England’s record-breaking summer is creating a split picture for drinks retailers, with sparkling wine producers expecting a potentially exceptional vintage while brewers face pressure from a poor barley harvest.
English sparkling wine producers are preparing for their earliest grape harvest on record after a hot, dry summer accelerated ripening but the same extreme weather is raising concerns over barley supplies and beer costs.
For convenience retailers, the contrasting fortunes could have implications for availability, pricing and the performance of two important drinks categories in the months ahead.
English sparkling wine producer Nyetimber is due to start picking grapes on 14 September, its earliest harvest since planting its first vines in 1988, The Guardian reported.
The producer, which operates 11 vineyards across West Sussex, Kent and Hampshire, expects to harvest almost 2,500 tonnes of grapes, potentially producing more than 1.5 million bottles from the 2026 vintage.
While late spring frosts affected almost 30% of its crop and the summer drought reduced berry sizes, Nyetimber said the long spell of sunshine has concentrated sugars in the grapes, creating the potential for a high-quality vintage.
“This year brings another unprecedented vintage as we begin harvesting earlier than ever,” said Cherie Spriggs, Nyetimber’s head winemaker.
The earliest previous harvest was in 2018, when the first grapes were picked on 19 September.
Beer supply faces a tougher outlook
The picture is considerably less positive for beer, with extreme heat and prolonged dry weather hitting barley yields across England.
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board has warned that the barley harvest could be the worst on record, with yields running around 19% below the five-year average last month.
That could put further pressure on brewers already dealing with higher input and operating costs.
Lisa Hogan, who runs Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire with TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson and produces Hawkstone Lager from the farm, said the second consecutive year of dry conditions had affected both the quantity and quality of the barley crop.
“I think a lot of barley farmers suffered,” The Guardian quoted Hogan as saying. “So, we just have to pay a higher cost, and then we have to try not to pass that on to the customer."
What it means for convenience
The contrasting harvests highlight another way extreme weather is beginning to feed through to the drinks supply chain.
This summer was the UK’s hottest on record, according to provisional Met Office data, with temperatures reaching 38.1C at Kew Gardens on 13 August. England had already recorded its hottest June since records began in 1884.
For convenience retailers, beer remains a major footfall and sales driver during warm weather, making any sustained pressure on supply or wholesale prices particularly significant.
Meanwhile, the early English wine harvest could give domestic sparkling wine another opportunity to strengthen its premium credentials, particularly as consumers increasingly look for British-made products.