Harvest with Harrow & Hope

I was lucky to be invited by Kaye Laithwaite to join the harvest of Pinot Noir grapes on the Harrow & Hope vineyard this morning. I have to say it is back-breaking work and I am amazed at the seasoned pickers who work from 7am-7pm, but I left with a sense of achievement that comes from hard work and a full stomach thanks to the gorgeous Barbara Laithwaite who served a delicious lunch. 

H&H hand pick their grapes allowing selection of prime grapes with minimal damage, which is important for this small vineyard. Hand-picking grapes is also important for regions with steep aspects, such as Mosel, Duoro, and Northern Rhône. Mechanical picking can't be used for wines that require whole-bunch grapes, such as Champagne and Beaujolais. As you would expect, machine harvesting is cheaper and easier, but can also be valuable for night-picking which is required for Sauvignon Blanc grapes which over-ripen very quickly once picked.

The juice that was pressed this morning by Henry Laithwaite was like no grape juice I've ever tasted, it was intense, refined, and like nectar. I can't wait to try the Harrow & Hope English sparkling wine that my grapes make!

If you would like to find out more about the story of Harrow & Hope and the wines they make, take a look at their website www.harrowandhope.com

If you would like to learn how to grow vines or make wine, you can take courses at Plumpton College in Sussex www.plumpton.ac.uk

If you want to work in vineyards in the UK, or need help setting up your own vineyard, get in touch with Vine Works www.vine-works.com

Tim Adams, Pinot Gris, Clare Valley, 2009, 13% (Price: 1)

I am going to start with this wine as my first post, because it has an unbelievable colour. I have never had an orange wine before! At first I thought there was something wrong with it, so I had to check, but no, this wine is actually orange.

Normal tasting notes require the following kind of explanation: Clear, pale orange appearance; Medium intensity with peach, apricot, lychee and lemon characteristics on the nose; Dry, high acidity, medium body, with flavour characteristics of kiwi, peach, apricot and steel; Long length & very good quality. (NB. Pinot Grigio rarely gets higher than 'Good quality', but this Gris has so much more to offer.)

My notes however go a little more like this... Beautiful unexpected colour, looks like a summer meadow! It makes me feel like I'm sitting on a balcony in a busy city (am I in Singapore or Hong Kong?), eating tropical fruits that I don't know the name of. It's good with Asian food, but you need to drink it quickly otherwise it gets a bit steely.

If you like crisp dry white wines, but want to try something with a bit more character, this is a good one to try. In fact, I find pinot gris often give a little something extra. Also a good one if you're an ABC (anything but chardonnay).

Welcome to Princess and the Pinot!

I am hoping to use this blog to help you explore wine in such a way that you can try some very tasty, some good quality wines, but without having to spend a fortune, or kiss too many frogs before finding your prince.

I will be blogging my tasting notes, tips for choosing wine, and thoughts and comments as I continue my wine exploration. I hope you will join me on the journey.

I have passed WSET Level 2 with Distinction, so I know a little about what I am talking about, although the way I taste wines is somewhat different to the standard tasting notes. I hope you enjoy reading the blog and if you have any questions, comments, or recommendations, please post away!