MORE vineyards in the Winchester area have been battling frost to protect the young shoots of this year’s crop.
Last week the Chronicle reported how the Grange Estate near Itchen Stoke had alerted a team of volunteers to go out in the early hours to light hundreds of bougies, French for candles, to keep the ground temperature above freezing.
The Raimes vineyard, with two fields at Harnham Hill and Lamborough Lane, near Cheriton, has been forced to take the same measures last Thursday night. These beautiful images were captured by local photographer Simon Newman. In the top photo the candles at both vineyards can be seen.
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A hard frost in May can destroy the young shoots on which this season’s crop of grapes will grow for harvest in the autumn.
Last week Zam Baring, chief executive of The Grange Hampshire, said that frosts last year had hit the yield by 60 per cent.
The nighttime operations are set to be become a more common springtime sight across the chalklands of Hampshire with the recent increase in the number of vineyards set to continue.
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