Nyetimber Celebrates a Bumper Harvest

We are thrilled to announce the extraordinary accomplishment of our most expansive harvest to date. The 2023 harvest season has set new records for us, both in terms of the number of grapes picked and the area of vineyards harvested.

Over the course of 21 days, our harvest produced an average yield of 9.7 tonnes per hectare from our 350 hectares spanning across our 11 vineyards in West Sussex, Hampshire, and Kent. Our unwavering dedication to quality, craftsmanship, and excellence remained at the core of this year’s harvest process. We took a meticulous parcel-by-parcel approach and handled our 100% estate-owned hand-picked grapes with utmost care.

“During harvest, our sole aim is to preserve the delicate characteristics of our grapes, ensuring only the highest quality fruit is selected to craft exceptional English sparkling wines. In England, each vintage is unique, and 2023 represents a successful harvest for us. We will look to produce over two million bottles and our tastings show that our wines, though still in fermentation, are already showing impressive flavour diversity.”

CEO and Owner Eric Heerema. 

Harvest at Nyetimber is a purposeful time, and this year, 450 experienced pickers joined us and were crucial in bringing in the crop. By using only estate-owned and grown fruit, we maintain complete control over quality. We ensure our pickers are trained to analyse the fruit carefully and selectively harvest only grapes that are ripe and healthy, ensuring only the best of the crop is transported to be pressed. 

“This year, the weather predominantly cooperated during harvest season and was somewhat of a secondary consideration for the most part, allowing us to get on with our jobs. As with everyone involved in viticulture, we did experience some challenging moments with rain and wind, but through teamwork and determination, we achieved what we set out to do.”

Senior Winemaker Brad Greatrix

As the pioneer of English Sparkling Wine, we continue to set ourselves apart with attention to detail, including keeping grapes from each of its vineyard parcels separate. This allows us to preserve and thoroughly assess the quality and subtle nuances in taste from each parcel. 

“By following this exacting approach, we can discover some real gems and can make wines with a delicate balance of flavour, freshness, and acidity, for which Nyetimber is known and celebrated. Ultimately, our aim as winemakers is to keep things simple and allow the elegant and complex flavours to shine through, creating those joyous moments where you can savour every sip right to the end of the bottle.”

Head Winemaker Cherie Spriggs