Every vintage has its own story, and the 2026 vintage at Marlow Valley Vineyard has certainly been one to remember.
From black frost in spring to exceptionally dry summer conditions and, finally, an outstanding harvest, this year has tested both our vines and our team.
Here at our English vineyard in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, every season teaches us something new about the land, the vines and the unique conditions that help shape our award-winning English wines.
Protecting Our Marlow Vineyard from Black Frost
Back in May, just as the vineyard was coming to life and the first tender buds were beginning to burst, we were faced with one of a vineyard’s most unwelcome visitors: black frost.
At this stage of the growing season, delicate new shoots are particularly vulnerable to sudden drops in temperature. Damage at this point can affect not only the vines themselves but also the grapes they will produce later in the year.
The team therefore spent some very long and very cold nights at our Marlow vineyard, doing everything possible to protect the vines.
Thankfully, we weren’t alone.
Felix the Frost Fan to the Rescue
Felix the Frost Fan was hard at work too, circulating the warmer air above the vineyard and helping to keep the frost at bay.
Having planted our vineyard in Marlow in 2022, seeing the vines mature and become increasingly established makes moments like these particularly rewarding. You can discover more about the story and development of Marlow Valley Vineyard and how the vineyard has evolved over the past few years.
From Frost to Drought in Buckinghamshire
Once the cold weather had passed, the 2026 growing season brought us a completely different challenge.
The exceptionally dry conditions left much of the surrounding Buckinghamshire countryside scorched and brown, and water became an increasingly precious commodity.
For our vines, however, their increasing maturity brought an important advantage.
Mature Vines and Deeper Roots
As vines become established, their root systems are able to reach further down into the soil in search of moisture.
This year, those stronger root systems meant our vines were able to cope with the prolonged dry conditions without needing to be watered. The contrast was remarkable.
While much of the countryside surrounding our Buckinghamshire vineyard turned burnt brown, Marlow Valley Vineyard remained a sea of lush green.
It was a wonderful reminder of just how resilient vines can become as they mature – and how several years of nurturing them are beginning to pay off.
The 2026 English Wine Harvest Arrives
After the challenges of spring and summer, we couldn’t have been happier when harvest finally arrived.
The grapes reached us in exceptional condition, and the quality of the fruit was everything we could have hoped for.
Harvest is always one of the busiest and most exciting times of the year at Marlow Valley Vineyard, but in 2026 we were particularly pleased with how quickly we were able to move the grapes from vine to press.
From Vine to Press in Just a Few Hours
Once picked, the fruit was transported and being pressed within just a couple of hours.
Keeping the time between picking and pressing as short as possible helps us preserve the freshness and quality of the fruit at exactly the right moment.
For a small English wine producer in Buckinghamshire, harvest is the culmination of months of work – from protecting new shoots in spring to carefully monitoring the vines throughout summer.
And after everything the 2026 growing season had thrown at us, seeing such healthy fruit coming into the winery was particularly satisfying.
What Does the 2026 Vintage Mean for Our Wines?
From those anxious, frost-filled nights in May to the drought of summer and, finally, an exceptional harvest, the 2026 vintage at Marlow Valley Vineyard has been quite a journey.
There is still plenty of work to be done in the winery before we discover the full character of the wines produced from this year’s fruit.
But the quality of the harvest has left us feeling incredibly excited about what is to come.
Our vineyard already produces a range of English wines grown and produced in Marlow, including our award-winning Bacchus white wine and Pinot Noir Rosé, and each new vintage gives us another opportunity to express the character of our Marlow vineyard.
Visit Marlow Valley Vineyard
If you’d like to discover more about life at a working vineyard in Marlow, why not join us for one of our vineyard tours and wine tasting experiences?
Set in the Buckinghamshire countryside just half a mile outside Marlow, our vineyard tours give visitors the opportunity to walk among the vines, learn more about our winemaking journey and taste our award-winning English wines.
You can also browse the full Marlow Valley Vineyard wine range online, including our Bacchus English white wines and Pinot Noir Rosé.
From frost to drought, from vine to press, 2026 has reminded us once again just how unpredictable – and rewarding – English winemaking can be.
Here’s to the 2026 vintage.