Harvest 2025: A Standout Year for UK Vineyards
James Dodson, CEO of VineWorks, reviews Harvest 2025
The 2025 growing season has been a remarkable contrast to the difficulties of 2024. Where last year’s harvest was marred by setbacks, this year has been defined by optimum conditions, strong vine development, and fruit of impressive quality. While it’s still too early for definitive judgments, many growers are already suggesting that Harvest 2025 could go down as one of the best – and earliest – on record in the UK.
Despite the excellent season, fruit sales were lower than expected. I heard from several vineyards, both large and small, that they chose not to harvest entire sites or only picked what they could afford to vinify, leaving fruit on the vine. This reflects the hangover from the record-breaking 2023 crop, which flooded the market and is still weighing heavily on cash flow. With full tanks and cellars, fewer buyers were active in the spot fruit market, which is unfortunate given the superb quality of the crop this year.
A Dry and Productive Spring
The season began on a very different note to 2024. Last March and April were dominated by persistent rainfall, leaving fields waterlogged and vineyard operations delayed. This year, spring was notably dry. The absence of prolonged rain allowed spraying, mowing, and canopy work to progress unhindered. Land preparation for new plantings was also completed in good time and under excellent conditions – a welcome change after the mud-bound struggles of the year before.
The warmth of spring accelerated vine development, pushing growth ahead of the long-term average. Crucially, dry conditions meant disease pressure was exceptionally low. Many of my team described it as one of the cleanest springs for disease control in recent memory. The drawback was limited rainfall, which reduced nutrient uptake in some soils requiring careful monitoring and management.
Weather Challenges and Flowering Success
A brief but sharp frost in the third week of May reminded us of the UK climate’s unpredictability. While some vulnerable sites reported localised damage, the overall impact was minor, and vines recovered quickly.
Flowering in 2025 was unusually swift, often completed within a week – rare in the UK, where it typically spans anywhere from a few days to two weeks depending on local conditions. This rapid flowering, combined with settled weather, ensured a strong fruit set and positioned the season well for an early harvest.
Newly planted vineyards also fared well, despite facing the typical challenges of establishing young vines. Timely summer thunderstorms provided just enough relief from dry conditions, helping young plantings avoid significant stress.
Midsummer Conditions
By midsummer, most sites were running around two weeks ahead of their usual seasonal benchmarks. As canopies became dense, mildew pressure increased, but with careful management it was kept under control.
Concerns about insect pressure also proved largely unfounded. Some activity appeared very late in the season, but by then fruit was already ripe and quality unaffected.
Ripening and Harvest
The weather shifted again in late August, bringing cooler temperatures and rainfall that slowed ripening. This raised some late-season disease risks and complicated harvest planning. Early fruit analysis was tricky to read, as diluted sugars and acids made decisions around harvest timing more complicated. Close block monitoring and strong communication with winemakers were essential to achieve the right balance of ripeness, flavour, and acidity.
Fortunately, September stabilised. Dry, sunny spells provided ideal harvest windows, allowing fruit to be picked at just the right time. Grapes reached excellent sugar and acid levels, with rot pressure extremely low. Acidity was a little softer in some parcels, but overall fruit quality was impressive. Very ripe bunches also made both hand-picking and machine harvesting more efficient than in more challenging years.
A Vintage to Celebrate
The wines of 2025 look set to be defined by concentration and balance, with particularly exciting potential for still wines. After the struggles of 2024, this year feels like a true celebration of what’s possible when weather and vineyard care come together.
VineWorks is one of the UK’s leading viticultural services companies, supporting over 300 vineyards since 2006.
