Despite testing conditions, also experienced across Europe, a small but good quality crop was achieved in 2024, reflective of an increasingly mature and skilled workforce.
The WineGB Harvest Yield Survey 2024 showed the value of the experience and knowledge built up over the years in the UK’s variable climate. As a cool climate wine region, significant vintage variation is common and brings a unique character and vibrancy to the wines produced on this island. While volumes were reduced this year, assiduous vineyard management and selective picking resulted in grapes with a high level of phenolic ripeness due to increased hang-time over a longer than average harvest period. A true ‘winegrowers’ vintage’, the skills amassed by vine-growing and production teams in the UK worked in synergy with the variability of this year’s harvest.
The 2024 vintage is projected to produce between 6 to 7 million bottles, corresponding to a 30%-40% reduction on the 10-year production average (10 million bottles). It is important to note, however, that this follows on from 2023, the largest harvest achieved in the UK. Volumes of both existing bottled stock and reserve wines were bolstered by this bumper year as well as by previous high-yielding vintages, mitigating the shortfall in production this year.
In the UK, there were mixed experiences across the board, meaning that even vineyards spaced a few miles apart experienced very different weather patterns, particularly with regards to rainfall. While for the majority this meant a smaller harvest, there were some producers that picked little or no crop this year. In terms of yield, the east of the country fared better due to prevailing weather patterns. The South-East achieved the highest average yield, followed by the Thames and Chilterns, and the East.
Commenting on the initial harvest data, WineGB CEO Nicola Bates said: “In a tough year, producers have shown huge resilience and expertise in harvesting a small, but high-quality crop. While overall yields are down this year, stock levels are high and there remains consistency in the supply of wine for sale. This year is both a reminder of the unpredictability of British weather and the skill of our workforce, which is well-versed in dealing with our variable climate.”
Harvest Report Author Stephen Skelton MW added: “2024 wine production had a challenging year, but the figures show that when faced with climatic adversity, skilled growers can rise to the challenge and employ the resources available to them to produce reasonable yields. It also shows that our four major varieties – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Bacchus – can produce good yields, even in testing years.”