The Vineyard
The Vine Management System:
The Two Beacons Vineyard utilises the Scott-Henry Trellis System, this system is manually intensive and is managed by a small local workforce, the quality of the grapes is equal to that of the Guyot system which is used in most vineyard however it tends to provide a much greater yield than the Guyot.
The canopy management is generally much more intensive as you have to manage four canes per vine (where possible to have four canes) which requires the lower fruiting cane to be turned down in the spring and when the growth allows you to do so.
Ecology:
The grass alleys between the vine rows have a high percentage of white clover, providing a nectar source for bees during late spring and early summer, following which the surrounding lime trees flower to extend the nectar supply.
Young frogs and grasshoppers use the grass as cover to find food, while dragonflies hunt overhead during the summer months as do the swallows, swifts and house martins.
Soil:
​
Whilst the underlying geology of the area is Silurian limestones and calcareous mud stones, these are overlain by a thick layer of glacial till or boulder clay. This was deposited some 12 to 15 thousand years ago with the retreat of the ice cap from the last glaciation.
The soil is therefore a mixture of clay minerals, derived from finely ground rock flour and sand and gravel. This provides a well drained and nutrient rich soil.