HOW TO START YOUR OWN VINEYARD

READ Stephen Skelton’s Viticulture — An Introduction To Commercial Grape Growing For Wine Production. It’s the starter book for anyone looking at vineyards in the UK.

ENROL in a course at Plumpton College near Brighton ( plumpton.ac.uk), the only institution in England to offer wine courses from apprentice to university level. A oneweek course covers everything from winter pruning to pest management (£685, starts August 28) or do it one day a month, allowing you to follow their vineyard through the seasons (£860, starts November 19).

BUY an existing vineyard or set up your own, but you need a minimum of five acres to turn a profit. If your vineyard is for your enjoyment, ‘100 vines would be the minimum, each producing about a bottle,’ says Chris Foss, Plumpton’s head of wine.

LAND fit for vineyard planting goes for upwards of £15,000 an acre, according to Nicholas Watson at property agent Strutt & Parker. Best locations are slopes in sunnier drier parts, such as South-East England. Chris Foss advises using a specialist consultant. Wine GB has a database ( winegb.co.uk).

FOR a five-acre plot, start-up costs might be £40,000 for plants and materials such as trellising, then around £10,000 a year for contractors to manage your vines, pick your grapes and take them to a producer.

ALL vineyards over 0.1 hectares must be registered with the UK Vineyard Register (and smaller ones, too, if commercial).

IF YOU haven’t the funds or patience, try a rent-a-vine scheme, such as the one at Chapel Down Winery in Kent. For £275 a year, you can lease five vines, visit to monitor their progress, help pick the grapes and receive six bottles of the Tenterden Estate Bacchus Reserve wine, complete with personalised labels ( chapeldown.com).