The Bothy Vineyard in Oxfordshire, England, will stop producing wine after 42 years due to ongoing problems with late spring frosts.
Image from: Internet
Sian and Richard Liwicki, owners of Bothy Vineyards, have decided to suspend their vineyard investment business in Abingdon, according to the Herald.
Founded in 1978 by Roger and Dorothea Fisher as Bothy Vineyards, the Liwickis have been growing grapes on the property for the past 18 years. According to the Herald, the vines on the property will be dug up in the coming months and will be replaced by 850 oak and hazelnut trees.
This year was memorable for a number of reasons. The Newcastle pneumonia epidemic, political unrest and two nights of -5 degree frosts on May 11 and 13 destroyed our flowering vines.
The couple revealed: We decided to dig up our vines and we left only two long rows to represent all the varieties we cultivate on site.
They will continue to sell bottles of wine until they run out of stock. A key factor behind this decision is the ongoing frost problem.
Climate change is working against us. The mild winter prompted earlier buds, but not the short but severe frosts in May, which often disappeared before most people were even out of bed.
The planting of oak and hazel trees will begin early next year with the goal of increasing the biodiversity of the estate and helping to combat climate change.
