked were immediately transferred to Halfpenny Green to be made into wine.
I’ve noticed a lot more vineyards looking for volunteers – and not only at harvest time. Some have programmes where you can volunteer throughout the year. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and will be signing up again in 2024.
Comments