Establishing a Vineyard with Chris Buckley of VineWorks Part 1

This show was published Friday, October 31, 2025

Overview

Chris Buckley is the Business Director at VineWorks and one of their key services is vineyard establishment.

Chris talks us through the process of taking a bare piece of land and turning it into a functioning vineyard.

In this first episode of three, we ask what are the first steps in vineyard selection?

First thing to do find the right piece of land, ideally in the UK, looking for either south, south east/south west facing. (In the southern hemisphere, its the opposite, north-facing).

Gentle slope helps amplify the sunlight, helps drainage and frost protection.

Too steep difficult to use mechanical equipment and manage.

Good access to get fruit out, people and machinery in.

A well-sheltered site to protect against extreme weather conditions.

Look for root stocks that match up with the soils - before planting test soil for PH, and macro/micro nutrients.

Finding the right plot of land, there are land agents who can help with the search, such as Knight Frank, Savills, Strutt & Parker who offer this kind of service.

Finally, it is crucial to have a plan as to what you are aiming to do with the fruit you are growing. More on this and the commercial aspects in the next episode.

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The music used for the UK Wine Show is Griffes de Jingle 1 by Marcel de la Jartèle and Silence by Etoile Noire.