Nyetimber Harvest

NYETIMBER HARVEST 2026

The most exciting chapter of the grape-growing year has arrived: harvest. As the vines reach their peak and the grapes ripen to perfection, the gentle pace of summer gives way to a palpable energy across the Nyetimber Estate. Winemakers, vineyard teams and around 500 specially trained pickers come together as months of patience, care and dedication culminate in a few intense and unforgettable weeks.

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Nyetimber harvest grape picking

Because we only use estate-owned fruit, we have complete control over the timing of the harvest and fruit quality. We train our pickers to handpick only the ripest, healthiest grapes, carefully assessing the fruit to ensure that only the best makes it to the winery. Our pickers work from sunrise to sunset, collecting the grapes in 15kg crates. Smaller than the industry standard, these help prevent the fruit at the bottom from being crushed by the weight above it.

 

 

This year’s harvest is set to be especially exciting, with our earliest ever picking expected to begin around mid-September, several weeks earlier than usual. Even a typical English summer can produce incredible sparkling wines, but this year’s warmer weather gives the team every reason to feel optimistic about the quality of the upcoming harvest. Throughout the summer, with July being the hottest month on record, our vines have remained resilient through the heatwaves, allowing the fruit to progress beautifully towards optimum ripeness. We are expecting 2026 to be another exceptional vintage year.

Grape harvest at a Nyetimber vineyard

Because we only use estate-owned fruit, we have complete control over the timing of the harvest and fruit quality. We train our pickers to handpick only the ripest, healthiest grapes, carefully assessing the fruit to ensure that only the best makes it to the winery. Our pickers work from sunrise to sunset, collecting the grapes in 15kg crates. Smaller than the industry standard, these help prevent the fruit at the bottom from being crushed by the weight above it.

 

 

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‘We’re hopeful for what this year’s harvest will offer. Despite the challenges that frosts and drought have brought for our vineyard teams, the long, hot summer has also provided excellent growing conditions for our sparkling wines. We’re hoping that Mother Nature remains on our side for the last few weeks leading up to harvest so that this year’s vintage can reach its full potential.’

Nyetimber’s Head Winemaker Cherie Spriggs
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Grapes are pressed within several hours of being picked, keeping the time between harvest and pressing to a minimum and ensuring the highest quality juice for our sparkling wines.

Nyetimber is unusual in that we keep the wine from each vineyard parcel separate, stored in its own tank. When it comes to blending, we can therefore choose from a range of individual base wines, each with its own defining characteristics. This thorough approach allows us to capture the nuances of each vineyard section and gives us greater creative freedom during the exciting blending stages later on.

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