Harvest is always one of the most anticipated moments in the Lympstone Manor Estate calendar. After months of careful work amongst the vines, the vineyard reaches its seasonal crescendo as the grapes are gathered and another vintage begins its journey from vine to wine.
This year, following an unusually hot and dry summer, harvest has arrived slightly earlier than usual. The prolonged warmth has accelerated the growing season, bringing the fruit towards ripeness ahead of the traditional timetable and making careful vineyard management particularly important.
Throughout the summer, Steve Edwards, our Operations Director and Vineyard Manager, has closely monitored the vines, responding to the extreme conditions and adapting work in the vineyard as required. While sunshine and warmth can help fruit development, periods of humidity bring their own challenges, particularly around disease pressure and maintaining healthy grapes. Canopy management, airflow around the bunches and regular monitoring all play an important part in protecting the crop as we approach picking.
As harvest nears, attention increasingly turns to the fruit itself. Bunches are assessed and sampled, with sugar and acidity monitored to help determine the optimum moment for picking. It is a delicate balance, shaped by the season, the weather and the character we hope to capture in the finished wines.
Celebrating the 2026 Harvest
On Friday 2nd October 2026, we will mark this special point in the vineyard year with our Celebratory Harvest Lunch.
Beginning with tea and coffee in the Pool House Restaurant at 11.00am, guests will join us for a short introduction at 11.15am before heading into the vineyard for a guided tour. Along the way, there will be an opportunity to discover more about the harvest process and this important time of year on the estate.
Returning to the Pool House at 12.00pm, guests will enjoy an aperitif before sitting down at 12.45pm for a Celebratory Harvest Lunch hosted by Michael Caines, accompanied by our Lympstone Manor Estate wines.
There is plenty to celebrate this year including two launches to the Lympstone Manor Estate collection: the elegant Triassic Pinot Noir 2024, with its bramble fruit, savoury notes and silky texture, and the vibrant Isabeau Rosé NV, a blend of the 2023 and 2024 vintages, bringing together summer berries, fresh citrus and crisp acidity.
Autumn Across the Estate
Harvest also signals the beginning of a beautiful new season in the Devon countryside. The vineyard gradually takes on autumnal hues, the estate landscape begins to change and the cooler days provide an inviting opportunity to explore the natural world surrounding Lympstone Manor.
Our seasonal nature walks offer another way to experience the estate and wider Exe Estuary at this atmospheric time of year, discovering local wildlife, habitats and the changing landscape.
From walking amongst the vines and watching the harvest unfold to celebrating around the table, autumn at Lympstone Manor is a time to reconnect with the countryside, enjoy the fruits of the vineyard and experience one of the most important chapters in our estate calendar.
Celebrate the season with us, join our Celebratory Harvest Lunch on Friday 2nd October for a special day amongst the vines, or discover the changing landscape and wildlife of the estate on one of our seasonal nature walks.
Explore our upcoming events and book your autumn experience at Lympstone Manor.
