The Gladwin Family Journal
Snapshots, Reels and Observations from September, by Peter Gladwin
from our Farming, Wines, Restaurants, Pubs & Produce
A Red Wine Year: The Grape Harvest Report
There has been a lot of hype about a “vintage year” for English wine and, indeed, a long hot summer has produced some fantastic ripe grapes, but Gregory Gladwin, the winemaker at Nutbourne, gives mixed reports - here is his summary of vintage 2026:
"Frosts in late April reduced the grape crop for many growers across the UK. The vines of course, still want to reproduce, but when a late air frost destroys the first buds, the crop is never as abundant.
Then came the fabulous months of almost continuous sunshine, heat-waves and drought. Whilst our gardens and pasture went barren, the vines had dug deeper to find their water source, so bore no ill effects from the lack of rain, and had an opportunity to ripen great fruit on the vine.
As a grape matures it loses acidity and gains sugar, so the sweetness of the grapes dictates the alcohol percentage of the wine. For sparkling wine there is such a thing as too much alcohol and not enough acidity. This is beginning to be a major problem in parts of Europe - high alcohol wine doesn’t suit all styles and can certainly be a problem in traditional method sparkling where the second fermentation in the bottle generates another 1.5% alcohol. The result has been early harvest, with many producers racing to pick their grapes before the potential alcohol gets too high. Similarly, if acidity drops too much, the wine can become flabby - lacking fruit characteristics and tang. Here at Nutbourne the 2026 Nutty vintage sparkling should be good (bear in mind this is a long game, it won't be released until 2032), but we will struggle to make our lower alcohol Nutty Wild at just 10.5% alcohol. In contrast our still whites should be intense and characterful; we managed to pick early enough to make a superb refreshing blush rose but the real 2026 champions are going to be the reds.
It is most definitely A Red Wine Year. The Pinot Noir berries are rich, wholesome and lasting with ripe brown pips and soft skins. We are also experimenting with a Pinot Meunier red - usually quite high in tannin, but this year softer with amazing earthy character and black fruit potential. We have quantities of fruit undergoing
cold maceration to extract colour, aroma and flavour using “dry ice” (CO2) at minus 80 degrees to delay the fermentation from starting too quickly. Some Pinot Noir is still hanging on the vines gaining extra ripeness in the Autumn sunshine."
- GG
What's new in our Local & Wild restaurants?
"A Place To Linger Longer"
We are delighted that The Black Horse, Amberley has been featured in The Michelin Guide in its first year of opening.
Why not book an Autumn/Winter dinner, bed & breakfast break and enjoy some great hospitality in this charming country inn, located at the heart of one of Sussex’s most delightful villages - just an hour and a half by train from London, on the edge of the South Downs.
Sundays at The Shed
It's all gravy in the heart of Notting Hill. The Shed is now open on Sundays, with our much-loved Local & Wild roasts on the menu. Fill your plate and settle in for a hearty lunch, with Nutbourne wines.
Live it up at The Black Lamb
We're turning up the volume on Wednesday nights in Wimbledon Village. Smooth jazz and seasonal dining is returning to The Black Lamb, with live music playing from 7pm, soulful sounds setting the tone throughout the evening.
Whether you're planning a midweek date night, dinner with friends, or simply want to unwind with a glass of wine and great music, this is the perfect way to elevate your evening.
Pair the soundtrack with our modern British menu, featuring thoughtfully sourced produce and bold seasonal flavours.
Pie & A Pint
Start the week right with a supper to keep you going. We're making Mondays better with a special Pie & Pint deal at The Pig's Ear in Chelsea and The Black Horse in Amberley.
Each week, enjoy a unique pie made from the delicious leftovers of our Sunday roast, helping us reduce food waste while giving you something new to savour every time.
We'll always be serving a meat, pescatarian, and vegetarian version and all our pies come with a creamy potato mash.
Treat your team to a Local & Wild Christmas
There's a special location or private room perfect for your festive feast at every Local & Wild location.
Whether you book The Green Room or The Hideaway at Sussex; The Butchers Table at The Shed; The Chelsea Room at The Pigs Ear; The Nook at The Black Horse, The Little Lamb at The Black Lamb; or a special long table at Rabbit on Kings Road, we have delectable seasonal fare and a fabulous welcome ready to help you say thank you to your team in the buildup to Christmas 2026.
Bees in the Dahlias are like pigs in muck
Nutbourne’s programme of wildflower blocks, rows of dahlias on the hill behind the winery, undisturbed wilderness and cover crops in the vine rows is all in place to increase biodiversity. The vines themselves don’t actually need insects for pollination but we do need them to maintain the healthiest possible growing environment. The butterflies and ladybirds eat tiny aphids that can infect our grapes, small birds breeding in the woodland eat the insects, the birds of prey circle above, maintaining the status quo – it is the circle of life!
The Harvest Farm Feast
For the second time this year we hosted two amazing feasts in the vineyard to celebrate the season over the equinox weekend.
The evenings began in the winery Tank Room, where guests were able to sample the newly fermenting wines. This is apparently a great tradition in Germany where these half fermented wines are called “wicked wine” - perhaps because the alcohol is well disguised in the sweet fruity beverage.
Then seated in the Windmill or Wine Lodge, guests were treated to five sumptuous courses prepared by guest chef Emma Spofforth. For the first serving "From The Game Poacher" she prepared a trio of Partridge & Quail Scotch Egg, Smoked Duck with Elderberry ketchup and Ballotine of Grouse, all washed down with a preview of Nutbourne’s Barrel Fermented, multi-vintage Chardonnay (due to be released in December).
Next "From the Sea" came vine-wood Roasted Cod, Basil Gnocchi and Walnut Pesto paired with Sussex Reserve 2024 from magnum. The main course "From the Downs" was tender, succulent and highly sustainable Wild Venison, Parsnip Purée and roasted beets, with baked apple - this was accompanied by Nutbourne's Pinot Noir red.
Next, the surprise cheese course "From the Meadows" was a Brighton Blue Panna Cotta, caramelized Mulberries and a seedy cracker. To finish, "From the Orchards", was a Damson & Almond Financier cake, Plum and Fig Leaf Compote and clotted cream ,washed down with the rare and exquisite Nutbourne Hedgerow 2018.
It was a special celebration - our guests wobbled away home in the pitch dark, well fed, well watered and content. Emma has shared her recipe for the Damson Financier cake in this Journal. She is now based in Sussex and does smaller scale Private Catering. Do contact her on emmaspofforth@talktalk.net if you have a party in mind or need something special for the festive season.
Wine of the Month: Can Axartell Mado
Richard and Gregory went to visit this amazing winery in the north of Mallorca, they came away completely smitten and Can Axartell Mado is now wine of the month across Local & Wild.
The Syrah-based wine is blended with the indigenous Mallorcan grape varieties Manto Negro, Callet and Gorgollassa. Syrah provides the power, ripe fruit and juicy character, while the local Mallorcan varieties bring elegance and freshness. Manto Negro, in particular, offers a wonderfully light touch with soft, low tannins, making this an incredibly approachable and versatile wine.
"Bloody or Ruined?"
It is too many decades ago for any of you to remember, but back in the late 70’s there was a fabulous restaurant on Chelsea Green called Monkeys. No fussy stars, just genuine fine dining - Oysters and Turbot in the summer and a full game larder in the wintertime, (plus Foie Gras Ballotine whenever you fancied it).
The restaurant was led by a tyrannical Chef Patron and his delightful Parisian wife, Brigitte (no relation to our Bridget though they enjoyed sharing the same name). “Chef” was old school - he liked to greet his guests, take the orders and tell you which wine to drink before disappearing into the kitchen to cook. Brigitte would then take over the service and smooth any offence caused by her husband’s brusque manner. His cooking of woodcock, snipe, partridge or grouse was perfection and always served with all the trimmings of bread sauce, crumbs, crabapple jelly and masses of game gravy
Alas I don’t quite recall Chefs name but if he is still with us, there is no doubt he will recognize himself in this piece and I salute him. His favorite line was to enquire as to how you would like your game bird cooked and there were only two choices: "bloody or ruined?"
© Painting by Bridget Gladwin, 2010
Working Chooks
There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
Our vineyard chickens are literally living under the vines where they till and clean the soil, remove weeds, eat the bugs and fertilise the ground in preparation for next year. A great example of the 'Soil Positive Movement' in action!
Currently they are also producing over 300 eggs a week to be enjoyed at breakfast by guests staying at The Black Horse.
This Month's Champion: Moorland Grouse
We appreciate that readers are unlikely to cook grouse very often, but if you do get the chance, I thought it would be helpful to offer some guidance. These amazing birds have a flavour like no other: rich, succulent, lasting - a real treat.
What's in Season?
Delicious ingredients available in October from the shore, field, farm and foraging
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IN THE WILD
Wild Chervil, Burdock & Alexander · Partridge, Pheasant, Moreland Grouse & Wood Pigeon · Wild Venison · Crab Apples & Rosehips · Damsons & Sloes · Puff Ball, Chanterelle & Woodland Ceps · South Downs Black Truffles
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FROM THE COAST
Rock Samphire, Sea Purslane & Sea Aster · Scallops, Mussels & Oysters · Skate Wings · Hake, Gurnard & Monkfish · Dover Sole
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FROM THE LAND
Pumpkins & Squashes · Aubergine · Quince · New Season Parsnips · Three Colours of Beetroots · Rainbow Chard, Cavolo Nero, Red & Green Kale
Seasonal Recipes
Little Baby Bacchus
The Bacchus grape is widely grown in England and has become the still white wine of choice. It has a distinctive “elderflower” bouquet and then lasting “gooseberry” fruit and is among the most popular of our Nutbourne wines.
Lani Gladwin, who has toiled tirelessly through harvest, alongside my other daughter-in-laws, Lucinda and Lizzie, has written a children's poem about the grape and I have added an illustration.
Photography by: Simon Wheeler, Ed Dallimore, Catherine Frawley and Oliver Gladwin. Designed and edited by Olivia Thomas. Illustrations and copy by Peter Gladwin.