Spring has sprung - progress on the most Northern Vineyard in England....

Hello!!  It's been a while, lots going on......

So, if you follow our* page on Facebook (here's the link if you want to check it out) you'll of had a bit more insight into whats been going down!  If not, don't panic, you can enjoy this update now!

* I say 'our' as this has now definitely become a 'we' thing, without Nina (who is writing this) you wouldn't be reading this! Plus, although there is an 'I' in vineyard and an 'I' in wine, there isn't in team and you'd need a team to drink all the wine....

We've been making friends with lots of lovely people and just wanted to give them all a shout out!  At the end of last year, we got a message from Kelvyn and Ruth from Guest Wines and they invited us to one of there wine events.  Think less 'Come dine with me' more 'Come wine with me' or even 'Come wine with me and then come wine again'!  So there was lots of wine and Matt really enjoyed drinking all the wine.

We had the pleasure of meeting Oz Clarke, what a lovely chap.  He was very supportive and very interested in our project, we hope to get him up to the vineyard one day!

Matt and Oz

More recently we managed to get Kelvyn and Ruth up to the vineyard so they could see the vision and follow us on our journey! Thanks for the visit and we look forward to your second visit in the summertime!  Please do have a look at their website, we would highly recommend you go to an event!

Kelvyn, Ruth and a mini Guest!

We're only just realising how busy we've been by recapping on all that's happened....so much and we've barely even started!

A couple of weeks ago we managed a bit more wine tasting but this time at our mates shop.  We're becoming wine connoisseurs or at least we're trying to!  Our mates Will and Jade at Boda Home in Whitley Bay have a great selection of wine, beer and other alcoholic delights and we would highly recommend a visit!  One day, they'll stock our wine I'm sure but in the mean time they have lots to keep you going.

We would highly recommend a sparkling number, it's all about the sparkling wine now....

Matt with Will of Boda Home

Right that's all the 'other business' covered so here's the next vineyard update from Matt...

So, until the next time.....and thanks for following our wine adventures......

The magic of solar power in the vineyard!

Yo! I've made a new film!  It's not a particularly long one but it's all about the pump goings on in the vineyard.  I've mentioned the spring I found a while back so check that out in one of my earlier blog posts.

Enjoy...

Cheers,

Matt

Lots going on - grapes growing, plants growing.... Beyond the Wall Vineyard, Northumberland - two years on!

It's now a little over two years since we've had access to the Walled Garden and I've made a film documenting what's happening around the garden.  Good news all round as you will see and, we have grapes!

Here's a couple of pictures just to remind everyone of how the land was when I began the project.

Finally, here's the new film I've made!  Enjoy!

Winters work in the vineyard - greenhouses and plans!

Hello!  Spring is on its way and we couldn't be more excited here at Beyond the Wall Vin-garden!  New year with lots of plans and lots of interest from many different people and organisations!  It's all very exciting and not something we thought would take off like it has.  

This year, we'll be selling some of our produce (veg and plants not wine sadly)......we do have lots of wine made from our vine, but we can't sell it yet!  It's just for us to drink at the minute!

I'll update you all again soon!  In the meantime there's work to be done!  Also, just a reminder that everything I am doing is in my spare time and most of the plants and materials I am working with have been gifted to me.

Wine making progress....with Newcastle upon Tyne's fairest grapes!

Hello hello and a very Happy New Year to you all.  Here's an update on the wine I'm brewing at the minute from the vine in my garden!  It's looking good!

Picking the booze berries and making the Toonshine!

Growing the grapes.....Northumberland (UK) style!

So far this year, Summer has been good!  Here's the latest on my vines and happenings in the vin-garden!

The above right and left photos show the first planted up row of vines.  I have spaced the first row of vines fairly wide apart (6'8"/1 Matt) as once I have planted up the further rows, there will not be much air flow around in this area.  This area is sheltered by the wall and as I progress with the rows of vines, these will help shelter this area from the Easterly winds.  Although shelter is good, some air flow is required for a healthy crop.  I.e. It helps reduce mildew and other issues.

I didn't plant this row up at the most ideal time, more upon a whim with some cheap vines.  I was eager to get the 'vin' in the garden...

All the vines I have added this year, including the ones along the wall are showing good promise.  The top centre photo is the only cloned vine from the vine in my garden at home.  This cutting was produced completely organically and has never experienced any fertilizers.  I have noticed this vine has put on nearly no where near as much growth compared to the 15 or so various different vines I have purchased (which all had fertilizer in the pots at point of purchase).  The leaf on the cloned planet however is far more healthy than the bought vines, as shown below.

Bought

Clone

Despite the clone being smaller, I do think it will catch up as I believe it will naturally adjust to the soils quicker than the plants that have been relying on fertilizers. 

In between the vines, I have been planting up geraniums and lavender.  These are complimentary plants for grapevines among others such as roses and nasturtium.  Combine this with the chickens roaming about the place, scratching and shitting where they please, this makes the vineyard extremely close to being a bio-dynamic vineyard.

Bio-dynamic farming is the next step up from organic farming.  It is something that I believe could work very well for this particular project.  I don't want to bang my hippy drum about it or go on like some sort of bare footed eco warrior but I do believe that there's a lot of good in this and it's not all just hocus pocus.  Do your own research and make up your own mind, it may not save the world but what will?!

This method also allows me to grow perennial plants and positively welcomes things like wildlife, ponds and habitats within the growing area.  

There's the pond in the photo, there's been an absolute buzz of wildlife.  Frogs, Pond skaters, Water boatmen, Dragonflies and many different birds have been visiting the pond recently.  The spring water is used to top up the pond as I use the pond for irrigation and I do believe that the lack of chlorine in the water is why the pond has been so successful in becoming established in less than a year.  At this point I can connect the pipe which comes over the wall from the spring to another pipe which goes under ground to the centre of the garden and resurfaces to fill a large tank (as shown below).  This tank is about 6'4" in height and is dug in to the ground, it can hold about 2000 gallons.  

This system is not fault free, I am currently suffering an issue with air lock.  I feel like this will be a project in its self and is a one for over the winter so it it will be ready for next years growing season.  

A couple of pictures of my herbaceous plants above which have helped invite many pollinating insects in to the garden.

About two weeks ago in this area of the garden I saw three little owls (parent and young I think).  I quite often see an owl sitting on the wall too but it's very camera shy.  

The above are my veg plots!

I've had success and failure growing veg this year, it wasn't something I was particularly planning.  The success is all down to very positive soil.  The failure is down to hot weather and irrigation issues.  

No more progression on the poly-tunnel (see below) however I am thinking about making a land mass log burning heater...again another project to follow!

 Here are a few more pictures of what's going down in the yard....

Caterpillar party - Bank Holiday Monday

Noisy

You haven't got a good garden if you haven't got a compost heap...

Holey Moley!

Forbidden fruit....eat this and I'll throw you out!

Pink shelter belta!

Favela Party!

Shanty Town Shindig!

Now go away and do something interesting...but read my next post!

Cheers!