Carden Park celebrates record grape harvest! #News

Victoria Hayes
2nd November 2023

Carden Park Hotel achieves record grape harvest

Carden Park Hotel in Cheshire has achieved its largest grape harvest to date, with 16.25 tonnes of grapes picked this autumn. This represents an increase of 8% on the previous record, and will allow the hotel to produce roughly 15,500 bottles of its bespoke sparkling wine.

The hotel’s three-acre commercial vineyard, the largest in the North West, was harvested in early autumn by a team of experts. The success of the harvest is attributed to a combination of factors, including the desirable weather conditions experienced in the UK during the grape flowering cycle (May-June), and the avoidance of an early frost.

Carden Park Estate’s Vineyard was established over 30 years ago and boasts just under 4,000 vines, hosting two grape varieties which were carefully selected to be conditioned to thrive in the UK climate. The majority of the grapes harvested will be used to create the hotel’s Carden Reserve Sparkling White Wine, with 5% of the second Pinot Noir grape variety being used to create Carden Reserve Sparkling Rose Wine.

According to The HalfPenny winemakers, whom the hotel collaborates with in the creation process, the yield is predicted to equate to 15,500 bottles of Carden Park’s home-grown wine – Carden Park Reserve. The entire lifecycle of the Carden Estate Reserve Wine processing will take two years.

Sommelier at Carden Park Hotel, Patryk Kapelinski, said: “The long-lasting perlage in the Carden Reserve is a perfect pairing for succulent dishes like the British classic, fish and chips. The harmonious finish and vivid acidity also match a variety of freshly prepared white meats and seafood. The wine also makes a perfect aperitif.”

The vineyard will now de-leaf and rest until January, when the estate’s team will start training next year’s shoots onto the wires. Four shoots on each vine, with two bent down to ensure they grow correctly, will be trained to ensure another successful yield for 2024.

Taste Cheshire CEO Briony Wilson enjoys the fruits of Carden Park’s labour

Taste Cheshire is excited to see what the future holds for Carden Park Hotel’s vineyard, and we look forward to enjoying the fruits of their labour in the years to come!