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UK 2012 harvest - one that growers 'want to forget'

Published:  03 December, 2012

The 2012 vintage has been a year "farmers and growers want to forget", according to Bob Lindo, owner of Cornwall's Camel Valley vineyard.

The 2012 vintage has been a year "farmers and growers want to forget", according to Bob Lindo, owner of Cornwall's Camel Valley vineyard.

Lindo said late spring frosts, droughts, storms, gales, and floods all "wreaked havoc" on British agriculture, with vine growers, in particular expecting nothing but a "meagre crop of potentially unripe grapes". But added those growers who persevered were rewarded. "Most clouds do actually have a silver lining and having tasted tank samples this week the Lindo family can declare that this year is one of them," he said.

"We know that yields throughout the country were down. Bunch and berry sizes were small leading to a reduced extraction rate but allowing less dilution and more concentration of grape flavours. A proportion of growers that we work with, some now very experienced in our challenging climate, were able to keep what they had disease free until the last possible moment, pick selectively as late as November, and follow up with rigorous bunch selection on the sorting table," he added.

Camel Valley Winemaker Sam Lindo marked this year as "undoubtedly a challenge", but claims with staff pulling together it has created  a range of wines which are "nothing short of miraculous in the circumstances". However he added that some of its customers' favourite wines will be in "short supply, and there will be disappointments".

Sam Lindo said:" But at the end of the day our grapes ripened to unbelievable levels, and the wines look to be some of our best yet. We've been very careful to make decisions on the analysis profile and made more sparkling wine than still white and no red at all. After 20 years of winemaking it takes a lot to put an extra smile on my Dad's face, but I think we've done it."

Sam Lindo has been UK winemaker of the year three out of the last six years and runner up the other three. Camel Valley also won gold in the International Wine Challenge in 2012.

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