VOLUNTEERS had an early morning wake up call and rushed to a Hampshire vineyard to save the vines after a sudden dip in temperature.
The Grange in Alresford lit hundreds of bougies in the early hours of April 30 after frost set in.
A team of around eight local burners assembled having been called at 1.30am when the temperature dipped to -1C. Within an hour 450 candles were alight to keep the vines safe.
Zam Baring, CEO, said: "It is a stunning sight but not one I particularly enjoy seeing. These cold spring nights are all about tight judgement calls - how cold is it going to be in an hour?
READ MORE: Cadence Cycle Club opening clubhouse at Holden Farm near Cheriton
"Tracking clouds on satellite images, to work out if they are going to drift in over the vineyard and warm things up or disappear like a puff of smoke. If we don't light the candles how much damage is done to the buds? And, if we do light the candles that night, will we have enough left for what is coming down the line tomorrow night, the night after or even next week?
"We budget for about four cold nights each year. Any more than that and things start getting very tense.
"Once the sun comes up and it has warmed above freezing, a different team of snuffers come out and extinguish the candles to conserve them for another night. Both teams are volunteers who get rewarded for their pains with a bottle of wine. We use around 1,500 candles each year."
Message from the editor
Thank you for reading this story. We really appreciate your support.
Please help us to continue bringing you all the trusted news from your area by sharing this story or by following our Facebook page.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here