At Gusbourne, harvest is the defining moment of the year – the culmination of months of care in the vineyard and the beginning of each new vintage’s story. From the first ripening berries in late summer (or early autumn) to the final hand-picked bunches, every decision is guided by one principle: uncompromising quality.
This year, harvest will be our earliest ever - the first fruit will come into our Appledore winery at the end of August. The main harvest will start on 8 September and will be over before the end of the month.
Our winemaking team, led by Head Winemaker Mary Bridges (pictured, above), analyse fruit across more than 100 vineyard parcels in Kent, tracking sugars, acidity and flavour development with forensic precision. This allows us to harvest parcel by parcel at the perfect moment, ensuring pristine fruit reaches the winery in peak condition. The process is intensely hands-on – from dropping fruit that doesn’t meet our standards, to coordinating picking and pressing so no grapes ever wait overnight.
No two harvests are the same. In generous years, abundant crops of beautifully ripe fruit set the stage for expressive wines; in cooler, more challenging seasons, smaller yields often result in remarkable intensity. This year, the crop looks plentiful, clean and healthy – a promising start to vintage 2025.
For the vineyard team, winery crew and seasonal pickers, harvest is hard work – but it is also a time of shared purpose, excitement and anticipation. Because it’s here, in the golden autumn days of Kent, that the next chapter of Gusbourne begins.
If you'd like to experience harvest for yourself, you're welcome to join us in the vineyards. Our Harvest Estate Tours are an immersive way to see the pickers, taste the fruit from the vine, sample the fresh juice - and then enjoy an in-depth tasting and seasonal lunch. Find out more.
