After this year’s harvest, Bolney Wine Estate will begin work on a two-year project which will see the removal of approximately 10,000 vines and the replanting of new varieties, clones and rootstocks that are better suited to the evolving climate.

James Davis MW, wine development director at Freixenet Copestick & Henkell, will manage the process alongside Dr Alistair Nesbitt and his team at Vinescapes.

“As we replant, we’re making intentional choices based on long-term projections of consumer preferences and selecting varieties that not only thrive in our changing climate but also align with where we believe taste and demand are headed over the next two to three decades,” Davis says. “It’s a strategic investment in both sustainability and relevance but focused on continuing to produce exceptional wines at Bolney.”

The Estate says completing the work in two phases will help the production team, led by head winemaker Cara Lee Dely, to manage the availability of its own estate grown fruit during this period and it has stated that there will be no impact to the supply during the two-year process.

Dely adds: “As a winemaker, having the opportunity to be part of a project like this is thrilling. Vines do have a life span, and become more vulnerable to disease as they age, and of course it’s important from a winemaking perspective that we’re always working with the highest quality fruit that we can. I’m really looking forward to further developing the portfolio of award-winning Bolney sparkling and still wines and reaffirming our commitment to excellence and innovation.”