Somerset vineyard prepares for 'bumper' wine crop due to warmer weather

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A Somerset wine maker says this summer's weather could mean a 'bumper' crop.

Guy Smith, joint owner of Smith & Evans Sparkling Wine, says warm and sunny weather in June is integral to growing grapes for wine.

“If you have a perfect June you’re going to have a good quantity of crop, but it’s the great September that means you’ll get the great quality", he said.

The company usually produces between 4000-5000 bottles of wine a year but due to the increased crop, Guy says he's expecting to produce around 6000.

Guy says he's expecting to produce around 6000 bottles of wine this year due to the harvest.

The ripening process can be lengthy and take a matter of weeks, he told ITV News West Country.

“If you taste one now, it’ll have a tiny bit of sugar but otherwise it will be really sharp - really acidic, but give it another three or four weeks and they’ll be intensely sweet and then hopefully flavourful for great wine", he said.

Each year, volunteers descend on the farm to help Guy and his team harvest the crop.

Philip James has been volunteering for seven years and says the farm offers a sense of achievement and community.

"To be outside in the fresh air whether it’s sunny and warm or cold and wet in the winter, people for the harvest come back year after year", he said.

The coming months will play a crucial role in the successful harvest of this years crop but the weather so far leaves Guy and local producers feeling confident there will be more bottles produced this year than ever before.

"Rather than glass half empty I’m actually glass quite glass half full at the moment - which is rare but I don’t want to tempt fate - you’ll have to touch wood very quickly somewhere because the next month is key.

"But at the moment it’s as good as it could be, for once I'm quite optimistic."