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Wine's Sweet Summer; Beer's Bitter Harvest
10 Sep
Summary
- English winemakers anticipate earliest grape harvest and vintage quality.
- Record temperatures and drought lead to poor barley yields for beer.
- Extreme weather impacts UK barley harvest, potentially worst on record.
English sparkling winemakers are gearing up for their earliest grape harvest ever, with expectations of a vintage year due to the exceptionally hot summer. Nyetimber will begin picking grapes on September 14, 2026, anticipating over 1.5 million bottles from the 2026 vintage. Despite challenges like late spring frosts, the abundance of sunny days has concentrated sugar in the grapes.
Conversely, the beer industry faces significant challenges. Extreme heat and drought, which made summer 2026 the UK's hottest on record, have led to a poor barley harvest. This could result in less beer availability and higher prices, as yields are reportedly down and quality has suffered. Farmers are struggling with irrigation, and projections suggest this may be the worst barley harvest on record, impacting supply chains globally.
