Millionth UK vine planted

The Duchess of Cornwall symbolically planted the UK’s millionth grapevine at a small ceremony at a Sussex fair last week.

The Duchess of Cornwall and Peter Gladwin planting the vine at the South of England Show last week.

Taking place at the South of England Show, the Duchess, who is president of the United Kingdom Vineyards Association (UKVA), planted the vine in front of the Plumpton College stand, accompanied by the UKVA’s chairman, Peter Gladwin, and Plumpton College’s principal, Jeremy Kerswell.

Gladwin commented: “It’s wonderful that this fantastic landmark for UK wine production has been celebrated with a ceremonial planting of a vine by our president, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, at the South of England Show.”

As reported earlier this year, plantings in the UK have reached all time highs. The wine industry is now one of the UK’s fastest growing sectors; the area under vine has increased 135% in the last decade (tripling since 2000) and 2017 will mark the largest planting programme yet seen.

The number of vines planted this year will cover 625 acres (252 hectares), the equivalent of London’s Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens combined, and yield a further two million bottles of wine when they begin to yield their first crops.

There are now 500 vineyards and 135 wineries in the UK producing around 5m bottles of wine a year – a figure that is expected to double in the next five years.