MyCornwall Magazine - Dec/Jan

Pruning is about to begin – about 90% of
the previous year’s growth will be snipped
off, leaving two shoots which are tied
down to the trellis. Cornwall’s mild climate
ensures frost, which can damage the buds,
is less of a problem here than for other
UK vineyards. By June (“usually around
Wimbledon time”) the vines have grown
and are flowering. “That’s the critical time,
as it determines what the yield will be like.
Good weather will ensure good fruit; bad
weather, poor yields.”
Vine care continues throughout the
summer, with trellis work and canopy
management aiming for neat rows rather
than a jungle, and leaf removal in mid-
August to ensure a good flow sunlight
around the fruit for maximum ripeness.
In 2022, the harvest began in the first week
of September, with the team picking a
high-quality Pinot Noir Précoce grape
at Portscatho; the final variety of Seyval
Blanc was collected in the first week of
October from Seaton vineyard. The wines
are now ageing in a tank; still wines are
aged before being bottled and some will
be taken to retail within six months, while
methode champenoise wines can be aged
in the bottle for five years or more.
Yields are up on the previous two years,
and David and his team are pleased the
overall quality, anticipating that next year’s
offerings will be some of the best yet.
David predicts some good sparklings,
very good still whites (including a “really
promising” still unoaked Chardonnay) and
rosés, plus the return of a few reds such as
a Portscatho Pinot Noir Précoce red, which
will need a year in the barrel to soften. “In
general, everything from this year will be
fuller bodied than typical – really fruity and
characterful,” says David.
The urge to innovate extends to new
products: last summer, canned rosé spritz
Aprèz was launched onto the market in a
bid to appeal to a younger audience. “It’s a
single serve and you can take it down to the
beach as part of a picnic.” In 2023, you’ll
see the winery’s first “orange” wine, a oneoff
small batch of white Muscat fermented
on skins. “We’re always looking for new and
different things to do, which is great fun.”
The fun doesn’t stop at wine. You can tuck
into Sunday lunch at the winery, while The
Vine by Knightor at Portscatho serves small
plates on long sharing tables with panoramic
views over the Roseland coastline. Look out
for special events including a Burns Night
celebration, a Scandi feast night and a
Valentine’s Day crab smash! l
Knightor Winery, Trethurgy PL26 8YQ.
Wine shop and tastings: Wednesday to
Saturday, 11am to 4pm, Sunday 1pm to
4pm (Sunday Lunch served noon to 3pm).
The Vine by Knightor, Portscatho TR2 5EH.
www.knightor.com
n 66 | My
Issue 75 | December 2022 - January 2023