VINEWORKS 2024: A Busy Year for a Dynamic Business
Written by Malcolm Triggs, Vineyard Magazine (November 2024)
The impressive growth of VineWorks, set up by James Dodson in 2006 while still studying for his BSc (Hons) in Viticulture and Oenology at Plumpton College, shows no signs of slowing down.
New team members, investment in machine harvesting, an expanded product range for the online shop, distribution rights for Frolight, an innovative new frost protection system, and valuable support for UK-based scientific research have made this a particularly busy year for the dynamic business.
The company’s significant investment this year in a Gregoire GL 7.4L self-propelled grape harvester from Kirkland UK, is something James considers to be a huge achievement for the business.
EXPANDING TEAM
He is also delighted that Tom Reid has returned to the company, based at Plumpton Green, East Sussex, as head of vineyard services, a new position that will oversee the delivery of VineWorks’ vineyard management activities.
“Tom left us in 2023 to gain experience working in central Otago in New Zealand for a vineyard management company similar to VineWorks, and has now returned with lots of new skills and knowledge around growing grapes in a premium cool climate winemaking area that has lots of similarities to the UK,” said James.
Another new face is that of Sam Middleton, who won the VineWorks-sponsored Vine Grower of the Year Award in 2019 and has now joined the team as a junior viticulturist in Tom’s vineyard services team.
NEW GREGOIRE MACHINE HARVESTER
The new harvester, meanwhile, has proved a hit with clients and looks set to be a gamechanger by reducing the need to rely on a shrinking labour force to pick the increasing number of grapes being grown every year in the UK.
“Access to labour is a critical issue for the industry at the moment and the harvesting machine solves that problem,” said James.
“Yes, it’s a considerable outlay, but it allows you to harvest significant tonnages a day at a third of the cost of doing the job by hand.
“Given how difficult and costly it is to maintain a large workforce these days, I really believe mechanisation is the way forward, although we will of course continue to offer hand-picking for our customers.”
There are winemakers who prefer hand-picked grapes because they don’t like the fruit mixed with juice during the mechanised picking process as it can cause oxidation to begin early. It’s particularly important for those producing the sparkling wines for which this country is renowned.
VineWorks has solved that problem by developing an innovative way to separate the bunches from any juice, enabling dry grapes to be delivered to the winemaker along with an IBC containing the juice that has been released during harvesting. The two can then be processed together in the usual way but without the risk of early oxidation.
“The ability to keep the juice separate from the grapes has been well received by our growers,” said James. “It’s a unique approach which ensures the winemaker receives the best quality juice. We are capturing the cuvee in the field.”
Kirkland UK’s sales manager Ben Devine said the Gregoire harvesting machine had become a firm favourite with vineyards after being successfully demonstrated in the field last harvest.
“With labour availability continuing to be a challenge, growers are increasingly relying on automation, and we are happy to advise them on the best way forward in this developing market.
“Available either trailed or self-propelled, there is a harvester to suit every grower. Gregoire is a great company with many years’ experience, which makes it an excellent choice when looking at harvesting machines.”
GROWING RETAIL
At the other end of the process, as a certified vine importer VineWorks sold 700,000 vines during the year and planted 500,000 of them for the company’s own clients, using two precision planting machines guided by GPS technology.
The company’s retail business is also expanding, with more products and more outlets. It now sells through global online marketplace eBay as well as via its own online shop, while the range of products includes more items from major suppliers including Gripple, Bekaert, Felco and Hadley.
Another important supplier for VineWorks is Tubex, the UK’s leading manufacturer of tree shelters.
“Our Easywrap vine shelters offer a range of benefits, from promoting healthier vine growth to reducing maintenance needs, allowing vine growers to focus more on cultivation and less on repairs and upkeep," commented Jack Readman, field technical advisor at Tubex.
The company’s wrap shelters help create a micro-climate around the vine, insulating it from temperature drops, protecting it from browsing animals and even limiting frost damage.
SUPPORTING INNOVATION WITH FROLIGHT FROST SYSTEM
With the latter in mind, VineWorks has also been chosen as the designated UK distributor for Frolight Frost Systems, an innovative frost protection system that uses infrared technology and costs very little in electricity per hectare to run.
“Frolight is a cable system that looks like the kind of plastic tube that normally houses fairy lights. It runs along the trellising and can be switched on manually or automatically, sending out an infrared light that uses targeted, radiant heat to protect the grapes from frost in cold weather.
“It’s far more sustainable, environmentally friendly and cheaper in the long run than burning propane or paraffin candles, and far easier because once it’s run out into the vines it can be left there until the danger has passed, when it can be rolled up and stored until the following year,” James explained.
Frolight has been brought to the market by Bekaert, and came about after that company, in the words of Chris Smith, senior segment manager, agriculture and consumer, steel wire solutions “sought to transcend its foundational wire products, moving into solutions that leverage its expertise in specialised technologies”.
He explained: “The initial collaboration with BFT, a Bekaert entity specialising in heating cable technology, was born from a six-month research and product development phase. This process highlighted the inadequacy of legacy frost protection methods, paving the way for an innovative solution that uses Frolight’s infrared technology with Bekaert’s commercial backing.
“Frolight Frost System provides vineyard owners with an integrated approach to frost protection. This initiative goes beyond simply meeting a need for higher quality wire or hardware; it aims to provide end-to-end solutions that safeguard crops in an unpredictable climate.
“Bekaert’s ecosystem-based partnerships not only enhance their solution offerings but also help rapidly growing companies like Frolight reach wider markets, making the collaboration mutually beneficial and strategically impactful. Bringing on VineWorks as the designated UK distributor of Frolight is part of this strategy.
Frolight will have representatives on VineWorks’ stand at this year’s Vineyard and Winery Show and will be able to demonstrate the system and give growers an on-the-spot estimate of the cost of installing the system.
VineWorks, a main sponsor of the 2024 show, having supported it every year since it started, will also be joined on its stand by representatives from Bekaert, Gripple and one of VineWorks' oldest nursery partners, Pépinnières Tourette.
CERTIFIED VINE IMPORTER
Pierre-Denis Tourette, from Pépinnières Tourette, commented: “Through our long-standing collaboration with VineWorks, we have found a partner that understands the land, enabling us to offer grapevines tailored to the UK terroir.
“The match between variety, clone and rootstock with the terroir ensures the success of our clients' vineyards. We consistently perform hot water treatment before grafting, to provide additional sanitary assurance. Performing this treatment before grafting helps avoid delayed budburst, often seen when treating finished vines.
“With VineWorks' help, we can adapt the grafting process to meet the needs of the UK market and provide this additional guarantee for future vines. Because in the end, a good vineyard starts with good vines.”
INVESTING IN RESEARCH
VineWorks also played a significant part in this year’s Groundswell regenerative farming ‘festival’, with head of vineyard establishment Will Mower hosting a discussion entitled “The honest truth – what we know and don’t know about regenerative viticulture in the UK."
Sharing knowledge is a central part of the VineWorks philosophy. While it may seem to fly in the face of commercial advantage, James sees it as 'giving something back' to the industry in which he has been a leading player for the best part of 20 years.
“As well as writing a regular column for Vineyard magazine, we produce regular educational features that are freely available on our website,” said James. “I feel strongly that we should support the industry and help it continue to grow and develop.”
VineWorks also ‘gave back’ this year by working closely with the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB), grubbing up part of a research vineyard and replanting with several clones of Pinot Noir, which the company helped to import, as part of a trial. “There was no charge; we saw it as our investment in the future of the UK wine industry,” James said.
Dr. Belinda Kemp, head of viticulture and oenology research at NIAB, praised VineWorks for its “continued support and investment in scientific research”, which it said went “from letters of support for research grants to supplying and replanting vines for our research vineyard in East Malling”.
She went on: “James Dodson offered the services of VineWorks, which enthusiastically removed and replanted 36 rows of vines and replaced them with the most popular grape varieties grown in the UK. They donated their time, the grapevines and the trellis systems required in two research vineyards.
“These vines enable scientists at NIAB to focus on addressing the challenges of growing grapes in the UK, and allow our researchers to study sustainable, environmentally friendly vineyard practices under our cool climate conditions. We are also working with VineWorks to test changing vineyard establishment times, and they are planting a new Pinot disease-resistant variety bred specifically for sparkling wine, and another bred for red wine.”
With 2024 drawing to a close, James and his team at VineWorks are looking forward to what lies ahead - growing UK wine one vine at a time.
