Rathfinny introduces falcon patrols and new picking system for record 2025 harvest
By Sophie Arundel
Rathfinny Wine Estate has reported an outstanding 2025 harvest, introducing a new grape-picking system and deploying trained falcons to protect fruit in place of plastic netting.
Falcons replace plastic netting
Rathfinny Wine Estate in East Sussex has hailed its 2025 harvest as one of its best yet, crediting ideal ripening conditions and a series of new sustainability initiatives – including the use of falcons to protect fruit from birds.
For the first time, trained falcons, hawks and a Chilean Blue Eagle were deployed from dawn to dusk across the estate during the final weeks before harvest. The birds of prey successfully deterred pigeons, crows and seagulls without the need for plastic netting – a move that supports Rathfinny’s B Corp commitments.
The falconry initiative replaces 300 kilometres of netting previously used to protect vines, which needed to be replaced every five years. According to the estate, the eco-friendly system proved “highly effective” and aligned with its ongoing sustainability goals.
New picking system boosts efficiency
This year, Rathfinny introduced a new grape-picking system with the aim of improving efficiency and reducing tractor miles. The main change is the use of “bucket runners” who consolidate the pickers’ buckets and then pass them into rows for waiting tractors. Each row of vines requires a team of eight pickers, with a bucket runner per-team.
Each row of vines involves around sixteen pickers, supported by two bucket runners, working in tandem. The approach helped maintain a fast pace and high morale among the 100-strong local Sussex workforce.
Local resident Darren Evans, a Seaford-based fitness enthusiast who joined the team, wrote about the experience in a Rathfinny blog, describing the camaraderie and energy during harvest.
Picking began on 8 September – two weeks earlier than usual – following a season shaped by record warmth and sunshine. The UK Met Office confirmed that summer 2025 was the warmest since records began in 1884, with a mean temperature of 16.1°C, 1.51°C above average.
Rathfinny’s south-facing chalk slopes in the South Downs achieved superb ripeness while retaining freshness and acidity. The 12-day harvest brought in Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay for the Sussex Sparkling wines, alongside small parcels of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir Précoce for still wines under the Cradle Valley label.
Rathfinny co-founder Mark Driver said: “Thanks to the hot summer, we were picking two weeks earlier than usual, and the grapes looked beautiful coming off the vines. It was a smaller crop than normal, partly due to the difficult weather in 2024, but by reducing buds and with the vines naturally self-regulating we also helped prioritise quality over quantity.”
He added: “Our Pinot Noir has been the standout this year – the best we’ve seen for several seasons – promising a rich, textured Classic Cuvée and a superb Blanc de Noirs, which is our signature Sussex Sparkling.”
“Luxury of choice” for the winemaking team
Winemaker Tony Milanowski described the conditions as “a great harvest with no disease and no rain”, giving the team “the luxury of choosing exactly when to pick each block”.
“When we come to blend in summer 2026, we will have plenty of exceptional options to make all our different Sussex Sparkling wines, from the Classic Cuvée to our signature Blanc de Noirs,” he said.
