Davenport Vineyards

Home
United Kingdom
Tonbridge
Davenport Vineyards

Growing grapes in Horsmonden to make award winning, organic English wines.

31/10/2026

Harvest 2026: A challenging start, a promising finish

An early start, a difficult spring and almost everything ripening at once!

The late spring frosts took a heavy toll on this year's crop, so it was a huge relief to see the surviving fruit develop so well. Picking began on 28 August – our earliest harvest ever – and finished just four weeks later.

We've taken a look back at the growing season, the challenges along the way and what it might mean for the w**es to come.

Read the full harvest report in our Journal – link in bio.
www.davenportvineyards.co.uk/post/harvest-2026-a-challenging-start-a-promising-finish

**e **e
**e

27/10/2026

Two awards to celebrate!

Two of our sparkling w**es have been recognised in the 2026 Glass of Bubbly - Ch*****ne and Sparkling W**e. Awards, each with its own character and a medal to match.

🥇 Limney Estate 2021 – Gold Medal
Hint of Spice
Crisp apple, pear and citrus meet toasted brioche and almonds, with a hint of white pepper and ginger.

🥈 Limney Sparkling Rosé 2022 – Silver Medal
Summer Days
Strawberries, redcurrants and rose petals on the nose, followed by juicy red berries, a hint of pomegranate and a long, fruity finish.

Two different expressions of English sparkling w**e, and a great result for both. Thank you to for the recognition – time to pop a cork! 🥂

Which would you choose - Hint of Spice or Summer days?

www.davenportvineyards.co.uk/shop

**e **e

15/10/2026

Inside the w**ery: Pinot Noir 🍷

So, what happens to the grapes once they arrive at the w**ery?

For our Pinot Noir, we split the grapes roughly 50/50 between whole bunches, with the stems still attached, and destemmed grapes. Both go straight into the tank, rather than the press.

During fermentation, we monitor temperature, aromas and sugar levels. We also pump w**e from the bottom of the tank back over the grapes sitting on top, known as the cap. This process, called pumping over, keeps the skins wet and helps extract colour, flavour and tannin from the grapes.

It’s one of those parts of w**emaking you don’t necessarily see, but plays an important role in developing the character of a red w**e.

The whole-bunch fermentation brings lifted floral aromas and fresh red-fruit notes, while the destemmed grapes add structure and depth.

Once fermentation is complete, the w**e will be aged in large oak foudres for at least seven months, followed by a further year resting in bottle before release.

We’re particularly excited about this year’s Redmoors Pinot Noir. Planted in 2016, the vines are now showing the potential we’ve been hoping for, making this a particularly promising vintage. Early indications suggest the finished w**e will reach around 12% ABV, although there’s still a way to go before it’s ready.

There’s plenty more to come as this vintage develops.

**e **e

07/10/2026

A lovely piece of recognition for our Limney Estate Sparkling W**e 2020, which features in Oz & Tom’s English W**e Heroes 2026.

Oz Clarke and Tom Surgey describe it as:

“Pristine, well made sparkling w**e. A vivacious, self-confident acidity; a rich cream texture. White spring orchard blossom lifts the lively ripe-pear, crisp apple fruit. Appetising, savoury, toasted-nut richness lingers on the palate.”

We’re thrilled to see it included in this year’s guide, available later this month, which celebrates the people and w**es shaping the English w**e industry.

Limney Estate Sparkling W**e 2020
Organic • Traditional Method • Kent

Very limited availability, exclusively from our on-site shop, while stocks last.
clarke

**eHeroes **e **e **e **e

05/10/2026

Harvest 2026 - And that's a wrap! 🍇

We will be sharing more about this year's harvest over the coming weeks, but wanted to start with a huge thank you to everyone who help us bring it in.

Harvest is always a crazy busy time, but this year was particularly full-on! Picking started on 28 August — our earliest harvest ever — with everything ripening at the same time!

To everyone who joined us in the vineyard, whether you've picked with us for years or this was your first harvest at Davenport, thank you for the early starts, long days, hard work and good humour. Every pair of hands made a difference, and we couldn't have done it without you.

Here are a few of the people — and some of the pictures they took along the way — who helped make Harvest 2026 happen. 🍇

2026 harvest team — you were brilliant. ❤️

**e **e **e

25/09/2026

I know we said this last week BUT this really is the final Friday of harvest! 🍇

Our Shop is closed today, but we’ll be back open next week.

You can still order online for delivery or collection.

Just one more push — we’re picking future vintages for you to enjoy! 🍇

Sorry for any inconvenience, and thank you for your patience.

**e **eCountry **e **e **e

21/09/2026

Snips at the ready for our last week of harvest! ✂️🍇

Bring it on! 💪

**e **eMaking

18/09/2026

It’s the final Friday of harvest! 🍇

Our Shop is closed today, but we’ll be back open next week.

You can still order online for delivery or collection.

Just one more push — we’re picking future vintages for you to enjoy! 🍇

Sorry for any inconvenience, and thank you for your patience.

**e **eCountry **e **e **e

11/09/2026

With harvest in full swing, our Shop is closed today.

You can still order online for delivery or collection.

Only another week to go, so bear with us — we’re picking future vintages for you to enjoy! 🍇

Sorry for any inconvenience, and thank you for your patience.

**e **eCountry **e **e **e

05/09/2026

Look at those bunches! 🍇

Yesterday we picked our organic Huxelrebe — an in-house team pick of some seriously impressive grapes.

Picked, pressed and safely in the w**ery.
Harvest continues!

**e **e **e

Address

Hazel Street Farm
Tonbridge
TN128EF

Website

http://www.davenportvineyards.co.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Davenport Vineyards posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.