Vineyard Update: The Vines Are Finally Fruiting!

When we planted the vineyard in 2022, we knew we were embarking on a long journey. Five growing seasons later, we are finally starting to see the first signs of grapes. It feels monumental.

The amount of hard work, patience, and belief it has taken to reach this point, with very little tangible reward along the way, has tested everyone involved. We don't want to speak too soon, but simply seeing grapes forming this season has given us all a renewed sense of purpose and excitement. Sometimes the smallest signs of progress carry the greatest weight.

This February we tied down around 1,000 of our 12,000 vines. It's a simple task on the surface, but an incredibly important one. Grapevines produce fruit most successfully on one year old lignified wood, so tying the canes down encourages the vine to direct its energy into producing this season's crop. It's one of those quiet jobs that doesn't look particularly dramatic, but months later you begin to see the reward.

The growing season began beautifully, with a welcome balance of sunshine and rainfall. As summer has progressed, however, we have found ourselves facing another serious drought. This has been influenced by the onset of El Niño, a global weather pattern that typically occurs every four to five years, bringing warmer temperatures and reduced rainfall to many parts of the world. We have been aware that it was coming, but scientists expect its strongest effects to be felt during 2027. This gives us one season to refine our irrigation systems and prepare for what could be another exceptionally hot and dry year.

It's a sobering thought, particularly as this follows the severe droughts of both 2022 and 2025, the latter being described as one of the worst in hundreds of years.

Ironically, a changing climate was one of the factors that made viticulture in the UK increasingly viable, and one of the reasons vineyards continue to be planted across the country. On paper, warmer summers sound appealing. In reality, standing in a vineyard under relentless heat, carrying water to young vines, the conversation becomes far more complex.

Our established vines will cope remarkably well. Their deep root systems allow them to search for moisture far below the surface. It is the younger vines that concern us most. Their roots are still finding their way into the soil, making them far more vulnerable to prolonged dry spells. For now, we will continue spot watering where needed and, like every farmer before us, keep one eye on the sky and hope for rain.

Moments like these also remind us that it isn't only agriculture adapting to a changing climate. Wildlife, insects, trees, and wildflowers are all being asked to adjust at an extraordinary pace. It certainly gives you a greater appreciation for just how interconnected everything is.

On a brighter note, if all goes to plan and we manage to harvest enough fruit to produce the field blend Pét Nat we have been dreaming about, we hope to celebrate properly. Our plan is to host a launch party at the beginning of May next year, raising a glass with everyone who has supported Three Pools along the way.

We'll keep you updated as the season unfolds.

Until then, if you happen to be passing a rain cloud, please send it our way... or better yet, head outside and do a little rain dance for us.