A sequel to the Ladies Saturday Morning Group visit to Halfpenny Green Vineyard.

Ouch! I have just turned sharply and my back has complained again. How did I get into this state? Well, I was one of the fortunate gentlemen invited by the Ladies to visit Halfpenny Green Vineyard during August this year. During the visit, Martin, the owner of the vineyard, asked for volunteers to help with the grape harvest in October. I duly put my name forward and, three weeks ago, Martin rang me to ask if I had, in moment of madness, offered my assistance. Of course I had and I was looking forward to visiting Halfpenny Green again.

So it was arranged that I should turn up at 9am on Saturday, 17th October, complete with secateurs, suitable boots and outdoor clothing. The day came and, fortunately, it was fine!

As we had considered that the coach driver in August had taken a very long scenic route to the vineyard (M42 around Birmingham, then M5, turning off to Stourbridge), I decided on a more direct, way-the-crow-flies route, Nottingham - Lichfield - Walsall - Wolverhampton - Halfpenny Green. After Lichfield, I quickly found out why the coach had gone the way it did! Miles of 30 mph with speed cameras and sets of unlinked traffic lights around Walsall and Wolverhampton, taking me at least half an hour extra! If you are tempted to visit Halfpenny Green Vineyard, don’t use this route.

Arriving on the dot of 9am, I was introduced to my fellow grape pickers, around 24 in all, and we were taken to the field, where the grapes, varietal Madeline, were to be harvested. The rows of vines were 150 metres long, and the bunches of grapes were about 1 metre (just over 3 feet) from the ground. We worked in pairs - one on each side of the row - and set about the task with enthusiasm. We were approaching the end of our first row when Martin came up and said that we were a long way ahead of our nearest rivals. Both my companion and I were pleased with our progress but the enthusiasm was beginning to wane as our backs began to complain about the constant bending down to snip off the bunches of grapes. We were well into our second row when the call came to go to lunch - ah, a sit-down and some relaxation!

Lunchtime passed all too quickly and we were soon back at the vines, toiling in the heat of the afternoon. We ended up harvesting grapes from two and a half rows of vines and the whole group had gathered around 5 tonnes of grapes, which would make around 5000 bottles of wine. There was a real sense of achievement but, at what a cost! Over half the group were walking around gingerly, myself included, and sitting down with great care. Don’t ask how we got up again!

We discovered from those who had helped with the harvest before that a portable seat is useful, as is a bucket in which to collect the grapes. With the grapes at that height, a seat would have been gratefully received and the buckets, when full, could have been taken to the large collecting trays which became very heavy to move around. I intend to help with the harvest next year and will arrive fully prepared!

To end the day, we had a wine tasting and a very tasty buffet. Not too much wine for me, driving of course, but I did have a glass of the white wine made last year exclusively from the Madeline grapes. The grapes themselves were very sweet and flavoursome and would, no doubt, produce excellent wine. The wine I tasted was very good, very dry and with a lovely fruity flavour which had carried through from the grapes. Now for the best bit - Halfpenny Green Vineyard stand market on the fourth Saturday of the month at West Bridgford (in the Farmers’ Market on Central Avenue), so you may be able to taste their excellent English wines if you visit the market. They also visit Wollaton Market earlier in the month, at the Co-op superstore.

Will I go again? Emphatically yes! It was a lovely day out, the wine and the buffet were excellent, the backache will (hopefully) disappear and I shall enjoy the wine I purchased and brought home with me. Next time, I shall be fully prepared with a seat! If you are inspired to help with the grape harvest, please remember to wear old clothes - the grape juice is very sticky and gets everywhere - as well as taking the correct equipment!

Mike Sanders 18th October 2009.

Ouch! I have just turned sharply and my back has complained again. How did I get into this state? Well, I was one of the fortunate gentlemen invited by the Ladies to visit Halfpenny Green Vineyard during August this year. During the visit, Martin, the owner of the vineyard, asked for volunteers to help with the grape harvest in October. I duly put my name forward and, three weeks ago, Martin rang me to ask if I had, in moment of madness, offered my assistance. Of course I had and I was looking forward to visiting Halfpenny Green again.

So it was arranged that I should turn up at 9am on Saturday, 17th October, complete with secateurs, suitable boots and outdoor clothing. The day came and, fortunately, it was fine!

As we had considered that the coach driver in August had taken a very long scenic route to the vineyard (M42 around Birmingham, then M5, turning off to Stourbridge), I decided on a more direct, way-the-crow-flies route, Nottingham - Lichfield - Walsall - Wolverhampton - Halfpenny Green. After Lichfield, I quickly found out why the coach had gone the way it did! Miles of 30 mph with speed cameras and sets of unlinked traffic lights around Walsall and Wolverhampton, taking me at least half an hour extra! If you are tempted to visit Halfpenny Green Vineyard, don’t use this route.

Arriving on the dot of 9am, I was introduced to my fellow grape pickers, around 24 in all, and we were taken to the field, where the grapes, varietal Madeline, were to be harvested. The rows of vines were 150 metres long, and the bunches of grapes were about 1 metre (just over 3 feet) from the ground. We worked in pairs - one on each side of the row - and set about the task with enthusiasm. We were approaching the end of our first row when Martin came up and said that we were a long way ahead of our nearest rivals. Both my companion and I were pleased with our progress but the enthusiasm was beginning to wane as our backs began to complain about the constant bending down to snip off the bunches of grapes. We were well into our second row when the call came to go to lunch - ah, a sit-down and some relaxation!

Lunchtime passed all too quickly and we were soon back at the vines, toiling in the heat of the afternoon. We ended up harvesting grapes from two and a half rows of vines and the whole group had gathered around 5 tonnes of grapes, which would make around 5000 bottles of wine. There was a real sense of achievement but, at what a cost! Over half the group were walking around gingerly, myself included, and sitting down with great care. Don’t ask how we got up again!

We discovered from those who had helped with the harvest before that a portable seat is useful, as is a bucket in which to collect the grapes. With the grapes at that height, a seat would have been gratefully received and the buckets, when full, could have been taken to the large collecting trays which became very heavy to move around. I intend to help with the harvest next year and will arrive fully prepared!

To end the day, we had a wine tasting and a very tasty buffet. Not too much wine for me, driving of course, but I did have a glass of the white wine made last year exclusively from the Madeline grapes. The grapes themselves were very sweet and flavoursome and would, no doubt, produce excellent wine. The wine I tasted was very good, very dry and with a lovely fruity flavour which had carried through from the grapes. Now for the best bit - Halfpenny Green Vineyard stand market on the fourth Saturday of the month at West Bridgford (in the Farmers’ Market on Central Avenue), so you may be able to taste their excellent English wines if you visit the market. They also visit Wollaton Market earlier in the month, at the Co-op superstore.

Will I go again? Emphatically yes! It was a lovely day out, the wine and the buffet were excellent, the backache will (hopefully) disappear and I shall enjoy the wine I purchased and brought home with me. Next time, I shall be fully prepared with a seat! If you are inspired to help with the grape harvest, please remember to wear old clothes - the grape juice is very sticky and gets everywhere - as well as taking the correct equipment!

Mike Sanders 18th October 2009.